17

For another month, the new family lived a careless life, while the business grew and Pef finished training another set of Guardians from the local nobles who had the white aura.

Two dozen Guardians, and only at Practitioner levels. About three hundreds normal guards were recruited for patrols, a third of them rotating to safeguard the Xi mills and smiths.

"Guardians, you are already close to forming your Core, decades before you normally would have. Your screams of pain were heard by the heavens, and rewarded with strong bodies and more qi. But you cannot stop here. Practice skills, practice flying and cooking, practice capturing criminals. Also, get married already. When I come back next year, I will notice which of you is not married. You hear me?" Pef yelled at his new Guardians, about 80 percent of them males.

The women blushed and looked around for a husband. The men grinned with confidence.

"Also, we are allied with the Volcanic Fire disciples. Help them if they need help, ask them if you need help. Keep the trade flowing, and if you see evil, stop it. Keep learning the new letters and numbers, and train hard. I expect all of you to reach Core rank in one year. Now back to your posts!" Pef proclaimed to the classroom, then turned away and left, not looking back.

Behind him, the Guardians stood proud, but worried. They had to keep the town safe, just by themselves.

Such was the way of the Legion, always too weak for the task. But they didn't know that, yet.

"You think it's possible? One year to form my Core?" one man asked in a bit of a daze.

"Master Xi is only 17! You're 68 years old, damn lazy bastard. So, what wife you have in mind?"

"Ha, you know those two sisters from the Gian family?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What, both of them?"

"Master Xi married those two Volcanic sisters, right?"

"Right, excellent idea brother. Once I master melting copper, I shall take three wives!"

"Enough, you idiots! Go patrol your sectors already..." an older Guardian chided them.

Pef looked around the city, scanning for any hostiles. For 10 kilometers the perimeter was clear, only petty thieves and such.

He opened his arms and waited for Jian and Qin to hug him.

Then he jumped, landing in the airship's cradle.

"Okay ladies. Time to visit Lacrimosa City" he said with a smile. It was time to reunite with his family, and build an empire.

Three people made flying a lot easier, and more pleasant. They told stories and jokes, cooked and slept all while the airship kept flying.

The Spirit ranked airship also had larger wings, making travel a bit faster.

In less than a month, they crossed half the continent and reached Lacrimosa.

A flying woman greeted them as the airship flew over the town. A wind mage with a Sky rank armor.

"Aunt Zian?" Pef yelled at her.

"Yes. You've been gone for a long time, son-in-law. We have much to talk" she spoke softly, using the air to transmit her voice with ease.

Pef hugged his wives and folded the airship, falling slow towards the ground.

Sage Zian circled them once then descended, her qi nearly exhausted.

"So, mother-in-law?" Qin wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. We never met before"

"Oh. This talk will be fun. I can hardly wait"

"I can fall faster, if you're in a hurry..."

"Don't you dare!" Jian yelled in a bit of panic.

"Okay, just joking."

Mia ran and jumped towards Pef, intercepting him in midair. Sadly, Pef wasn't ready and lost his balance, falling into a heap with three women on top.

"Don't worry, that's how I met the boy too. He fell from the sky" Chief Quing explained to his wife, smiling wryly.

"Dear gods, he's a Sky rank already. Although a stupid one"

"Can you fly with three women dragging you down?" her husband asked rhetorically.

"Eh. Not yet. I would need this Xi method." she whispered with a wink.

Pef finally extracted himself from the pile, and looked around with a smile.

"Hey boss. Caught yourself a wife, did you?"

"Yes I did. So what did you kill now?" the Earth ranked Chief asked curious.

Pef scratched his head in embarrassment "Eh. The Tang sect and the Disciples of Arachne. They had a Sky rank spider"

"Good job...wait! Those sects had like, thousands of members..."

"Yep, and a thousand Earth ranked spiders. It took some work" our hero readily agreed.

"And these lovely ladies? More wives?" Quing asked rhetorically.

"Precisely. So where are the rest, Smithtown?"

