I alone am the Honoured One!

Zhao Tian leaned comfortably against the headboard with his legs slightly stretched out.

On his left Ji Shuang was sitting and on his right Rui Yuying was perched just a bit closer.

Rui Yuying scooped up a spoonful of food as the steam curled upward, carrying a rich, savory scent.

She turned slightly toward him, "Ah- open up," she murmured softly.

He tilted his head slightly and opened his mouth, accepting the bite without fuss.

The taste lingered for a moment before he gave a small nod "Hm. Master's cooking is good."

Rui Yuying lowered her head, shifting her gaze because she doesn't know how to cook.

Ji Shuang, meanwhile, just watched him eat with the calm smile of someone who was confident in her place beside him.

There was no need for theatrics; seeing him enjoy the food was already enough.

Zhao Tian's eyes moved between the two women, noting the tension simmering beneath the surface. "So, why were you fighting again?"

Instantly, both women turned in unison and pointed at each other.

"She's the reason."

"She's the reason."

The perfect synchronization made Zhao Tian's brow twitch, and a dry smile appeared on his lips. "Ying'er, were you trying to make Shuang'er jealous again?"

Rui Yuying's lips curled into a small pout, and she turned her head away without denying it.

Ji Shuang, however, was already narrowing her eyes "As I thought, yesterday in the kitchen acting all coy with him... that was on purpose."

Rui Yuying's pout deepened, and she crossed her arms.

Zhao Tian glanced at Ji Shuang, "Shuang'er, she already knows about our relationship, so you don't need to hide it in front of her."

There was a brief pause. Ji Shuang's eyes stayed narrowed, but the edge in them softened slightly.

She gave a faint nod, "…Alright."

Her fingers, which had been loosely resting on her lap, shifted slightly toward his, brushing against the back of his hand.

Zhao Tian swallowed another bite when he felt a sudden shift as Rui Yuying slid closer to his side and wrapped her arm around his arm.

Without waiting for his reaction, she leaned in and pressed a light kiss against his cheek. "Tian~ I missed you all day."

Ji Shuang's gaze sharpened instantly, and she leaned into his other side, her own arm slipping around his waist.

Her hand rested lightly on his chest, her warmth seeping through his robe.

She tilted her head and brushed her lips against the side of his neck, just below his jaw.

The kiss lingered a moment too long and a faint smile touched her lips when she heard Rui Yuying's small intake of breath.

Rui Yuying, unwilling to be outdone, shifted forward slightly, pressing a kiss to his other cheek and this time lingering just enough for her lips to graze the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Tian raised an eyebrow, his gaze moving between them "Are you two… competing right now?"

"No," they both said at once.

Ji Shuang's lips found his neck again, lower this time, brushing against his pulse point.

Rui Yuying countered by trailing a quick kiss along his jawline.

Both women's eyes kept looking at each other as they continued raining him with kisses.

Zhao Tian exhaled slowly, his free hand coming up to rest on Ji Shuang's waist while the other patted Rui Yuying's back.

...

*clank* *clank*

The steady rhythm of metal striking the stone echoed through the forge.

Sparks occasionally leapt from the anvil, and their fleeting light cast brief glimmers across Zhao Tian's focused expression.

He held a small silver-headed hammer in his hand, with each strike calculated to coax rather than force the Divine Astral Stone into shape.

After several measured blows, Zhao Tian paused.

Lifting the stone between his fingers, he tilted it slightly, letting the glow shift and dance.

His eyes narrowed slightly looking through it.

On the bench beside him, Fei Lingxi sat with her legs crossed neatly, her chin resting lightly on one hand.

Her eyes held a quiet fondness as she watched him work and her lips curved in a gentle smile.

Her voice broke the stillness between hammer strikes, "Is this ring for Sect Master, husband?"

Zhao Tian nodded once, lowering the stone back to the anvil "Yes, dear."

The hammer rose and fell again- clank… clank…-but his voice continued, "After we reach Jade Eclipse Star, I'll stay there for a while. Finish the 'marriage' ceremony…"

"…and then head to the Elven High Star to drop Freya off."

Fei Lingxi's brows lifted slightly at that, but she didn't interrupt.

He set the hammer down, reaching for a fine engraving tool.

As the tip began to carve delicate runes into the half-formed ring, he murmured "The elves… they have a deep connection with the first Honoured One."

The carving continued and the tiny glowing symbols threaded along the ring's inner band "If I'm lucky, I might find a few clues there and more information about my physique."

Fei Lingxi tilted her head, her long hair spilling over one shoulder "Always chasing after answers…" she murmured, a faint hum escaping her lips.

Zhao Tian chuckled under his breath, glancing at her from the corner of his eye before he continued hammering.

Fei Lingxi's gaze softened as her eyes trailed to his bare shoulder, where the faint light of the forge made the scars on his body stand out.

Without a word, she rose from the bench, and the quiet rustle of her robes brushed against the hum of the forge as she stepped closer.

When she reached him, she slipped her arms around his torso from behind and tightened just enough to make him pause mid-stroke with his hammer.

Her palms pressed gently against the hard lines of his abdomen and slowly, she let her hands roam upward, tracing over the planes of his chest and shoulders.

"Also…don't forget to take some rests."

She leaned in, her lips brushing his ear in a featherlight kiss "And if you feel stressed…" Her fingers grazed down his sides before resting possessively on his waist. "…don't forget that you have some wives who can remove your stress."

He turned his head slightly and looked at over his shoulder "Lingxi…"

Her fingers didn't leave his body and she gently traced the lines of one of his scars, "You always push yourself. Let us share some of that weight, hmm?"

He reached back, capturing one of her hands with his own and giving it a light squeeze "If I let you 'remove my stress' right now. I doubt I'd get this ring finished before we reach Jade Eclipse Star."

Fei Lingxi chuckled as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Then I suppose I'll just have to distract you later."

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I hope you guys liked this chapter!