Huoxuan was the type of woman who lived boldly and acted on instinct—someone who avoided using her brain whenever possible.
Arthur honestly couldn't figure out how someone like her had ever managed to learn both alchemy and artifact refinement.
Maybe… she hadn't been burdened by certain things back then?
Arthur's gaze flicked—very briefly—toward Huoxuan's impressive chest, and he silently pondered.
Huoxuan noticed immediately.
But instead of getting shy or angry, she laughed and teased him openly.
"Hey, Little Arthur, don't tell me you're interested in your big sister here? If you are, just say the word. You're quite handsome—I wouldn't mind~"
Arthur rolled his eyes.
Not only was she a tomboy—she was also a full-on hooligan.
That said… Huoxuan really was his type.
She gave him the feeling of a carefree, straightforward next-door big sister.
Back when Arthur had been an orphan in his previous life, there'd been a time when he desperately wished he had an older sister to look after him.
Aside from the "taking care of people" part, Huoxuan fit that mental image perfectly.
Alright. No pretending anymore. He'd admit it.
He was tempted.
Who wouldn't be attracted to a beautiful, well-built, mature woman?
Tempted—but not reckless.
When it came to relationships, Arthur believed in letting things flow naturally. No forcing, no rushing. If it was meant to happen, it would.
What he didn't realize was that, ever since acquiring Miquella's power of charm, he had been unconsciously emitting an irresistible attraction at all times.
(It wasn't limited to women either. Why do you think Mohg fell so hard for Miquella?)
That was also why Huoxuan—despite her fiery temper—had merely teased Arthur instead of slapping him across the face with a palm infused with spiritual power.
At Arthur's silence, Huoxuan grinned wider.
"So? Just admiring beautiful things, huh?"
Arthur shot back calmly,
"Someone once said it well—'I look at beauties every day, not because I want anything, but because it pleases my body and soul.'"
"Oh?" Huoxuan laughed. "Then you must be feeling pretty pleased every day, huh? After all, you're traveling with three stunning beauties."
"Absolutely," Arthur replied with a smile. "Touring with you three makes me feel ten years younger."
"Tch." Huoxuan rolled her eyes. "You talk like some old fossil. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're older than me. At this rate, you'll really turn into 'Little Arthur.'"
Arthur just smiled.
If one counted his true age—including his previous life—he was only around thirty. Younger than Huoxuan, actually.
But if they went by physical age…
He was hundreds of years older than her.
"Wait—something's not right." Huoxuan suddenly realized something and turned toward Ranni.
"Ranni, you're not angry at all?"
"Why should I be?" Ranni asked calmly.
"He's your fiancé! He was just staring at another woman. You're not jealous?"
"Oh, that's what you mean." Ranni nodded slightly. "There's no need. Arthur may be affectionate, but he isn't fickle. He won't fall in love with everyone he meets. So there's no reason for me to be jealous over trivial things."
Huoxuan blinked.
"You're really that open-minded? Aren't you afraid he'll secretly find another woman behind your back someday?"
"He won't," Ranni said evenly. "If he finds another woman, he generally won't hide it from me."
Huoxuan froze.
"…That's not the point!"
She slipped straight into a Sichuan accent in her agitation.
"The problem isn't whether he hides it—it's that he's finding other women at all! You're telling me you're fine sharing a man?"
"I wouldn't say I like it," Ranni replied calmly. "But with Arthur's excellence, it was inevitable that he wouldn't belong to me alone."
Her composure stunned Huoxuan.
"Hold on." Huoxuan's gaze darted between Arthur and Hermione.
"Don't tell me you two also—"
She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was obvious.
"Mhm."
Arthur nodded casually, pulled Hermione close, and kissed her cheek—confirming it outright.
Hermione's face turned red as she lowered her head.
This was the first time their relationship had been exposed to an outsider, and it made her shy.
Huoxuan's eyes widened in realization.
No wonder Arthur and Hermione had been so close the whole trip.