"Precisely. And you're a lousy son-in-law. No grandchildren!" Chief Quing yelled while poking Pef's groin.

"Owwww... I'll try harder" Pef muttered, in a bit of pain.

"You do that!" the Guardian exclaimed with another poke.

Mia came and hugged Pef then kissed him for a long minute. People stared but the couple didn't care.

"I'm close, my husband. Another month and I can draw my Spirit" she whispered in his ear.

"What did you kill?" he asked curious.

"I fought fourteen Nascent beasts. Killed five" Mia declared proudly.

'Sounds about right. More love now, and she'll form her Spirit' the glove commented as well.

"Aunt Zian, you know what my method does, right?" Pef asked softly as he offered his new relative a hug.

"Give me 6 weeks. My husband can take care of me"

"There you go. Starts in 4 hours. Get ready mom-in-law" Pef told the wind mage, then turned around as he sensed a golden aura.

"Aunt Ching!" he exclaimed, running to hug his oracle.

"Hmpf. Sky rank already. Now I can't trash you anymore..." Ching sighed after failing to push him away.

"So, you keep watch over the town?" Pef whispered in her hair, while hugging her tightly.

"Until you call me to war. A decade maybe?" The oracle said a bit uncertain.

"Dear lady, you know you'll need love to cross into Sky. Find a husband, okay?" Pef told her gently.

"You know I'm an oracle, right? I know who will be my husband" she said with a kind smile.

"Great! I wish you happiness then. Now, please excuse me. I need to start cooking." Pef said carelessly, jumping lightly over to the barbecue corner.

His wives gathered around him, demanding various meals.

Lia Ching sighed, knowing it was inevitable. Not soon, but one day.

The boy was too young for her, but in a decade he will be a man. She had seen that future.

A few hours later, Zian left with Quing, heading inside the house to endure her Awakening.

Pef headed to his own home, and spent the night exploring his marriage.

And Oracle Ching drew her Sky rank sword, and softly dispensed justice in the city, butchering rapists and murderers, just like every night.

A few times she even reached the victims in time, and saved them. Her skills were slowly getting better, and Practice was practice.

The Legion method called its users to fight evil, and they did. However, they could.

Pef would be amazed to know his kind Aunt Ching had killed many worse people than he did.

The huge capital of the continent, with millions of people and unlit streets, wasn't a civilized place just because a thousand Guardians of low ranks patrolled the streets.

Even though she had forgotten her past, the Lady of Justice had the instincts and intuition of a tier 7 Captain.

And with the Legion method stirring old memories, Aunt Ching grew stronger every day.

Next day, Pef and his wives departed Lacrimosa for Smithtown, which was only hours away.

Two dozen airships were flying the skies above the town, and thousands of carts and work beasts traveled the roads.

The town had doubled in size, and smoke from smiths and fires filled the air.

"So, that's your goal for Stoneport as well, husband?" Jian muttered while waving through the smoke.

Pef nodded in agreement. "Producing goods, yes. Pollution is hard to avoid though. At least for a few centuries"

As the airship descended for landing, Pef noticed a few familiar auras below.

He threw down the rope, and smiled and Lin rapidly dragged the airship, with her impressive strength.

At some 50 meters though, she stopped and tied the rope to the heavy rock anchorage.

"Mia and Jian you jump first. I'll float down with Qin" Pef said while hugging the weakest wife.

Seeing as Mia jumped down fearlessly, Jian jumped as well, her pride stronger than fear.

Pef floated gently, making Lin smile in amazement.

"You maniac! Sky rank already?" the soul smith exclaimed as Pef descended in her arms.

"Killed a few bad people. It happens..." Pef explained with a shrug, making Qin cough in outrage.

"Hmpf. And got married again. I will not babysit for a hundred wives, you idiot!" Lin grumbled and punched Pef in the nose, but in a friendly manner.

Then she rubbed her knuckles in surprise. "Owwww. Your face is too hard!"

"Right. I need to see Aria..."

