Chapter 162: Chapter 162 – Four Brides

The eastern wing of the main palace had been transformed into something that defied architectural logic. Servants and maids rushed through corridors that seemed to stretch longer than the building’s external dimensions allowed, their arms laden with silks, jewelry, and cosmetics fit for celestial goddesses.

“This… this room wasn’t here yesterday,” whispered one of the older maids, her weathered hands trembling slightly as she pushed open an ornate door.

The chamber beyond took her breath away entirely.

What should have been a modest preparation room had become a bridal suite that rivaled the legendary palaces of ancient fairy tales. The walls gleamed with mother-of-pearl inlays that seemed to shift colors with each viewing angle, while the ceiling stretched impossibly high, painted with murals of phoenixes dancing among cherry blossoms. Streams of golden light filtered through windows that showed views of gardens that clearly didn’t exist in the physical palace.

“It’s like we’ve stepped into another realm,” breathed a younger maid, nearly dropping the jade hairpins she carried.

But there was no time for wonder. Four figures sat before an enormous mirror that reflected not just their physical forms but seemed to capture the very essence of their beauty—each radiating a different kind of divine allure even beneath the matching red silk robes that draped their forms.

The wedding dresses themselves were masterpieces that transcended mortal craftsmanship. Deep crimson silk flowed like liquid fire, embroidered with golden dragons that seemed to move when caught in peripheral vision. Each dress had been tailored to perfectly complement its wearer’s unique beauty—Mei’s emphasized her gentle curves and natural grace, Yue’s highlighted her warrior’s strength and athletic form, Feng’s showcased her voluptuous maturity, while Ying Jia’s seemed designed to make her ethereal divinity shine through mortal fabric.

But it was the veils that truly completed the ensemble. Gossamer-thin red silk covered their faces completely yet somehow didn’t obscure the luminous beauty beneath. Each veil was embroidered with different patterns—flowering vines for Mei, crossed arrows for Yue, crystalline snowflakes for Feng, and silver stars for Ying Jia.

“My ladies,” one of the head maids said nervously, “His Majesty requests that—”

“Wait,” Mei interrupted softly, her voice carrying through the silk as she turned toward her sister-wives. “Did you all hear what the servants were saying in the corridors?”

Yue tilted her head curiously, the movement causing her veil to shimmer. “About the feast?”

“The entire empire,” Mei’s voice grew wonder-struck. “Every person who came to witness our wedding is being fed like royalty. Dishes from distant realms, flavors that have never existed in our world…”

Feng’s composed voice carried a note of understanding. “And you’re thinking about this morning, aren’t you? When he asked what wedding gift you desired?”

Mei nodded, her hands clasping together in her lap as the memory surfaced. “I said… I said if I could wish for anything, it would be for people like those who are about to die from hunger to have something good to eat. I meant it casually, just… just expressing a silly wish.”

“But he fulfilled it,” Ying Jia’s voice was soft, confused, carrying that same bewilderment that had colored her words since awakening in her transformed state. “An entire empire fed because of your casual words.”

Through the veils, Mei’s smile was radiant. “He listened. Really listened. Not just to what I asked for, but to the heart behind it.”

Yue snorted, though her tone held affection. “That perverted bastard. Always finding ways to make us fall for him deeper.”

“Language, Yue,” Feng chided gently, though there was warmth in her voice. “Though I admit, the gesture is… remarkable.”

A moment of comfortable silence settled over them as each woman processed what this meant—not just the scale of the celebration, but the casual way their husband had reshaped reality to fulfill an offhand wish.

Suddenly, Mei’s eyes lit up with mischief. “Sisters, I have an idea.”

“Oh no,” Yue muttered. “That tone never leads anywhere good.”

“What if…” Mei leaned forward conspiratorially, “what if we don’t speak during the ceremony? Let him guess who is who?”

The suggestion hung in the air like a challenge.

Feng raised an eyebrow beneath her veil. “Mei, you do realize that cultivators of our level can sense energy signatures? It’s hardly a difficult puzzle.”

“That’s not the point,” Mei giggled. “It’s about playing along. Being… playful. When’s the last time any of us got to be silly with him?”

Yue considered this, then slowly nodded. “Actually… that might be fun. Watching him pretend to struggle while knowing he can identify us instantly.”

“It’s childish,” Feng observed, but her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.

