The large group of people led by Yewen halted before the grand gate. A flash of pink darted through their vision, followed by a wave of sweet fragrance. The young man materialized right in front of them, his big eyes blinking rapidly as they swept over the crowd - especially lingering on Yuwentuo and Mino.

Up close, Yewen finally recognized this youth as Lingzhu. His mind reeled with surprise before murmuring silently, "How did she get trained like this?" Though inwardly exasperated at Hua Yi's choices, he casually summoned Yuwentuo forward for introductions to Lingzhu, merely stating, "This is our new disciple. By seniority, you should address him as your junior."

Lingzhu smiled warmly and greeted Yuwentuo enthusiastically. The young man then respectfully bowed before her with unwavering gaze, declaring solemnly, "I greet you, Senior Sister!"

"..."

An awkward silence fell over the group. Puzzled, Yuwentuo glanced around, wondering if he had said something wrong. Before he could inquire, the beautiful "senior sister" in front of him suddenly overflowed with tears and burst into sobs so violently she dissolved into a shimmering mist that vanished before their eyes.

Turning to his master, Yuwentuo remained confused until Yewen patted his shoulder calmly and whispered, "Next time you see Lingzhu, remember to call her 'Senior Ghost'."

Understanding dawned too late. No one would ever guess such an exquisite figure was actually a male disciple - let alone dressed in flowing skirts with sashes fluttering like celestial beings from the heavens. Who could possibly claim that being?

Meanwhile, Mino had grown intensely interested despite initially showing no care. Her eyes blazed emerald as she fixated on Lingzhu's vanished direction. Had it not been for the crowd, she probably would have sprinted after him.

"Didn't we say your Uncle was as beautiful as a maiden? Who was that just now?" Keeping a sliver of clarity, Mino turned to Zhangling. She realized she needed comprehensive knowledge about all of Shushan's personnel - if not for this initial encounter, she might have missed such an exquisite specimen entirely.

"That's the disciple of our Senior Madam, Lingzhu," Zhangling explained. "It's been ages since we last saw him. He's clearly been trained into this appearance by our Senior Madam... Whether to feel happy or pitiful for him remains uncertain!" The last time she'd seen Lingzhu, while his features were already feminine, his voice still carried some masculine depth and his mannerisms were gradually adopting female habits though not entirely.

This reunion revealed full transformation - both movement and speech had become completely ladylike. It seemed the demon power was indeed formidable, refining Lingzhu into this form. Whether this junior disciple would ever remain a man was now questionable.

"Of course we should be happy for him!" Mino paid no mind to such complexities. She still stood beside drooling excitedly, already mentally drafting plans A, B and C for her "Lingzhu Conquest Project".

As they walked inward, the guards respectfully greeted Yewen as the Seasonal Ancestor before resuming their posts at the gate.

Regarding notification duties - Lingzhu had come specifically to greet Yewen. After their meeting, he naturally would announce his return... Though it was done through weeping tears, the message should still get conveyed.

Fortunately, this issue didn't linger long among the disciples. Soon several figures emerged from behind, with the unmistakable white-furred figure of Dayu leading them - a bear that rarely left the back mountain.

Dayu halted before Yewen, grinning broadly while his massive paws scratched at his head. After some rummaging through hidden compartments, he retrieved a wooden sign reading "Has Gafui Returned?"

Zhangling knew the white bear and Gafui were particularly close companions. She approached, retrieving the sleeping kitten from her bag's depths and handing him over to Dayu.

The bear seemed ecstatic, tossing aside his wooden sign before carefully receiving Gafui with giant paws. Then came a massive tongue that awakened the sleepy feline mid-snooze. Startled by this sudden interruption of his dream, little Gafui immediately struck back...

Smack!

A crisp, decisive slap left a clear cat-paw imprint on Dayu's cheek. But the bear didn't mind at all, still grinning as he nestled Gafui against his neck and took cautious steps.

After shifting around briefly, Gafui found a comfortable position to rest, patting the bear contentedly before closing his eyes once more for sleep.

