The next morning.
Valerius opened his eyes and immediately felt something pressing against his body.
"What is this?"
Looking down, he found Bronya curled up on his chest, sleeping soundly.
"Oh… I'm really a married man now."
Thinking back to the intimacy of the previous night, Valerius still felt like he was dreaming.
It hadn't been easy.
After being single for so many years, he had finally gotten a taste of happiness.
From now on, he was no longer a lonely bachelor.
He was a true warrior.
Closing his eyes again, he found himself reluctant to leave the warmth of the bed.
In the living room.
Jingliu sat at the dining table, watching Phantylia carry plate after plate of food to the table.
"Why did you make so many dishes that replenish blood and vitality?"
It was already surprising enough that a Lord Ravager could cook.
But seeing an entire spread dedicated to restoring energy made it even more astonishing.
"Shouldn't the mistress of this house be given some nourishment?"
Phantylia raised an eyebrow and shot Jingliu a knowing look.
"That makes sense."
Jingliu nodded instinctively, then frowned slightly.
For some reason, she had felt uncomfortable ever since waking up.
It wasn't the same as mara-struck symptoms, yet the strange sensation left her unsettled.
Phantylia nearly laughed.
This woman really was hopelessly dense.
Ignoring Jingliu, she walked to Valerius's room and knocked.
"Lord Valerius, lunch is ready."
She was gradually growing accustomed to her new identity.
At first, it had felt awkward.
But after several days of life here, she had become convinced that she truly could break free from Destruction.
And Valerius was nothing like the overbearing master she had once imagined.
In fact, living here felt… surprisingly pleasant.
"Oh."
A short while later, Valerius emerged from the room with Bronya.
"Go ahead and eat. You don't have to wait for me next time."
He genuinely disliked this habit.
He wasn't some old-fashioned patriarch who expected everyone to wait until he sat down.
Jingliu said nothing.
Bronya, however, was visibly astonished when she learned that the meal had been prepared by Phantylia.
She immediately nodded politely in thanks.
Unlike the people of the Xianzhou, Bronya had no particular hatred for Phantylia.
After all, Phantylia had never harmed Belobog.
On the contrary, she had helped revive Bronya's mother.
And the resurrected Antimatter Legion had been dismissed with a casual wave.
As a result, Bronya's impression of her was actually quite favorable.
At that moment, Jingliu suddenly spoke.
"You should look for a larger house."
Valerius blinked.
"Huh? What's wrong with this place?"
He thought the house was perfectly fine.
It might not be huge, but there was plenty of room.
And it was conveniently close to Qlipoth Fort, making it easy for him to visit Bronya.
"The soundproofing is poor."
"The soundproofing?"
Valerius looked even more confused.
What kind of reason was that?
Belobog was quiet at night.
What difference did the soundproofing make?
Bronya's face instantly turned scarlet.
Lowering her head, she silently focused on her food.
Inside, she was screaming.
Did Jingliu hear something last night?
That absolutely could not continue.
"I… I can help you find a larger house."
She made up her mind.
There was no way she was letting people eavesdrop on them every night.
Valerius shook his head.
"I'll handle it myself."
Having Bronya find a house for him somehow made him feel like he was living off his girlfriend.
That didn't sit right with him.
Besides, it shouldn't be difficult.
The Xianzhou Alliance had already sent envoys, and with the two worlds using different currencies, there was a high chance that interworld trade would rely on Interastral Peace Corporation credit points.
That meant the credit points Jade had given him would finally come in handy.
…
Wait.
Why did that still feel suspiciously like living off a rich woman?
And for some reason, he felt as if he had forgotten something important.
Liyue.
Among towering mountains, a Abyss Mage was skewered clean through by a spear and dissolved into nothingness.
Pulling back her weapon, Shenhe finally steadied her breathing.
"He must be busy… He must be."
Valerius had promised to come pick her up.
She had been excited for hours.
Yet now, half the day had passed, and there was still no sign of him.
And because of her naturally reserved personality, she had no intention of asking about it.
With no other outlet, she could only vent her frustration on the monsters roaming the mountains.
"Hey, that's Shenhe!"
A surprised voice rang out in the distance.
Shenhe turned.
"Paimon. And… Traveler."
She recognized them and gave a small nod in greeting.
"Shenhe, what are you doing out here?" Paimon asked cheerfully, floating over.
"The monsters have grown restless. Master sent me to eliminate them."
Shenhe had no desire to admit that she was simply in a bad mood.
"And what brings you two here?"
"We're heading to Liyue Harbor," Paimon explained. "The Rite of Descension is coming soon, and the Traveler wants to meet the Geo Archon."
"I see."
Shenhe nodded.
"The road is long. Please travel carefully."
"Don't worry. The Traveler is very strong."
Paimon had complete confidence in the Traveler.
Besides, if they stayed on the main roads, they would encounter little danger.
"In that case, farewell."
Even after removing her red ropes, Shenhe still wasn't fond of socializing.
She was about to leave.
She wanted to return to the mountains in case Valerius arrived while she was away.
"Shenhe, you should accompany them to Liyue Harbor."
A large white crane descended from the sky and landed beside them.
Paimon stared in surprise.
"Who are you?"
"Hmph. I am the adeptus Cloud Retainer, also known as Xianyun."
"Cloud Retainer? Never heard of you."
"Hmph."
The crane transformed into Xianyun's human form.
"Xianyun!"
"Indeed."
She shot Paimon an annoyed glance.
How could someone be so ignorant?
"Master, if I go to Liyue Harbor now…"
Shenhe still had no desire to go.
She only wanted to return and wait.
Xianyun sighed.
"My foolish disciple."
Unlike Shenhe, Xianyun was not the type to sit quietly and wonder.
She had already asked Valerius through the livestream.
He had said he was busy today and likely couldn't come.
But she had also learned some good news.
Valerius would definitely attend the Rite of Descension.
At that time, he would take Shenhe with him.
Since the Rite was approaching, keeping Shenhe in Liyue Harbor was clearly the best option.
After hearing Xianyun's explanation, Shenhe finally understood.
She nodded and turned to the Traveler and Paimon.
"In that case, I will escort you to Liyue."
"Great! We'll be in your care."
The Traveler was delighted.
With Shenhe guiding them, they could avoid taking unnecessary detours.
"Master, I'm leaving now."
"Go on."
Watching the three figures depart, Xianyun couldn't help feeling as though she were marrying off her daughter.
And said daughter was remarkably slow when it came to romance.
"No. I need to keep an eye on things."
Transforming back into a white crane, she soared into the sky and quietly followed behind them.
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