Chapter 705: Unexpected Registration (4)
"R-register Senior Sister...?"
"Yes. I'm a spirit creature too, so if you register me, wouldn't that work? You said you only need one."
"No, that's a little..."
I was flustered by Senior Sister's words.
Senior Sister was a spirit creature with the title of the most beautiful blue sea slug in the world.
Of course, I had a powerful urge to add her to my collection.
From the moment Senior Sister revealed her true form as a blue sea slug, that blue, dreamlike body had been branded into my mind.
The way her feelers rippled like waves, the faintly glowing blue mucus, and the mysterious aura all of it created.
To be honest, my hands were itching.
But at the same time, Senior Sister was Master's only blood relative, and our sect's Senior Sister.
Even if we weren't related by blood, she was no different from family.
Registering someone like that wasn't simple spirit-creature collecting. It was a problem on a completely different level.
On top of that, once someone was registered to the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary, it was basic for deep trust and affection to sprout toward that target.
The fact that it didn't end as simple fondness and had a high chance of developing into love was something I'd already confirmed countless times through our kids.
What if Senior Sister said she was fine with becoming a wife?
'The genealogy...'
Hwa-eun's ancestor?
The moment Hwa-eun's ancestor became my wife and I became an ancestor of the Sacheon Tang Clan, the genealogy would already be flying off to the other side of the universe.
Of course, this was the immortal cultivation world, so it was within the socially accepted range, but just thinking about it made my head complicated.
Maybe she read my expression, because Senior Sister asked in a gentle voice.
"I think I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'What if because of the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary's function, I end up l-liking you,' right? You don't need to worry about that. I..."
As expected of someone from the same sect, Senior Sister had pinpointed the problem exactly.
However, I couldn't help but be horrified at what came next.
Just like Sister Seol had said, it felt like Senior Sister was about to suddenly confess.
Because that was the lead-in she was giving.
Starting from her stuttering on the part about liking, I thought I was about to hear something like, 'You don't need to worry. I already like you,' and so on.
'D-don't tell me!? So Sister Seol was telling the truth?'
At that moment, when a tension like a 1+1 promotion was about to start even though it wasn't even a supermarket sale period...
Fortunately, what I heard was different from what I'd expected.
"...Did you forget what I said just now?"
At Senior Sister's question, the tension thudded and unraveled.
It felt like I'd been fished up from hell into heaven.
Feeling cold sweat on my back, I asked,
"You did, Senior Sister?"
Other than telling me to register her, had Senior Sister said something else?
When I tilted my head, Senior Sister explained.
"You asked if there isn't a way to stop your trust from deepening inside the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary."
"Ah!"
Only then did I think I understood why Senior Sister was telling me to register her.
When someone is registered to the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary, deep trust forms toward that target.
But that was only a general rule for ordinary things.
For spirit creatures or highly intelligent beings, that trust usually strays beyond simple belief and develops into affection, or something beyond that.
It was something you could tell just by looking at our kids.
From the moment they were registered, their feelings toward me gradually deepened, and sometimes even transformed into love. I was used to it by now.
But Senior Sister knew a way to stop the feelings that deepened inside the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary, so she could give me only benefits without any penalty.
Because she could defend her own feelings herself, she was telling me to register her.
Come to think of it, she'd said Master had registered quite a few spirit creatures, but besides that, he'd only taken two wives.
Didn't Senior Sister call the others just "aunts"?
If you didn't have a sure way to defend your heart, it would be impossible.
I said in a happy voice,
"Why didn't I think of that? It's a good method. Senior Sister!"
If I learned this properly, I could register Senior Sister comfortably too, and if I thought about it, I'd be able to adjust Ranghu or the other kids' hearts too.
Earlier I'd only been thinking about Gungbong, so I'd forgotten I could apply this to other kids too, but this was really damn nice.
"Senior Sister, I'll go talk to the wives."
"Yes, Junior Brother."
I quickly sat down on the bed again and stepped into Dokmul-hyang.
