Just as Zhou Luo was preparing to leave, he happened to run into Xu Changsheng. Since both of their residences were in the same area, they decided to walk back together.
Along the way, Zhou Luo learned through their conversation that although Xu Changsheng was also at the first layer of Qi Refining, he had already reached the Grand Perfection stage.
Every minor realm in cultivation was divided into four sub-stages: Early, Mid, Late, and Grand Perfection.
A newcomer like Zhou Luo, who had just stepped into the first layer of Qi Refining, was still in the Early stage.
Reaching the Grand Perfection stage meant one already had half a foot in the next realm, and a breakthrough would not be far off.
Learning this filled Zhou Luo with envy.
As expected, a seventh-grade spiritual root and a ninth-grade spiritual root were worlds apart.
He couldn’t help but hope that Lin Qinghan would give birth to a child with a spiritual root.
If so, perhaps he could rely on the System to improve his own spiritual root aptitude.
After parting ways with Xu Changsheng, Zhou Luo walked back to his courtyard alone.
Just as he reached the entrance, he crossed paths with a woman walking out.
She wore a pastel pink dress, looking as delicate and vibrant as spring peach blossoms. Her features were exquisite and lovely, and a sweet smile graced her face. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, bringing warmth to anyone who looked at her.
Most striking of all were the pair of dimples on her cheeks, adding a touch of playfulness to her sweet demeanor.
The woman didn’t seem to notice Zhou Luo and walked briskly, on the verge of colliding with him.
Having learned from his previous experience, Zhou Luo reacted instantly, sidestepping to avoid her.
He had no desire to let history repeat itself.
Only then did the woman realize someone was in front of her. She looked up in surprise, blinked, and then asked curiously, “Are you Zhou Luo?”
Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying the pleasant warmth of a spring breeze.
“I am. And you are?” Zhou Luo asked, utterly confused. He wondered if she was a relative of Lin Qinghan.
The next second, however, this lovely beauty suddenly flung her arms wide and threw herself into his embrace. Burying her head against his broad chest, she mumbled, “Husband, you’re finally back.”
“Husband?”
Zhou Luo gasped, his mind going entirely blank.
“Yes! From now on, we are your wives,” she replied, tilting her head up to smile and blink her large, expressive eyes.
Through this sweet girl, whose name was Lin Yiyi, Zhou Luo quickly pieced together what was happening.
It turned out that since Lin Qinghan was already pregnant, Lin De, eager to expand the family’s lineage as quickly as possible, had arranged for three of Lin Qinghan’s cousins to join his household.
That right-three of them.
When he heard that Lin De had assigned three women to him, Zhou Luo was utterly stunned.
They were going to work him to the bone.
But on second thought, if he could get all three of them pregnant, he would not only gain three lottery chances but also earn another three months in this spiritual vein blessed land. Wasn’t this just handing him a massive stroke of good fortune on a silver platter?
For a brief moment, he felt a sudden urge to take Lin Yiyi right then and there.
After getting the gist of things, he eagerly walked into the courtyard.
As soon as he stepped through the gate, he spotted another woman sitting there.
She had an exquisite face that looked as though it had been plucked from a portrait, possessing a quiet, chrysanthemum-like elegance. Though her attire was modest and conservative, her demeanor carried a refined poise.
The moment she caught sight of Zhou Luo, a shy blush bloomed across her pale cheeks like a freshly opened peach blossom, evoking an instinctive urge to cherish and protect her.
“Mm,” the other woman softly acknowledged.
“Husband is back?”
Just then, a surprised and delighted voice rang out from inside the house.
Zhou Luo turned toward the sound. Stepping into view was a peerless beauty dressed in a green dress, her delicate features resembling a masterful painting.
Her porcelain skin glowed like gentle moonlight, and her eyes, bright as stars, shone with intelligence, lending her an air of refined grace.
Zhou Luo’s heart skipped a beat.
He hadn’t expected his father-in-law to send such breathtaking women. Their beauty was not a single bit inferior to Lin Qinghan’s.
Through a brief conversation, Zhou Luo learned the names of the other two women.
The reserved, modest beauty was Lin Feiying, the eldest of the three. The pure-faced beauty who had just run out was named Lin Zi’er.
Surrounded by three such peerless beauties, Zhou Luo’s smile stretched so wide his jaw almost ached.
“By the way, where is Qinghan?” Zhou Luo asked suddenly.
“Sister Qinghan is in her room,” Lin Zi’er replied.
“Is she cultivating?” Zhou Luo asked.
“We don’t know. She hasn’t come out for several days, and we didn’t dare ask,” Lin Yiyi whispered softly.
Although they were cousins, Lin Qinghan had treated them with such icy aloofness lately that none of them dared to disturb her.
“I’ll go check on her.”
Zhou Luo stood up and walked toward her room.
Pushing the door open, he saw Lin Qinghan sitting by the table.
Her right hand rested subconsciously over her lower abdomen, and her expression remained cold and aloof.
“You’re back?”
She asked flatly upon seeing him enter, her voice devoid of emotion.
“Mm.”
Zhou Luo nodded and sat down beside her, asking curiously, “I heard you haven’t left your room in days. Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” Lin Qinghan replied.
Since she was unwilling to elaborate, Zhou Luo didn’t press further. Instead, he said, “I’ve encountered a few points of confusion during my cultivation recently. Could you help guide me?”
Even though he had successfully broken through to the first layer of Qi Refining, there were still many intricacies of the path he didn’t grasp, and he hoped to learn from her experience.
Hearing this, Lin Qinghan swept a glance over him and said out of nowhere, “As a Matrilocal Husband, your focus should be on fathering more children. Why are you so obsessed with cultivation?”
“Huh?”
Zhou Luo was taken aback. Didn’t you say before that I could ask you if I ran into any cultivation problems?
Why the sudden shift?
Zhou Luo shrugged.
A woman’s mind was truly as deep as the ocean; there was no figuring her out.
He thought she was storming out, but instead, she walked straight to a nearby bookshelf, retrieved a light-blue booklet, and tossed it in front of him.
“Solve your own problems.”
With that, Lin Qinghan walked right out of the room.
Zhou Luo flipped open the booklet and realized it was actually Lin Qinghan’s personal cultivation journal.
A trace of surprise crossed his face. Recalling her sharp remark from a moment ago, a sudden realization struck him.
Could this woman actually be jealous?
In the days that followed, with the aid of Lin Qinghan’s cultivation notes, many of his queries were answered, and his cultivation progressed much more smoothly.
Naturally, he didn’t forget his primary duty either, spending almost every night sharing a bed with his three new wives.
However, whether it was due to their physical constitutions or something else, several days passed without any signs of pregnancy from the three of them.
As time slipped by, Lin Qinghan gradually came to accept their presence. Though she remained somewhat aloof, she would occasionally converse with them and exchange pointers on cultivation.
One day, Xu Changsheng paid an unexpected visit.
“Brother Xu! I didn’t expect you to visit in person,” Zhou Luo said warmly, ushering him inside.
Glimpsing the three beautiful women in the courtyard, Xu Changsheng teased, “Brother Zhou, your luck with the ladies is truly enviable.”
“You flatter me, you flatter me,” Zhou Luo replied modestly.
Xu Changsheng’s visit was largely just a friendly call.
However, from their conversation, Zhou Luo finally caught wind of the latest developments regarding his unwitting subject.
It turned out that after Zhang Daben had mistakenly consumed the Spirit Draining Pill, he had soon been taken for treatment due to uncontrollable, non-stop diarrhea.
Though his bowels were eventually cured, he made a horrifying discovery afterward: he had become completely impotent.
Naturally, the Lin family caught wind of this immediately.
Upon realizing that further medical treatment would require a hefty investment, the family decisively stripped him of his status as a Matrilocal Husband and banished him to the mines as a forced laborer.
Hearing this, Zhou Luo was secretly astounded.
Who would have thought that omitting one herb from the recipe would not only leave the core efficacy of the Spirit Draining Pill intact but also introduce such a bizarre, devastating side effect?
At the thought of Zhang Daben likely being impotent for the rest of his days,
Zhou Luo had to struggle to keep from laughing out loud.
This was the perfect example of the wicked receiving their due retribution.
“Brother Zhou, your methods are truly ruthless,”
Xu Changsheng remarked after finishing the tale, his gaze carrying a profound meaning.
Clearly, he had deduced that Zhou Luo must have had a hand in this behind the scenes.
“Brother Xu, please, don’t say such baseless things,” Zhou Luo quickly denied.
Xu Changsheng merely smiled, letting the matter rest without another word.
That night, in an exceptionally good mood, Zhou Luo naturally engaged in some late-night intimacy.
And just as he finished, the familiar chime of the System finally rang in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host. Through your untiring efforts, you have successfully caused your Dao companion to conceive, earning one lottery draw opportunity.]