Shen Yuxin looked towards the two of them in confusion. "Can someone tell me what is going on?"
Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at each other before Huo Rong stood up and came towards her. "Let me tell you about them—"
"No need, I already told Mom about them when we were chatting. She is confused about your confusion, just as I am," Shen Yuan said while shaking his head.
"Oh that, haha, it's nothing. I just told Bing Rong that today you will tell us about our new sisters," she mischievously winked.
"So that's what it was." Shen Yuxin nodded her head and softly bonked Huo Rong's head. "Go and sit back down, you and your little plays," she shook her head.
Huo Rong stuck out her tongue playfully at Shen Yuan before walking back towards her chair.
"So, when will you set up a meeting between them and me?" Shen Yuxin playfully asked, turning back to Shen Yuan.
"Hmm, might be after the competition; let them focus on that first," Shen Yuan said.
"That's good as well, and from the looks of it, Huo Rong and Bing Rong have already accepted them, huh?" she said while glancing at them.
"Yes, we already did a background check on the two of them. Han Qingyu is clear, and Wan Ling has slight trouble at her clan," Huo Rong nodded and told her what she found.
"But Shen Yuan can take care of it himself; there is no need for us to get involved," Bing Rong followed up and said.
"I see, well then I can rest assured about them. As for his harem growing? We all already expected it from the start, so no need to fret over it now, I suppose," Shen Yuxin nodded her head in understanding.
Shen Yuan leaned forward and hugged her tightly again. "I love you, Mom."
"Haha, me too," she said softly while hugging him back.
They continued discussing various topics—his experiences in the sect, the upcoming competition, and their own adventures. The conversation flowed smoothly, filled with laughter and shared memories.
As the night deepened, Shen Yuxin glanced toward the window. "Time flies really fast when we all are together."
Huo Rong stretched slightly. "That is true, I just wanna spend all my days with Yuan'er."
Bing Rong nodded in agreement. "True, we can never have enough of Yuan'er."
He chuckled softly at their words. "It's about time we go to sleep. Do you mind sleeping like the good old times?"
Bing Rong smiled softly. "Yes, we don't want to keep you from your training as well."
Shen Yuan walked them to the door of the mansion. "We should have more days when we gather like this; it was fun to have such a peaceful time."
Shen Yuxin playfully smirked. "I fear the number of people will increase by the next time we get together."
Shen Yuan shook his head while chuckling softly.
Shen Yuxin giggled and stepped towards him before embracing him briefly. "Take care, Yuan'er. Remember, if you need anything, just message us."
He nodded. "I will. Safe travels."
Huo Rong gave him a playful salute. "Don't get into too much trouble without us."
Bing Rong offered a gentle wave as they vanished from within the mansion.
Once they were gone, Shen Yuan returned to his room and sat at his desk.
He unrolled the jade scroll, and a subtle energy emanated from it. The Void Traversing Art was inscribed in elegant, bold characters that seemed to shift as he read them.
"Spatial element is truly profound," he murmured.
He focused his mind and began to absorb the information, feeling the vast principles of spatial manipulation being compressed in that tiny jade scroll.
Before long, he stored the technique in his System Inventory for safekeeping and ease of access. "With this added to my sixth dantian, I can begin to learn the Spatial Intent, but it's still not the time yet. I need to wait until the competition finishes so I can focus on it."
[So, what is your plan now? You successfully managed to tell your family about the two of them, and got their approval as well from what I gathered.]
Yue Lan's curious voice sounded in his mind.
"Well, let's see. I'm already prepared for the competition, and I have given that useful information to Qingyu as well. Looks like there is not much for us to do except wait for the competition to start." Shen Yuan rubbed his chin as he stood up from his chair and walked towards the garden.
Explore more stories at empire
The cherry blossom stood tall in the center of the garden, where Shen Yuan slowly approached.
[And after the competition?] Yue Lan inquired.
He smiled softly. "I intend to fulfill my promises to Han Qingyu and Wan Ling. We'll explore the surrounding regions together, perhaps visit some ancient sites that could help the two of them in their cultivation."