Xia Lun withdrew his thoughts, lost in contemplation.
Are those guys... digging for something?
His consciousness couldn't penetrate too deep into the ground, so he didn’t probe further, leaving the specifics below unclear.
Thus, Xia Lun also failed to hear the villagers' conversations... otherwise, he would have surely guessed that this entire village was a den of Twilight Disciples.
Could there be some treasure buried beneath the village? If so, the villagers' reactions would make perfect sense.
Xia Lun had no interest in such things. To him, it was someone else's property—even if there truly was treasure, it held little appeal.
The door creaked open quietly.
Aina, clad in pajamas, slipped inside.
"You're done already?" Xia Lun asked in surprise. She hadn’t been gone long—how had she returned so quickly?
"Mm, it's over," Aina replied with a playful smile. "I thought it was too troublesome, so I used a bit of hypnosis magic on them... Now they're both fast asleep."
Xia Lun: "..."
A familiar feeling.
He remembered how, after giving birth to Aise, Aina had often used the same method to put their child to sleep early.
And now, if Xia Lun guessed correctly...
The Demon King spread her crimson wings once more.
The room was small—each wing, nearly three meters in span, already brushed against the walls.
Beautiful.
The first time Xia Lun saw those wings, the word had slipped from his lips unbidden.
The membrane wings shimmered like congealed blood, fluid and luminous, as if slowly flowing. The bones—some thick, some slender—arranged themselves in flawless symmetry, deceptively delicate yet unyielding.
"Aina!"
Xia Lun hurriedly stopped her. "Look, we’re in someone else’s home. Isn’t this a bit... inappropriate?"
Aina tilted her head slightly. "Inappropriate?"
"Yes, very much so. It feels impolite," Xia Lun nodded. "This bed isn’t even ours—honestly, I’m the type who’s particular about sleeping in my own bed..."
"Oh? I think when adventuring, there’s no need to be so fussy."
Xia Lun shook his head again. "No, Aina. A sense of ceremony is important."
Aina sighed in disappointment. "Fine, if you insist..."
Xia Lun exhaled in relief.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t keep up—Aina’s demands were easy enough to satisfy. But as both the Hero and a legendary adventurer, he was accustomed to taking turns keeping watch at night, never letting his guard down.
However, Aina slowly approached the bed, her ring glowing silver as she stored away the original bedding.
In its place, a lavish canopy bed materialized, occupying over half the room.
"Now this should be acceptable, shouldn’t it, Xia Lun?" Aina flashed a bewitching smile. "I brought our bed."
Xia Lun’s mouth went dry.
Even the legendary adventurer, the fabled Hero hailed as the strongest of men, had moments where he was powerless.
And it wasn’t just the bed—layers of magic arrays still enveloped the room.
Flames licked across their bodies, the precise control of elements ensuring not a single scorch mark touched Xia Lun.
"I... I’ll undress myself next time," Xia Lun coughed lightly, inexplicably unable to meet his wife’s gaze. "No need to waste clothes like this."
"Really? I think undressing takes too long," Aina mused, admiring the physique she had meticulously honed. "And if certain... fluids get on them, they’d need washing. Ah, Xia Lun, are you suggesting I should play the maid and launder your clothes for you? How bold~"
"I suppose another possibility is that I could be your butler, handling such trivial tasks for you, Your Majesty the Demon King," Xia Lun bowed slightly. Even bare-skinned, his perfectly sculpted muscles served as the finest attire, exuding effortless grace.
Aina’s legs trembled faintly.
This Hero... was truly something else.
"If you’re going to say things like that, I wouldn’t mind playing the maid for you now and then," Aina teased, sweeping her galaxy-like hair aside as her soft body pressed against him. She whispered into his ear, "The night is long... What would you command of me, Master...?"
——
"I slept so well!"
Liyana stretched luxuriously upon waking.
Mo Lini lay beside her.
The petite Mo Lini curled into a ball even in sleep, the oversized pajamas Aina had prepared slipping off one shoulder, leaving her utterly defenseless.
Through the gap in the collar, glimpses of breathtaking scenery teased the eye.
Liyana shook her head vigorously.
She wasn’t that kind of person! She and Mo Lini were just teammates for now.
Still, this was indecent—and likely to cause a chill—so Liyana carefully pinched the fabric of Mo Lini’s pajamas, intending to adjust it back into place.
Suddenly, as if stirred by the faint touch, Mo Lini’s eyes fluttered open drowsily.
The first thing she saw was Liyana seemingly trying to lift her clothes.
Two hearts pounded violently.
"Ah—!!"
"Eek—!!"
Their screams rang out simultaneously.
Thud!
Liyana was sent flying off the bed by a powerful kick from Mo Lini.
"Guh—!" Liyana coughed up a mouthful of blood, grimacing. Damn, is she part rabbit? That kick packed a punch!
"Y-you—! Liyana, what were you doing to me?!" Mo Lini clutched her chest, torn between fury and humiliation.
"I wasn’t doing anything! I just didn’t want you to catch a cold!" Liyana protested loudly.
But the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it.
Such a flimsy excuse... Who would believe it? The situation was impossible to explain cleanly, especially since she was into women...
"Oh... Is that so?" Mo Lini covered her mouth. "I-I’m sorry! I thought you were trying to... I didn’t mean to kick you! Really, forgive me...!"
She actually bought it!
What a pure, adorable child...
"What happened? Is everything alright?" Xia Lun, now fully dressed, pushed the door open.
Mo Lini sat with her pajamas half-off, rubbing her eyes, while Liyana sprawled on the floor, her own clothes in disarray.
Xia Lun immediately turned away, not daring to look a second longer.
One more glance, and his eyes might have been gouged out.
Aina slipped past him, stepping into the room with an air of irritation.
"Hurry up and get ready. We’re leaving."
She was in a foul mood—thanks to their screaming, Xia Lun had rushed off to check on them, robbing her of breakfast.
"So soon? What about breakfast?" Liyana blinked. "I was hoping for something warm."
Aina: "Eat in the carriage. I’ll use magic to keep it hot."