Amused by this pair of oddities, everyone smiled and turned away. Yewen now recognized his specially sent sister-in-law and Hua Yi waiting ahead.

"I'm back!"

Without further words, Yewen simply announced his return - a phrase surpassing all others in meaning. His sister-in-law bit her lips as if holding something back, finally merely nodding with pouting mouth.

Hua Yi appeared far more composed, acting like Yewen had just returned home after an ordinary day's work. She patted his dust-free shoulder - a purely ceremonial gesture - and said, "The wine and food are ready. Want to eat first?"

Nodding, Yewen greeted those behind him. While only his two wives and several disciples emerged from the rear, some had been detained elsewhere. Naturally unbothered by this, after brief greetings in the courtyard, they all proceeded toward the inner garden.

Chatting about Western experiences along the way, conversations inevitably revolved around Yewen's myriad trivial adventures.

Hua Yi, after their initial exchange, remained slightly behind, listening silently as Yewen spoke.

Only Ning Ruxue stood beside Yewen now, walking shoulder to shoulder at front while others trailed behind them through the main hall and training grounds into the back garden. As they navigated twists and turns, followers gradually thinned until reaching their residence where only close companions remained.

Upon entering the courtyard, Yewen immediately noticed an overwhelming fragrance. Scanning around, he found flowerbeds blooming profusely despite it being autumn - an obvious magical effect making this garden perpetually springlike.

Ning Ruxue wouldn't concern herself with these details and guessed Hua Yi's doing as usual.

Sure enough, Hua Yi sidled up secretly to whisper, "I've been cultivating flowers during my spare cultivation time. I even planted some daisies - your favorite!" She made a playful face that had Yewen chuckling while Ning Ruxue blushed embarrassedly.

Seating the two women at the stone table, Yewen noted the pre-set tea set and called out Yuwentuo. "These are your two senior mistresses. Go greet them properly."

Accompanied by Zhangling who'd already informed him about his two masters' names, Yuwentuo performed the formal greetings with simplicity - just offering tea to each woman.

But this was no full initiation ceremony which required elaborate rites impossible to conduct casually. Though Yuwentuo had joined Shushan now, determining when for these ceremonies needed careful calculations: first selecting a propitious day (difficult in the divine realm), then ensuring all sect members witnessed the event during the grand ceremony. Valkyries and Artoria didn't need initiation rites but still required proper respects to Yewen and his two mistresses.

Considering Valkyries' unfamiliarity with Eastern customs, simple tea offerings sufficed without bowing rituals.

This caused another round of activity as Zhangling led Yuwentuo around to meet various senior disciples. No longer needed here, Yewen withdrew.

Christos also departed to arrange accommodations for Guan Yu who would stay overnight before departing at dawn next morning.

Soon the once-crowded courtyard emptied completely except for Yewen and his two companions alongside Artemis now remaining alone.

Four figures settled around the stone table with each occupying a corner. Ning Ruxue and Hua Yi flanked Yewen on either side, their hands beneath the table persistently squeezing his thighs - though such actions were far from pleasant as they twisted the flesh.

Naturally, these subtle movements didn't escape Artemis's notice, yet she remained silent. Though agreeing to accompany Yewen back, her mind churned with unease about this man already having two wives while expecting her presence.

Olympian deities maintained strict marital codes despite other moral laxities. Poseidon and Zeus each had only one wife regardless of their extracurricular activities. Hades was a paragon of devotion (though his acquisition methods were questionable). Apollo's romantic pursuits didn't interfere with his sister-obsessed single status. Even Hephaestus, having an unfaithful spouse, never considered remarrying.

These traditions clashed sharply with Eastern polygamy norms that left Olympian deities aghast. Yet here was Yewen casually bringing her into this situation - did it mean nothing?

The thought of Yewen abandoning his previous wives to exclusively be with her surfaced in Artemis's mind, though she knew the impossibility. Worse still, if he actually attempted such betrayal, would she truly despise him more than anything else?

