Chapter 708: Eight Heavens (1)
While heading toward the pillar of light that led to the Eight Heavens, I briefly switched places with Primordial Infant So-ryong.
I sent the primordial infant ahead toward the pillar of light first, then slipped my own body for a moment into Dokmul-hyang.
The reason I entered Dokmul-hyang was to formally introduce myself to the people of White Night City.
Since it was a place I would now rule directly, I wanted to properly introduce myself and my family to the citizens and exchange first greetings.
It had been an idea jointly proposed by Senior Sister and Chief Steward Mong-a.
The open square before the Blood Market Tower, which rose tall at the center of White Night City.
The moment White Night City settled into its proper place inside Dokmul-hyang, everyone who had rushed to their homes to check their condition had gathered tightly in the plaza before Blood Market Tower.
The number was about a thousand.
Depending how you looked at it, many—or few.
It was a city, but in this xianxia world the population was sparse to begin with, so even a city only had three or four thousand at most.
After sending those who didn’t wish to go with us to Hwangwoo, this was who remained.
I stepped onto the platform Mong-a had prepared in advance and spoke in a resonant voice.
“Since everyone has gathered, I will now introduce the new City Lord of White Night City. This is So-ryong, junior martial brother of Lady Cheongcheong, Master of Blood Market Tower.”
It seemed this world didn’t have any custom like applause to show welcome; people simply looked at me silently with blank expressions.
Receiving the weight of all those gazes across my whole body, I stepped onto the platform and greeted them awkwardly.
“It’s my first time meeting you all. I am So-ryong.”
By now, the people had already been told roughly what kind of place this was and why I had to become the new City Lord.
However, the fact that this place was the Peach Garden Map created in my upper dantian still hadn’t been revealed.
People only knew that I possessed some mysterious artifact like a cave-heaven treasure.
There was a reason for that: I’d heard there were cultivators who swallowed people whole.
And even madmen who created Peach Garden Maps in their mindscape to raise and harvest lower cultivators like livestock.
So to avoid misunderstanding, we’d deliberately kept quiet.
After finishing the brief greeting, I adopted a solemn expression—like a principal from my life two lifetimes ago—and began the address.
These were the laws of Dokmul-hyang we had devised together—Senior Sister and my wives and I, heads together.
“As long as you reside here, there are rules you must absolutely follow. I will now state them.
First: while living here, remember that under no circumstances may you harm the life of a person or a spirit creature—that is, another cultivator.
In particular, harming non-hostile spirit creatures or demonic beings is strictly forbidden. I earnestly ask that you never take life_togglelessly.
Second: taking another’s property or intentionally injuring another person will also not be tolerated.
If either of the above crimes is committed, the offender’s realm will be confiscated according to the severity of the crime, and the offender will be imprisoned in the Lightning Prison or expelled. If the crime is grave, immediate execution by Core-Destruction will be carried out.
Additionally, damages inflicted upon the victim must be compensated tenfold.
Third, ahem... each household shall establish my shrine and venerate the City Lord.”
The law was simple.
Murder, theft, and robbery would result in confiscation of realm, imprisonment, or exile according to severity.
If more serious, then death by Core-Destruction.
Of course, damages repaid tenfold.
The last part was a bit ticklish: they had to worship me.
They said worship-power would be needed higher up, so it couldn’t be helped—but it was embarrassing. As I finished with a stammer, Mong-a stepped forward and said,
“Since Lord So-ryong bears responsibility for our lives, it is only right that we venerate him sincerely.”
“Understood, Elder.”
“Understood!”
“Of course!”
At Mong-a’s words, people shouted with natural acceptance.
When I glanced at Gun Hye-rin, she was smiling in satisfaction.
That made sense—because the holy maiden of our sect was Gun Hye-rin.
Our sect’s name was the Dokmul-hyang Sect.
And the holy maiden of this Dokmul-hyang Sect was the one among us most versed in religion: Gun Hye-rin.
The former Heavenly Demon Cult leader had been scouted into our Dokmul-hyang Sect as its holy maiden.
‘She’ll do fine, right?’
I’d already told her never to add doctrines like “go fight each other” the way the Heavenly Demon Cult did.
As I looked at Gun Hye-rin with slight worry, the introductions of my family continued.
“And now I will introduce Lord So-ryong’s family. These three are his wives: Madam Tang Hwa-eun of Poison Blossom, Madam Gun Hye-rin of Demon Blossom, and Madam Yoo Ji-ryeon of Sword Blossom...”
We’d revised my wives’ epithets.
Except for Hwa-eun’s, the originals weren’t usable.
So we °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° unified them under the flower theme.
Ji-ryeon was usually called Princess more than by any epithet, but here she wasn’t a princess, so we couldn’t use that. And Gun Hye-rin’s epithet was Heavenly Demon—if we used that, other demons wouldn’t stay quiet.
Here, Heavenly Demon was used in the sense of a demon god.
So we’d changed them to Demon Blossom and Sword Blossom.
Mong-a continued.
“...Another wife is currently in the midst of advancing her realm and cannot be present, so she will be introduced separately.
As for the others, they are Lord So-ryong’s blood kin or his people, so treat them all with respect. Those wearing red cloth on the shoulder are Lord So-ryong’s kin; those wearing green cloth are his people.”
Our family was far larger than people expected, so it would be hard for them to remember every face.
So we’d devised a marker system using cloth.
Those wearing Yo-hwa’s red cloth on the right shoulder indicated wives and children.
Those wearing green cloth on the right shoulder were marked as my people.
Still, we didn’t divide relationships too rigidly.