She'd thought it was just cousinly affection.
Turns out they were lovers.
"But… society promotes monogamy, you know," Huoxuan said hesitantly. "Is this really okay?"
"We're monogamous," Arthur replied seriously.
"One husband. One wife. And one other wife."
Huoxuan nearly choked.
"That's the first time I've ever heard monogamy explained like that."
Then her curiosity flared.
"So how did you manage it?" she asked. "How did you keep them from getting jealous of each other?"
"There's nothing to 'manage,'" Arthur said.
"What Ranni and I share is a meeting of destiny."
He turned toward Ranni, and she looked back at him. They smiled at each other.
Huoxuan and Hermione assumed he meant their engagement.
Only Arthur and Ranni knew he was talking about their encounter in the Lands Between.
"And with Hermione," Arthur continued, "it was a natural affection that grew over time."
Hermione tightened her grip around his arm.
"We're certain that we're the right people for each other," Arthur said softly.
"I admit I'm greedy. I can't bring myself to give up either of them. I want them both—because they're my wings."
"I'm grateful they're willing to tolerate my affection. It's not that they don't feel jealous—it's that they don't want jealousy to damage what we have."
"And because I know that, I do my best to treat them fairly. I won't neglect either of them."
Huoxuan fell silent.
For the first time, she understood why the three of them were so harmonious.
They weren't blindly indulging each other—they were working for each other.
That kind of mutual compromise and devotion…
Honestly, she envied it.
Despite being decades old, Huoxuan had never once been in a relationship.
Mount Shu didn't forbid partnerships.
The real reason she remained single was her personality.
Huoxuan's fiery temper was legendary throughout the sect—from elders to junior disciples, everyone knew it.
Coupled with her dual role as both Alchemy and Artifact Refinement Elder, even Dao Xuan treated her with respect.
Over the years, plenty of people had pursued her. She was beautiful, well-shaped, and admired by countless male disciples. Some had even tried after becoming elders themselves.
But her standards were high. None of them measured up.
One elder had once tried the "relentless pursuit" strategy.
He didn't win her heart—he triggered her liver fire.
Huoxuan beat him so badly he couldn't get out of bed for half a year.
After that, no one dared try again.
And so, she became Mount Shu's infamous leftover woman.
Arthur's words stirred something deep inside Ranni and Hermione.
Ranni took his hand firmly.
Hermione hugged his arm tightly.
Seeing the three of them together, Huoxuan felt an inexplicable wave of envy.
For a fleeting moment, she even felt the urge to… join them.
The thought startled her.
She was Huoxuan—Alchemy and Artifact Refinement Elder of Mount Shu, hailed by her masters as the greatest genius in centuries.
How could she even think about sharing a man?
Yet another voice rose within her heart:
Worldly rules are for mortals. Why should cultivators be bound by them?
We follow the Dao—natural, honest, true to the heart.
And a man like Arthur? Miss him, and you might regret it for life.
Huoxuan shook her head violently.
This is a heart demon, she told herself. I must be losing my mind.
To suppress the chaos in her thoughts, she hurriedly changed the topic.
"By the way, Arthur—you still haven't said where we're going to look for phoenixes."
Only then did she realize she'd called him by name instead of "Little Arthur."
Arthur noticed—but assumed she'd finally broken the habit.
As for the real reason… only Huoxuan herself knew.
"We're heading to Amne Machin Mountain," Arthur replied.
"That's where the chances of encountering a phoenix should be highest."
"Why there?" Huoxuan asked.
Hermione and Ranni looked equally curious.
Arthur explained calmly,
"The meaning of 'Kunlun' has changed throughout history. What we call Kunlun today refers to this entire mountain range."
"There's no way we can search all of it—it would be terribly inefficient."
"So instead, we turn to ancient texts and records, narrowing down the most likely locations."
His gaze lifted toward the distant peaks.
"And from the records… Amne Machin stands out."
That was where their hunt for the phoenix would truly begin.
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