All three turned toward Ying Jia, who had remained silent during the exchange. The newest bride was fidgeting with her hands, silver hair catching the light even beneath her veil.

“I… I’m not sure I should even be here,” Ying Jia whispered finally, her voice carrying decades of accumulated uncertainty. “This is my second marriage. I bore a child, I’m… I’m not pure like the rest of you. And just a few days back, I was dying in a hut, rotting away like refuse. How can I stand here? It’s awkward, isn’t it? I’m his daughter-in-law, after all.”

The question hung heavy in the perfumed air.

Mei was the first to move, reaching out to grasp Ying Jia’s trembling hands. “Jia, do you think our husband is the kind of man who makes mistakes about what he wants?”

“Technically, yes, he always thinks with his cursed dick,” Yue added firmly. “But listen, why not directly ask him about everything instead of wild guessing? Just ask for the bride gift—correct answer, instead of the answer that pervert usually gives.”

“I agree with Yue,” Feng said as she gave a nod. “Seeing how he fulfilled Mei’s wish, he might just fulfill all of our wishes too.”

Ying Jia’s hands stopped trembling, though uncertainty still colored her voice. “Wait, so are you all going to ask for something from him?”

“Obviously,” Yue said with a warrior’s directness. “I am not just accepting getting into polygamy out of nothing… come on.”

“I-I can ask for a second gift too, right?” Mei said, realizing that she might have asked for the gift while she was asleep, considering she didn’t pay attention when he casually asked about what could make her feel delighted.

“Shut up, Mei—” Yue was about to stop Mei from uttering nonsense, especially since she was the greediest one among them.

Before Ying Jia could respond, a commotion outside the door caught their attention.

The sound of multiple footsteps approaching, accompanied by the distinctive qi signature that made all four women’s hearts race despite their various levels of composure.

“My ladies,” came the nervous voice of a head maid through the door, “His Imperial Majesty has arrived!”

The four brides exchanged glances—or what passed for glances beneath their veils—and quickly stood in unison.

Mei nodded to the others, a silent reminder of their playful conspiracy.

“Please, send the servants away,” Feng called out with imperial authority. “We wish to greet our husband privately.”

The sound of retreating footsteps filled the corridor, followed by the soft click of doors closing throughout the wing.

Then, after a moment that stretched like eternity, the ornate door swung open.

Tianlong entered like a force of nature barely contained in human form.

He wore robes that somehow made the opulent chamber seem modest by comparison—deep black silk embroidered with golden dragons that seemed to writhe with each movement, over crimson inner layers that matched his brides’ dresses perfectly.

His long hair was bound, and his crimson-gold eyes swept the room with an intensity that made the air itself seem to thicken just like his thick wives.

But when his gaze settled on the four veiled figures standing before him, something shifted in his expression.

The emperor’s mask softened into something warmer, more lustful—the look of a man seeing his most precious treasures.

“Zhang Wuji,” he said without turning around, his voice carrying absolute authority. “Leave us.”

“Yes, Master.” The legendary swordsman’s voice came from somewhere behind him, followed by the whisper-soft sound of his departure.

Now only five figures remained in the transformed chamber—an emperor and his four brides, separated by nothing more than gossamer silk and the electric tension that always seemed to crackle between them.

“Well,” Tianlong said, his lips curving into that familiar smirk that made all their hearts skip beats, “I must say you all look absolutely magnificent.” His eyes traveled from one veiled figure to another, drinking in the sight of them in their wedding finery.

Mei stepped forward slightly, her voice pitched deliberately higher than normal. “Oh, it seems it will be difficult. How will you tell who is who?”

The question was so obviously from Mei—her natural playfulness shining through despite the attempted disguise—that Tianlong had to bite back a chuckle.

Every person in the room except her understood that energy signatures made the game impossible, yet here she was, delighting in the simple joy of pretense.

He could sense them all perfectly, of course.

Forget about sensing their energy. The system window was hovering over their heads, screaming their identity.

But seeing the eager anticipation in Mei’s posture, the barely suppressed amusement in Yue’s stance, even Feng’s subtle shift that suggested she was curious to see how this would play out…

“Hmm,” Tianlong mused dramatically, stroking his chin as if genuinely puzzled. “This is indeed quite the challenge. Four beautiful brides, all veiled, all wearing identical dresses…”

He circled them slowly, his presence making each woman’s breath quicken despite their various attempts at composure. “However will I identify my beloved wives?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep