Chapter 87: Meeting the Patriarch

Turning his head toward the owner of the voice, Gu Yuan found Lin Hao standing there with his four women around him. He cupped his hands.

"Greetings, Senior Brother, Senior Sisters."

"Senior Brother?" Lin Hao repeated. "Can I still be considered one when your cultivation is higher than mine?"

"Of course. Once a Senior Brother, always a Senior Brother."

Lin Hao chuckled at his words. "Thanks for saying that. Let’s go to your residence, then."

Following Lin Hao, Gu Yuan didn’t walk for long before they stopped in front of a palace-like building that was far too majestic compared to his former humble cave abode. Several guards stood at the entrance.

"This is the one," Lin Hao said.

What kind of joke was this?

Gu Yuan would have liked to ask him that, but as he stared more carefully at the building in front of him, he soon realized that both his cave abode and the residence of the previous Sect Master had been incorporated into this palace.

Walking toward it, Gu Yuan found that the guards had seemingly already been informed of his arrival. They showed no intention of obstructing him and instead gave him respectful nods.

The place was enormous, but with his divine sense, Gu Yuan still easily found his original cave abode. It had apparently been turned into one of the rooms within the palace.

"See? I told you this was your place," Lin Hao said.

"Yes, it’s apparently my place." Gu Yuan nodded before glancing at him. "Anyway, I see you brought all of your women with you this time."

"Ah, well, they were all curious about the Dao Companion of the Heavenly Twin Stars."

So, that’s the secret behind their appraising gazes.

Gu Yuan looked at the four women, who were all examining him with varying degrees of curiosity.

Then, he smiled.

"Well, it’s me. You came to the right place."

"You’re not going to try hiding it anymore?" Lin Hao asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there any point in hiding it at this point?"

"No, there’s not." Lin Hao shook his head. "Especially when the wedding ceremony is taking place two weeks from now."

Two weeks?

Gu Yuan was a little surprised when he heard that.

Finding out the date of his own wedding from someone else was a strange experience.

But well, he was marrying two reincarnated Empresses. He couldn’t exactly expect anything normal.

Before he could say anything else, one of the women finally spoke.

"Junior Brother, did you try on your groom’s clothes yet?"

Another immediately followed.

"Did you meet the parents of the Heavenly Twin Stars?"

"What are they like in private? Are they really as cold as the rumors say?"

"How did you even end up as their Dao Companion?"

The women, who had barely been holding themselves back, suddenly seemed unable to do so anymore. One question quickly became many, their sparkling eyes making it clear that they had no intention of letting him leave anytime soon.

Gu Yuan looked at Lin Hao, hoping to find a rescue.

Lin Hao merely shrugged.

Apparently, he had no intention of involving himself.

The women were curious about all kinds of things. To them, the Heavenly Twin Stars had always been distant and untouchable figures, almost like goddesses who existed far beyond their reach. Now,those two unreachable goddesses were getting married, and they had suddenly found themselves standing in front of the man who had become her Dao Companion.

Naturally, they wanted to know everything.

What were the twins like when they were alone with him? What was the Ji Clan like? Had the twins really chosen to marry him willingly? What was the wedding going to be like?

Gu Yuan had to answer one question after another, occasionally wondering how the conversation had somehow turned into an interrogation.

Before he could escape, however, more guests entered his former cave abode.

"It’s quite lively here."

The gentle voice of Ji Yue, carrying more chill than warmth, rang through the room and immediately silenced all the women.

Seemingly knowing what she was bothered about, Gu Yuan immediately explained.

"They are Senior Brother Lin’s Dao Companions."

"I see." Ji Yue gave a calm nod. "I’m sorry, but he is going to be busy for some time now. Can you come back later?"

"Of course, Sect Master."

Lin Hao in his nervous voice answered immediately. He quickly gathered his four women and left.

His eyes seemed to linger on Ruxi for a moment before he went away.

Or was that only his imagination?

Gu Yuan wondered about it for a moment before turning toward Su Yulan.

"Greetings, Mother-in-law."

Su Yulan, who had been staring at the changes in Gu Yuan, snapped back to reality at his greeting. She returned it with a smile before speaking.

"I brought your groom’s gown with me. You should try it on."

She then turned toward her daughter.

"You’ve already seen him, so how about you go away too?"

The bride wasn’t supposed to see the groom in his red wedding clothes before the wedding day.

Naturally, Su Yulan wasn’t going to let her daughter ruin that tradition.

Ji Yue didn’t object. She had been worried because Gu Yuan’s presence had suddenly grown faint in her perception. Now that she had seen him, she could leave with a calm heart.

With Ruxi’s help, Gu Yuan put on the red wedding clothes, and as it turned out, they fit him perfectly.

Perhaps that is only natural, considering Yue provided the measurements, Su Yulan thought, giving a small nod of approval.

"They suit you well," she said.

"Thank you, Mother-in-law. The cloth is very comfortable," Gu Yuan replied.

Once Gu Yuan changed back into his usual clothes, he sat in front of Su Yulan, prepared to listen to all the procedures he needed to be careful about.

The conversation started with something he hadn’t expected.

"Son-in-law, actually, I feel betrayed."

What was this about?

Su Yulan continued before he could ask.

"I thought you were ordinary, but it turns out that isn’t the case at all."

"Compared to your daughters, I’m really ordinary, though..."

Despite his helpless tone, Su Yulan shook her head.

"No. I’m suddenly starting to feel that isn’t the case."

Was she serious? Gu Yuan wondered, but Su Yulan didn’t bother explainin more, she smiled and changed the subject, moving on to the wedding procedures.

Gu Yuan listened attentively. According to his mother-in-law, some guests would visit him later to congratulate him and present him with gifts.

That was the part he found the most troublesome.

Still, when he thought about the twins and the importance they placed on this wedding, he simply nodded.

Once Su Yulan finished explaining the procedures he would have to go through, she stood up.

"Come with me. There’s someone else you should meet before the wedding."

From her casual tone, Gu Yuan did not give the matter much thought. He assumed it would be some important guest. Reality proved otherwise.

"Gu Yuan greets Father-in-law."

Gu Yuan respectfully cupped his hands.

In front of him was a man who didn’t look old at all. Standing beside the twins, he could have passed for their elder brother. Though he was thousands of years old, he looked no more than thirty, with sharp features and a composed face. But the depth in his eyes and the quiet, heavy authority around him, the kind carried by someone who had led a great clan for countless years and never needed to raise his voice, made it clear that this was no ordinary man.

"There’s no need to be so stiff. Relax, son-in-law." Su Yulan giggled from the side.

She was really troublesome, just like her daughters.

Gu Yuan gave her a look that seemed to say exactly that before taking his seat.

"Our son-in-law is amazing. He’s so young, yet he has already broken through into the Spiritual Core Realm."

"He is..."

The hall was filled only by Su Yulan’s voice as she enthusiastically praised Gu Yuan and introduced Ji Zhenyu, while both Gu Yuan and the Ji Clan Patriarch remained silent.

That didn’t last for long.

"Gu Yuan."

Ji Zhenyu finally called his name.

Gu Yuan straightened his back.

"Yes, Senior."

Somehow, Father-in-law had turned into Senior.

Ji Zhenyu didn’t comment on it. Instead, he calmly said, "My daughters chose you, so I have nothing to say."

"Treat them well."

Does ’treat them well’ count as having nothing to say? Gu Yuan thought, sighing with relief that he had been accepted without trouble.

Unlike his casual thoughts, his tone was serious. "I will."

Ji Zhenyu nodded, and just like that, Gu Yuan’s brief meeting with his father-in-law came to an end.