And I decided to call only my wives separately and explain what I'd discussed with Senior Sister.
"Yes, you decided to register Ancestor?"
"Senior Sister, you mean?"
"Register Senior Sister?"
"Ah, well, what happened was..."
It was right when I'd called my wives and started to speak.
Hwa-eun, Gun Hye-rin, and Ji-ryeon were looking at each other.
All three of their eyes were wide.
Their surprised expressions were so identical I almost laughed for a moment.
Hwa-eun spoke.
"So-ryong, I did think this might happen because So-ryong likes spirit creatures, but you didn't forget that if you register Ancestor, Ancestor will end up liking So-ryong, right? Ancestor will like So-ryong.
And it could be more than that, too."
Gun Hye-rin and Ji-ryeon nodded at those words.
It seemed they thought the same.
"Ah, well, so, you see... Wait?"
I was trying to explain that it wasn't that and that there was a way to stop the feelings of liking, but I froze at what Hwa-eun had said.
She said she'd thought this might happen.
"No, you thought this might happen?"
At my question, the answer came back like it was obvious.
"Of course. A new spirit creature appeared."
"No, but that's Senior Sister..."
"But she's a spirit creature, right?"
Ah, human So-ryong's trust, seriously...
With a hurt expression, I explained.
"No, I knew that, obviously."
Then Hwa-eun, Gun Hye-rin, and Ji-ryeon opened their eyes wide and said,
"Then are you saying you'll accept Senior Sister as a new wife?"
"No, I mean, if Master, Master, says so, then there's nothing I can do, but..."
"So-ryong, you have to discuss things like this with us first. I'm hurt!"
Why was the conversation flowing like this?
I said with a straight face.
"Th-that's not it. Senior Sister said she knows a way where even if she's registered to the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary, she won't end up having feelings of liking, so we said we'd do it..."
But even as I spoke, I couldn't help feeling hurt, so my words trailed off, and my wives flustered and said,
"So-So-ryong, we weren't doubting So-ryong's heart. It's just, well, if it's a woman, of course we wouldn't doubt it. But Senior Sister is a spirit creature, so we were worried So-ryong would accept Senior Sister because you wouldn't be able to think of anything else."
"That's right. Master is like a Buddha in front of women, but in front of spirit creatures, you're a lecher—no, that's not it? Anyway, isn't that how it is."
"That's right. So-ryong."
Ah, what was the point of being hurt. It was all my karma.
I'd caused incidents like that, so it wasn't strange my wives thought that.
Still, I couldn't help feeling hurt.
Even if a spirit creature appeared, if it was a relationship like Senior Sister, even I could tell shit and piss apart.
At my hurt expression, my wives clung to me and acted cute.
"Don't be hurt. So-ryong."
"That's right, Master. Here, I'll hug you with the chest you like."
"Come on, I have a chest here too."
They even went so far as to trap me between three chests.
Did they think doing this would make me feel better?
But it really did.
'In front of chests, I can't do anything.'
It wasn't just one chest, it was three pairs. What man could keep sulking?
I immediately started grinning and said,
"Hehe. Ahem, anyway, so I'm registering Senior Sister."
"Okay, So-ryong."
"Do whatever Master wants."
After enjoying my wives' apologies a little more, I returned from Dokmul-hyang back to the room.
When I opened my eyes, Senior Sister's face was right in front of me.
I startled.
"Eeek."
"S-sorry, Junior Brother."
Senior Sister apologized at my startled expression.
With her face red, Senior Sister said,
"Y-you suddenly started grinning... I thought something was wrong."
"Me?"
"Yes, you had a strange expression..."
My god.
I'd heard that when you entered Dokmul-hyang, your body entered a state like your soul had left it.
But the power of chests...
It seemed they'd made my soulless body grin.
"Ahem. W-well, I guess it happens sometimes."
"Really? Then that's a relief."
To clear the awkward atmosphere, I quickly told Senior Sister.
