Clark was stunned for a moment or two before he composed himself to react in the next succeeding breaths.
"That's good news, Ning Xi!" Our bored gamer exploded in glee. He clapped his hands thrice and had an extreme compulsion to hug the beautiful maiden in his arms.
Luckily enough, he stopped this awkward reaction in time before he could have suffered a slap or two in the hands of this caged beauty.
Although it would not hurt him one bit physically but our good gamer just could not take the chance at all.
Especially now that this one hundred and eighty degrees turn around has brought not the small surprise towards our protagonist. It was best to be mindful of his limits.�
'What made you want to come with me this time around, Princess?'
Alas, this question was left unspoken as Clark has not the heart nor the propensity for much shamelessness in order to satisfy his curiosity.
On the other hand, there were several worries that sprouted anew in Clark's mind.
'DAMN! This should be great news but how could i mix three women at once and hopefully get them all in an atmosphere of calm and peaceful coexistence?!'
Clark thought within and tallied the burdens he would get from this point onward. There was a reason why he made himself scarce when Wan Fei was around.
His plan would have been to get Princess Ning Xi first before even touching a single strand of hair on Wan Fei's exquisite body.
After all, it would take some balls of steel to invite both mother and daughter pair into his arms at the same time. For that to be possible, a foolproof strategy has to be followed.
'So Ning Xi first then Wan Fei.'
'Or is it better to prioritize Tang Xinyue, Ning Xi and Wan Fei in that order?'
'Nah... No use thinking about it now. At least i shall try to get the three of them together and that's what matters most in the end.'
Clark concluded with these thoughts and began settling his affairs in the city.
"I need to see the Patriarch to let him know of our departure beforehand. We will leave after I get back. And I don't think that we would be coming back here anytime soon so..."
Clark paused in here as he did not want to delay any more time than necessary.
He had been living like a monk for the past three days and he wanted to fix this sticky predicament as soon as he possibly could.
Clark left without waiting for any reply from the two elegant ladies before him. He went out of the room without even realizing what a mess he created behind him.
A second or two shrouded the mother and daughter pair until a voice broke the stillness in the room.
"Why have you changed your mind, Xi'er? I thought you wanted to escape from this marriage? Why the change of heart now?" Wan Fei asked gently.
She would have wanted nothing else but to send her daughter back home in the city of Haran.
Alas, the recent development had also surprised her quite a bit, same as what happened to our bored gamer a few breaths earlier.
"I think that Clark would make a good husband for me, mom. You also agree with me, yes?" Ning Xi faced Wan Fei and she could sense nothing unnatural from her mother's eyes.
They were still unfathomably deep as usual, strangely serene in azure quality and guise. It was fortunate that Ning Xi inherited these same blue eyes from her mother.
It surely painted a wonderful scene in this mid noon as two sets of lovely eyes saw one another in different light.
Blue eyes mirrored its twin and for the longest of moments, this spectacle remained unbroken.
"You should know that a man as strong as Clark will have a few concubines by his side, Xi'er." Wan Fei reminded her daughter.
But what she really wanted to say was how extremely possible it was for them to share a husband together. The Queen of Haran was very confident of her beauty.
She knew that getting the affection of Clark was only a matter of time for her. With enough chance and perseverance, no man could dare say no to this seasoned seductress.
"I know, mom. I know." Ning Xi smiled and got the full meaning behind her mother's words. Although she was young but our proud Princess was certainly not dumb. Far from that in fact.
She knew the reasons why her mother wanted a more exciting life and she could not really fault Wan Fei for it.
It was not like her father Ning Bao lacked women to accompany him in the cold nights since their implicit separation.
Ning Xi took one step closer to her mom and smiled all the more sweetly at the one who had brought her into this world.
"I am comforted with your presence, mom. Don't leave me, okay?" Ning Xi said in a soft voice, almost insecure in delivery.
And without saying anything further, the bright Princess kissed her mother's cheeks. Their bond had been strong before but it was surprising to witness them getting much closer than ever.
To what the future holds for both? That would definitely be quite a tale to finish.
* * *
"Hey there, old friend! How's the new house?" Clark said unto an aged man who was busy directing his servants to their task.
Since everything of their possession turned to dust, the first and foremost priority was clothing. And so this wise man brought much of this item to satisfy him and his household.
There was no need to say of course that the tailors in the city have had their busiest day so far in the history of their craft.
"I hear that you're leaving the city today, Master Lu Chen? Is that true?" Lu Fang asked after he realized the identity of the person who seemed to appear out of thin air beside him.
News has spread an hour earlier about Lu Chen's plan to visit The Demonic Sword Sect. And Lu Fang was not surprised at all with his friend's decision.
A small pond like Nexus can't hold a character like Lu Chen. Lu Chen was bound to soar the Heavens!
"Yes, indeed. I will be going to The Demonic Sword Sect later. Tang Xinyue is there and I at least have to apologize for what I did to her several decades ago.
And please, call me Lu Chen." Clark laughed softly.
"It's not like I'd be a different person just because I've gained a little bit of power." Our good gamer smiled at his friend.
The time of his youth was only made memorable by the quality of friends that he had shared it with.
And Lu Chen had very much happy memories spent together with Lu Fang once upon a time. Alas, his words only brought a sad reflection unto his longest known friend in this world.
"I am ashamed, Lu Chen. It was all my fault. If only..." Lu Fang choked in his guilt and could not utter the rest of his thoughts. After the fact, he was not even able to visit Lu Chen in the past.
Not that he thought that Lu Chen would appreciate the gesture but he was his old friend from a time capsule of the past. Lu Fang could have done better. He should have! And yet he did nothing.
"You did what you thought was right at the time, Lu Fang. No need to beat yourself up for that. At least not anymore. After all, you only did those things out of love for her."
"And it was not like I was an innocent lamb in what happened. Hehehe. I was a fool, Lu Fang!"
"Yes, indeed i was." Clark smiled sadly as he recalled what had transpired in the past. The unforgettable memory brought a bittersweet feeling unto his soul.
This was one of the things that Clark did not like to experience as Lu Chen.
"So you knew all along?" Lu Fang asked while he mirrored the same self deprecating smile of his old friend.
"Which boy in the entirety of this city would have not offered his body, heart and soul unto Tang Xinyue should she ask for it during those times, Lu Fang.
Only a stupid idiot would have done so before. I reckon that that fact still remains true today."
Clark answered and had a faraway look in his eyes as he imagined how perfectly gorgeous Tang Xinyue had been in the past.
'I would think that she has only become much more beautiful today than from when I saw her last. I can't wait to see you again, Tang Xinyue!'
Clark moaned in desire and would have wanted nothing else but fly directly into the Demonic Sword Sect alone. Alas, he will have many company on this trip.
"Yes. I believe that to be true, Lu Chen. If Tang Xinyue is in the Demonic Sword Sect right now then there is no doubt that she has become a true cultivator also.
Many men will have their hearts broken because of her." Lu Fang laughed from the heart at this time.
In a breath, his laughter was joined by another and they laughed some more before their eventual goodbye.
* * *
"Is everything good?"
"We're ready, Clark!"
"Hmmm..."
"We are, master."
"Yes, master!"
"Yes, master!" Six voices resounded in the room and upon the next breath, they vanished to yonder lands.