"Yes you do. She cries too much"

"Jian, Qin meet Lin. She's lovely and very nice" Pef said carelessly then ran away.

Lin stared after her young husband. "He better had brought me some bones, or he sleeps outside"

Jian blinked at the moron smith, who deserved her sad fate. "He killed a thousand Earth ranked spiders..."

"Nice. I knew I picked the right husband!" she declared proudly, making the other wives facepalm and sigh.

"So, you know Pef pretty well, right?" Jian asked with some hidden purpose.

"Of course. Poor boy came here some 5 years ago, barely a Nascent rank. He was smart though, and already had an airship.

Had to wait a few years to marry him, as his bits were too small"

"That's...not what I meant, esteemed sister. Oh well, let's hope the other wives are more normal" the fire sage muttered in disbelief.

Mia laughed and shook her head in amusement. She couldn't wait till they met Aria.

After a few seconds, she realized she also had to wait for Pef to grow a little. Her cheeks grew a bit red, and she hid her face in her palms. Did this mean she wasn't normal?

They found Pef getting frisky with Si in the kitchen, and stared for a few minutes.

Especially the Volcanic disciples, who rarely saw such displays.

"Husband, they look adorable! This red-headed woman in particular..." Si exclaimed as she came to paw over Jian's fiery strands.

Lady Jian endured stoically as Si measured her, the seamstress rudely squeezing and hugging without a care. Then she continued with Qin and Mia, sharing a smile.

"Don't mind Si. She loves making clothes. And you'll love wearing them" Pef explained after a long and embarrassing hour.

He had already prepared a few snacks, and served his wives with a grin.

Then he turned and left, carrying two spider legs with him towards the basement.

"So, I'm wife number 8." Qin broke the weird silence.

"Oh. There's a missing wife then!" Lin exclaimed in a bit of panic, looking around.

"Xie is in Yellow Tear. Pef rescued her from a Tang sect breeding pen" Mia explained with a sad grimace.

The women shivered and hugged each other for comfort.

"I hope she'll be fine. Our junior disciple Bing was also rescued, but she killed herself after" Jian disclosed with a shudder.

Meanwhile, Pef entered the cellar, now a bit hot since the ice had melted.

Aria and Di were lounging in thin shifts, holding each other hand.

"Great view, makes me hungry!" Pef said in a playful voice.

"Hey hubby. This method really hurts!" Aria growled a little. Di nodded but stayed silent.

"Okay, let me kiss and feed you then. And rejoice. Two more wives are joining you in here!" Pef declared then kissed both women deeply.

Then he fed them the delicious spider meat, in tiny bits easy to chew.

An hour later, he lined a wall with ice again, making the temperature comfortable.

He stayed a few more hours, holding both ladies at his chest, and caressing their heads.

"Ummm. I want everyday like this. I wouldn't mind the pain then..." Di spoke after she failed to a few times.

"I will stay here a month. But not all the time. You're both ten times my age, at least."

"Pef, you feel stronger..." Aria mused after a while.

"Yes. Sky rank. The method is very good. Just hurts a little"

"Come back tomorrow Pef. I hate you right now." Aria muttered while tears drowned her face.

Our hero left, after kissing the tears away. Such was the Legion way. Pain before strength. And death after.

As Pef emerged from the painful abyss, Lin and Si held their hands out.

Pef blinked in confusion.

"Wedding rings" Mia explained with a smile.

Pef had to provide three more brass rings to level the field between jealous wives.

"So, zinc and copper make brass, right?" Lin asked with a smile.

"Yep. Much stronger than mere copper."

"What else?" she asked.

"This sapphire..." Pef said with a grin, producing a pillow sized sapphire. Only much heavier.

The women's eyes glinted with sparkles.

"This material looks strong enough to anchor a storage formation" Lin mused as she poked and prodded the boulder.

'Why didn't you tell me?' yeled inward, at the lying glove.

'Failure teaches more. Plus you're still not strong enough. Yet' the glove explained with a smirk in its voice.