Let's just register already.
"Ah, I got permission from the wives, so let's proceed right away."
"Okay. Great. Junior Brother."
"Then first, go inside Dokmul-hyang."
"Yes. Junior Brother."
I put Senior Sister inside Dokmul-hyang for now, then called Gun Hye-rin and asked her to guard my body.
The registration procedure could be done outside too, but there was a big problem with that.
Because I'd have to swallow Senior Sister's bodily fluids.
Wouldn't it be a little much to suck down Senior Sister's saliva?
So I decided to put Senior Sister inside Dokmul-hyang and carry out the registration procedure there.
'Gun Hye-rin, can you come out and guard my body?'
'Understood, Master.'
Everyone moved to their positions, and when I stepped into Dokmul-hyang, Senior Sister, the wives, and Sister Seol who'd been at the entrance were talking with Senior Sister, then greeted me.
"Husband."
"Junior Brother."
"Let's start right away."
"Wait a moment, Junior Brother."
In an instant, Senior Sister's body slumped down, and wriggling out from between her clothes was the blue sea slug.
Blue-white mucus glittered on her transparent body, and her feelers slowly moved like waves.
I took one deep breath and reached my hand toward Senior Sister.
'Register.'
In that moment, Senior Sister's body shone brightly.
A force like bubbles surged up and wrapped around Senior Sister.
True to being a water-attribute spirit creature, droplets and bubbles kept rising endlessly.
It seemed Senior Sister was water attribute, so bubbly foam surged up.
Senior Sister, who'd been covered in bubbles, soon appeared in human form.
It felt similar to when she transformed into human form, but her appearance looked a little different.
It seemed the registration process had gone well.
And soon, I felt the connection with Senior Sister.
A warm, clear energy flowed into my body.
My upper dantian, middle dantian, and lower dantian filled and overflowed in an instant.
Like pouring too much water into a cup until it overflowed, the energy surged out in every direction.
My mind was forcibly pulled out of Dokmul-hyang and returned to my body outside.
And the overflowing energy started exploding violently in every direction.
-Kugugugugung!
The entire room shook.
The ceiling timbers creaked, and the decorations hanging on the walls rattled.
The energy was so strong it felt like space itself was screaming.
Until Gun Hye-rin quickly spread her energy and calmed the energy spreading in every direction, the Blood Market Tower building shook.
"Master! Are you alright?"
The energy wrapped around my whole body, and my dantian swelled like it was about to burst.
Every single meridian burned hot, like it was on fire.
In the middle of that, I began to fall into no-self.
***
When the group chat stopped and So-ryong's mind disappeared, Hwa-eun and Ji-ryeon, So-ryong's other wives, took Senior Sister and ran out of Dokmul-hyang.
In the eyes of the three who appeared from the smoke that flowed out of So-ryong's nose, the energies that had just been spreading out were gathering around So-ryong.
"Is this the Primordial Infant Stage?"
"It's incredible energy."
The Life-and-Death Realm had been incredible too, but the realm above that felt like something completely different.
It was while the three blankly watched.
Gun Hye-rin asked.
"Senior Sister, did you do that?"
"If you mean that?"
"Protecting your heart from the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary's function."
Since the registration seemed to have gone well, she was asking whether protecting her heart had gone well too, but So-ryong's Senior Sister answered with an expression that said not to worry.
"Ah, I can do that now."
So-ryong's Senior Sister walked over to a chair and sat down, then closed her eyes and drew up the energy that hardened her heart.
This was a kind of martial art that registered spirit creatures learned to protect their hearts.
So she'd drawn up her energy, but soon Senior Sister's face was colored with fluster.
"Th-this?"
"Why is that, Ancestor?"
At that flustered voice, Hwa-eun asked, and Senior Sister answered.
"My-my heart should be protected... but the Heavenheart Abyss Poison-Grove Sanctuary's energy is too strong. I-I don't think my heart will be protected."
The faces of So-ryong's three wives were colored with fluster too.