All the Ten Great Venoms and Twenty-Four Poison Branch children received red cloth without exception.
Even those I hadn’t formally defined as family—like Seniors Yeoncheon and Yeonji, or the Azure Steel Immortal Ant queen—received the same red cloth.
Because to me, all were precious family.
Only the Azure Steel Immortal Ant worker ants and the Golden-Furred Wasp workers received green cloth.
Because Ranghu, the worker wasps, and the worker ants had firmly refused, saying how could they dare receive the same as their queen.
Once the rough living precautions and our family introductions were finished, my role was done.
Now Mong-a stepped forward and began explaining other detailed matters one by one.
“Within this Peach Garden Map, you may move anywhere, but please use only designated areas for cutting trees. There are also forbidden zones, so never set foot in them...”
While Mong-a’s detailed explanation continued at length, the primordial infant reached the pillar of light.
Borrowing the primordial infant’s sight to examine the pillar closely, I saw that unlike the Ascension Platform, this place took the form of a gigantic well.
Ancient stones, weathered by long ages and soaked in blue moss, were stacked in a perfect circle some ten zhang across.
The well was filled to the brim with water that shimmered silver, as if about to overflow, and from that water a brilliant radiance shot endlessly up into the sky.
‘Jump in.’
At my command, the primordial infant leapt into the well, and began rising along the pillar of light.
***
The journey to the Eight Heavens took longer than expected.
Even after a day, the primordial infant kept ascending the pillar of light.
But unlike during ascension before, there was no lightning or pressure.
Since the danger was less than expected, in that time I could begin the first dual cultivation with my wives, who had adapted to their transformed bodies—the first partner being Gun Hye-rin.
Gun Hye-rin, now with round horns and a cute heart-shaped tail.
“Haa... Master, but why do you keep grabbing my horns?”
While we were in the midst of dual cultivation, Gun Hye-rin asked why I kept grabbing her horns.
“I-I just, without thinking...”
I couldn’t exactly say they looked like handles.
So I said I’d grabbed them unconsciously, then asked carefully,
“Y-you don’t like it?”
I remembered hearing this back in my previous life.
Why in those movies with almost no clothing that men liked, there were often scenes of grabbing hair.
But that was cinematic staging.
If you did that to your girlfriend or wife, you might get slapped.
Gun Hye-rin wasn’t someone who’d hit me, but she might feel bad.
But Gun Hye-rin said with a blissful expression,
“N-no, I don’t dislike it. It feels like Master is claiming me as his, saying he’ll never let me go.”
“Ahem.”
“Ahh...”
Encouraged by that, I gripped her horns firmly and continued the dual cultivation.
Afterward, as Gun Hye-rin leaned against my chest with a happy expression, she said,
“Hm. Strange.”
“What is?”
“Lately food hasn’t tasted very good, but after sharing dual cultivation, I feel full.”
‘H-huh. Don’t tell me—’
It felt like not only her appearance had become succubus-like, but even her appetite had shifted that way.
This was serious.
Because if even her appetite had turned succubus-like, then dual cultivation was now directly tied to Gun Hye-rin’s survival.
A succubus was a demon race that fed on a man’s vital essence.
Without dual cultivation, my wife might starve.
So we couldn’t skip it.
‘This is a problem...’
It felt very problematic.
***
The next day was Hwa-eun’s turn.
Hwa-eun’s clothing was a kind of outer wings and inner wings.
I’d wondered how it could even be removed, but there was an unexpectedly simple solution.
The front of the garment split and gathered behind her back, clinging to her body.
From shoulders to waist, it became red cloth adhered to her back.
From the front it looked like normal clothing, but the back was dramatically exposed—what in my previous life had been called reverse fashion.
From the front you think it’s normal, but when you see the back, there’s a surprising charm.
But with her wings folded, Hwa-eun’s look was reverse-reverse fashion.
The front was bare while only the back was covered.
As planned, I fed Hwa-eun plenty to eat.
“What is this, So-ryong?”
“Ah, they were selling it at the market. I bought it with spirit stones. It’s for you, Hwa-eun.”
“Thank you, So-ryong. It looks delicious.”
At White Night City’s market they sold snacks like rice cakes and fritters, and I stuffed Hwa-eun full of them before dual cultivation.
I had no desire to have my head bitten off mid-session.
“Eat more, Hwa-eun.”
“No, I’m already full.”
“Really? Then shall we make you full for ten months now?”
“For ten months?”
“If you conceive, you’re full for ten months, right?”
“Kyahaha. I like it, So-ryong.”
After filling Hwa-eun’s stomach, I began dual cultivation from behind as planned.
Perhaps because she had become a flower-mantis spirit creature, Hwa-eun gave off a fragrant scent.
We began the Ten-Month Fullness Project, but fortunately the thing I feared didn’t happen.
Female mantises bite off the male’s head after mating, but it seemed she’d only taken the appearance, not the instinct.
She didn’t bite my head off.
After finishing dual cultivation and holding Hwa-eun in my arms while we talked idly, I asked,
“Hwa-eun, can you fly?”
“Yes. The thin inner garment is actually wings. If I spread only that wide at the back, I can fly.”
“Wow, amazing.”
—Lick.
In the middle of talking, a wet sensation suddenly touched my nose.
I flinched and looked at Hwa-eun. She was licking my nose.
“Hwa-eun?”
I looked at her, puzzled why she was suddenly licking my nose.
Hwa-eun, still licking, said with an embarrassed expression,
“I-it’s strange... I suddenly feel like licking your face, So-ryong.”
Cold sweat ran down my spine.
It seemed she hadn’t completely escaped instinct after all.