This internal conflict paralyzed her speech when facing two determined women - her original plan of sternly declaring "my man belongs only to me" now utterly silenced.

Watching Yewen's reddening face (though his divine body was long immune to pain), he merely provided the two ladies with some dignity.

After all, coexistence required mutual tolerance sometimes through subtle grudges rather than open confrontation. After decades together, they'd collected plenty of each other's flaws but never truly acted on them - knowing that would only lead to permanent separation.

This time was no different! The two women briefly expressed their discontent before letting go... though Yewen knew better than to believe it so easily. Their united gaze directed at Artemis spoke volumes about the devious schemes already brewing between them.

After some contemplation, Ning Ruxue whispered in his ear suddenly, "Senior Brother's truly impressive - even managing a foreign girl back here!"

"...Haha..."

Hua Yi tilted her head, eyeing Artemis before leaning close to Yewen. "I suppose you've already tried her out?"

"What?!"

"Can't it be obvious?" Hua Yi smiled knowingly. "This woman embodies everything you love the most - no wonder you brought her all the way from Shushan."

Yewen was flustered beyond words, knowing that when it came to intimate preferences, few could rival Hua Yi's detailed understanding. While Ning Ruxie tended to be more reserved, their sisterly closeness had already extracted every detail about him from her.

Ning Ruxue now stood beside Yewen and clearly heard Hua Yi's words. Straightening up, she turned fully toward Artemis for a thorough examination - only to discover Hua Yi was indeed correct. From head to toe, this woman matched all of Yewen's preferences precisely - no wonder he'd brought her back!

Thinking about his senior brother's tastes made Ning Ruxue fluster slightly but quickly shrugged it off. While private matters with Hua Yi were discussed openly, she had a more demure nature and only casually mentioned these things to her sister.

Even in private, she once considered advising Hua Yi on whether to style hair into soft waves (since Yewen preferred gently wavy long hair) - this suggestion was overheard by both women present.

Observing Artemis's chestnut-brown waist-length tresses with natural curling waves, Ning Ruxue pouted before scrutinizing her facial features. While Eastern women had their advantages in refined beauty, Artemis possessed divine genes combining the best traits of both East and West.

Continuing downward... Rather than comparing herself, she switched between Hua Yi and Artemis's silhouettes. Here again, Easterners showed no disadvantage - though their curves might slightly surpass hers, when paired with those superior features above and below...

Her thoughts were interrupted by Artemis's height advantage creating a pair of incredibly long legs even beneath the flowing gown. The perfect lines remained unmistakable despite the fabric, made more alluring due to her unselfconscious lack of modesty.

After this comparison session ended, Ning Ruxue simply huffed in resignation before glancing sharply at Yewen for no reason - leaving him utterly confused again.

Hua Yi noticed Ning Ruxue's actions and stifled laughter behind her hand, causing the latter's cheeks to burn anew. She then continued glaring at Yewen with all seriousness.

Yewen simply wept inwardly...

No real conversation had transpired during this entire sitting until about half an hour passed when Ning Ruxue finally sighed heavily, "Since you've brought her back anyway, I won't say anything more."

This unexpected declaration left Yewen stunned. "What? You just gave up so easily?"

Hua Yi seemed to know something but averted her gaze when he asked with a meaningful look, only giving him the silent message of "just watch".

Ning Ruxue stood suddenly and walked toward the open space. Lifting white fingers, verdant qi coiled around them before forming an emerald sword glowing softly in her hand.

Then came a vivid green lotus blooming across her forehead, swirling rhythmically with accompanying melodious notes.

"Just remember - the Yewen family isn't so easy to enter!"

With those words, verdant energy erupted from all sides. In a flash it vanished and reappeared as countless glowing swords surrounding Ning Ruxue.

Amused by this display, Artemis rose as well, drawing her Soldeador Starlight bow before notching an arrow of brilliant blue that shimmered like falling stars - facing off directly with Ning Ruxue now.