Although Ian Song had already made up his mind, he still had to inform his wives in advance.
So that night, Ian gathered all his wives together.
Then, he brought up the matter.
To his surprise, all the women looked perfectly calm—none of them showed any sign of dissatisfaction.
That night, he stayed in Lila Li's room. After their intimacy, the two lay together and talked.
"Husband, are you wondering why none of the sisters had any objections to this?" Lila Li suddenly asked.
"Mm!" Ian nodded. "I am a bit confused, honestly!"
Lila Li said softly, "It's actually very simple. Everyone has been trying their best to keep up with you, but still can't match your pace, let alone help you much. Now, since Hannah Murong can help you and raise your chances of completing your mission, of course no one would feel any resentment."
"Sigh, I really feel I've let you all down!"
Ian hugged Lila Li tighter, his expression full of guilt as he spoke.
"Husband, please don’t say that. Honestly, just being able to stay with you is enough for us!"
"Don’t worry, I’ll always be with all of you!"
At this, Ian couldn’t help but kiss Lila Li passionately on her cherry lips. Lila immediately responded eagerly, "Husband, love me!"
"Mm!"
With a soft moan, Ian rolled over and mounted her again, charging forward on Lila Li.
Ten days passed in a flash.
Master Heaven-Secrets arrived once more.
"Kid, have you made up your mind yet?"
"I’d like to talk with Miss Murong, is that alright?" Ian asked, looking at Master Heaven-Secrets.
"Alright!"
Master Heaven-Secrets nodded, then his lips moved slightly.
In a flash, Hannah Murong appeared in front of Ian.
"You two have a good talk. This old man will go for a stroll!"
Master Heaven-Secrets smiled and walked out.
"Miss Murong, it’s been years. You’ve really changed a lot!"
Ian said with some emotion. Back in the Xianxia World, Hannah Murong was a lively, innocent girl.
But now, Hannah Murong’s cultivation and temperament were worlds apart from before. She radiated a cold aura that made people want to keep their distance. Ian could see she was at the sixteenth-layer Ancestral Immortal realm, but he even felt that Master Heaven-Secrets might not be her match anymore.
"You wanted to see me—what’s the matter?" Hannah Murong said coldly, her tone stiff.
Ian was briefly taken aback, then smiled, "Why don’t we sit down and talk?"
This time, Hannah Murong didn’t reply.
Then Ian spoke again, "Miss Murong, your wish is to rebuild the Great Qin Immortal Kingdom, while my goal is to establish an Immortal Kingdom. The two do conflict, but if we cooperate, it’s a different story. So I have a small question: do you only want to restore Great Qin in name, or do you intend to become its true controller afterward?"
Hannah Murong fell silent for a moment, then said coldly, "You don’t need to worry that I’ll kick away the bridge after crossing the river. But I have one condition: any children we have must be heirs to the Great Qin Immortal Kingdom!"
"Actually, I have another suggestion," Ian said.
"Go ahead," Hannah Murong nodded.
Ian said, "To be honest, I’m founding an Immortal Kingdom just to complete a certain mission. I have no intention of ruling the Immortal World. In fact, after I finish that mission, I wouldn’t mind handing the kingdom over to you entirely!"
When Ian said this, a strange look flashed in Hannah Murong’s eyes, and she stared deeply at him.
Ian continued, "You don’t need to doubt my honesty. Before seeking me out for cooperation, you must have investigated me. My rapid power growth is driven by some mysterious backer.
My true goal isn’t in the Immortal World, but in the God Realm. So, once I complete my mission, I’ll leave for the God Realm and won’t care about the kingdom’s ownership. Since that’s the case, you don’t even have to marry me—we can just cooperate. But I have one condition: until I finish my mission, your people must support me unconditionally. If you drag me down, I’ll turn against you no matter what. What do you think of my proposal?"
Hearing Ian’s sincere words, Hannah Murong fell into deep thought.
Seeing this, Ian added, "Miss Murong, you and I aren’t strangers. Whether in the lower world or here, I’ve never let my friends suffer losses. So why not consider my suggestion seriously?"
"Alright, I agree. But you still have to marry me!" Hannah Murong said in a firm voice.
"Why?"
Ian was completely baffled.
Hannah Murong paused before continuing, "Only by marrying me will you gain the true loyalty of Great Qin’s old ministers. In public, we’ll be husband and wife, but in private, we can keep things formal and respectful."
"Alright! That works. Thank you, Miss Murong!"
Ian nodded and agreed.
The reason Ian had suggested not marrying Hannah Murong was because he felt guilty toward his other wives. But what Hannah said made sense: if he didn’t marry her, in the eyes of those old ministers, he’d always be an outsider and never get their true allegiance.
"It’s fine. I’m only doing this for the sake of Great Qin Immortal Kingdom!"
"Then it’s settled!" Ian said with a smile.
"I’ll take my leave for now. Wait three months, then come and formally propose to me!"
"Where should I find you?" Ian asked.
"Three months from now, you’ll know."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hannah Murong vanished.
By the shore of a crystal-clear lake, Hannah Murong stood facing the water. Master Heaven-Secrets stood respectfully behind her.
"How trustworthy do you think Ian is?" Hannah Murong asked after a long silence.
Master Heaven-Secrets replied, "I think he’s fairly trustworthy, Princess. Just consider: whether in the lower world or the Immortal World, his strength has increased far too quickly to be normal. Clearly, some mysterious figure is helping him. I suspect the powerful technique he has was taught to him by that person, and anyone who can create such a technique wouldn’t be weak in the God Realm. Also, judging by his actions in both worlds, Ian has never wronged his friends. Look at his two masters—after taking him as a disciple, their cultivation improved by two levels in just over a hundred years, which likely involved Ian’s help. So his words are credible. Of course, he also holds grudges, so during our cooperation, we must keep those old ministers in check!"
"Mm, I understand," Hannah Murong nodded. Suddenly, she changed the subject: "How are the preparations for Qionghua Cave-Heaven?"
"Everything is ready. We can act at any time!"
Hannah Murong’s eyes turned cold. "Good, let’s begin. I’ve told Ian to propose in three months—within that time, Qionghua Cave-Heaven’s situation must be completely stabilized!"