In a high-level martial arts game, a wife is given to you at the start.

Lin Qiye stood in the courtyard, watching the three women bustling about, and a faint but real warmth welled up in his heart. That warmth was different from the desolation and heaviness of the candle inheritance that spanned endless years; it was something simpler and more immediate—someone was waiting for him to come home, someone was willing to walk with him, and someone had already made this place their home without his knowledge.

He walked over and reached out to help Luo Sheng lift the heaviest bundle.

"Let's go."

Luo Sheng looked up at him, nodded, then bent down, picked up her daughter, and followed him out of the courtyard gate.

Manager Zhao was already waiting outside the courtyard gate. Seeing Lin Qiye emerge with three women and several children, he bowed slightly, then stepped aside to lead the way: "Please follow me."

The group walked along the stone-paved streets through the gladiatorial arena district. Along the way, gladiators and deacons recognized Lin Qiye, their gazes lingering on him for a moment, and then, seeing the three women and several children following behind him, their eyes revealed various expressions.

Those who silently made way with expressionless faces were high-ranking personnel who knew the inside story of the Canggu Mountain Range incident.

Some looked surprised—those were people who hadn't received any news beforehand and suddenly saw Lin Qiye swaggering down the street.

There were also spies with complex expressions—they were probably from certain factions, assessing the worth of this newly promoted Special Deacon.

Lin Qiye paid no attention to the stares. He walked at the front of the group, carrying a bundle in one hand and holding his eldest daughter's little hand in the other. The little girl's legs were still short, so she couldn't walk very fast, but she didn't complain. She just tried her best to keep up with her father's pace with her short legs.

Soon, the gray stone wall and the black iron gate came into view at the edge of the horizon.

Luo Sheng stopped at the doorway, looking up at the dark gold plaque above the doorway that bore the words "Lin Residence." Her gaze lingered on the plaque for a moment, then she lowered her head and took a soft breath—not out of nervousness, but out of a sense of ritual confirming that something important was happening. She stepped over the threshold and entered the house.

Shuang'er followed behind her, also pausing at the threshold, quickly glancing up at the layout and structure of the entire mansion, then nodding without saying anything and walking inside.

The Barbarian Princess was the last to cross the threshold. She stepped into the courtyard, looked around at the spacious yard and the pond with its artificial hill, and let out a long whistle.

"That's more like it!"

She walked a few steps to the edge of the pool, squatted down, reached out and splashed the water, watching the few golden fish scatter in fright, and giggled.

Steward Zhao stood at the entrance, and only after everyone had entered the courtyard did he bow again: "Steward Lin, all the facilities in the mansion have been tested and adjusted. If there are any adjustments or additions needed, please contact me at any time through the General Affairs Department of the Oversight Council. My communication talisman number has been left on the table in the reception room."

"Thank you, Steward Zhao."

"No, it's my pleasure. I'll take my leave now."

Steward Zhao nodded to the three women again, then turned and left the mansion along the passageway he had come from. As he walked out of the black iron gate, he casually left it slightly ajar, not completely closed, leaving it for Lin Qiye to close himself.

Lin Qiye stood beside the artificial hill in the inner courtyard, watching Luo Sheng check the lighting and ventilation of each room one by one. Shuang'er had already found a suitable corner in the side room and started setting up a simple cultivation array, while Manji was already playing with the children in the courtyard, chasing the fish. A very faint smile appeared on his lips as he walked to the stone bench by the pool, sat down, and took out the dark gold token from his pocket, gently turning it in his palm.

The token gleamed with a warm luster in the afternoon sunlight.

From a second-class deacon to a first-class deacon, from a cramped single room to this independent mansion with a courtyard and pool, from being ignored to becoming the focus of attention of the arena's higher-ups—all of this happened much faster than he had anticipated.

But he knew very well that this was just the beginning. The courtesy Shangguan Lin showed him was both trust and a chain. He gained status and resources, but at the same time, it bound him to the arena's chain of interests. If one day the arena deemed him no longer controllable, everything given to him today could instantly become a prison binding him.

But that's for later.

At least for now, he doesn't need to leave.

……

Life in the new mansion is much more comfortable than in the old one.

On the third day after Lin Qiye moved into the Lin residence in the core area, life at the mansion was already back on track. Luo Sheng rearranged the three courtyards—the reception room and side hall in the first courtyard remained as they were, the master bedroom in the second courtyard was for her and Lin Qiye, the side rooms were given to Shuang'er and Manji, and the children lived in several small houses at the back of the second courtyard, looked after by two servants arranged by Steward Zhao. The cultivation chamber and storage room in the third courtyard were for Lin Qiye's exclusive use, and Luo Sheng and Shuang'er would occasionally borrow the Source Gathering Array to regulate their source energy.

The barbarian princess was most satisfied with the inner courtyard with its artificial hill and pond. Every morning, she would practice several sets of boxing in the courtyard, saying that she wanted to "stretch her muscles and bones so that her child wouldn't be as restless as her after birth." Her belly was already quite large, but her movements were still vigorous, which terrified the maids who were responsible for taking care of the child.

On the evening of the fourth day, Shangguan Lin sent someone over.

The arrival was made by a young steward from the General Affairs Department of the Overwatch Council, surnamed Fang. He was handsome and well-mannered. He brought a carriage covered with a blue cloth, and ten young women. The ten women stood in a row outside the mansion gate. They were all between eighteen and twenty-five years old, with dignified appearances and different temperaments—some were gentle and calm, some were bright and generous, and some had a touch of the heroic spirit of cultivators. They were all dressed in uniform plain-colored dresses, the fabric ordinary but clean and tidy, with a light gray jade identification token tied around their waists.

Deacon Fang stood outside the gate, bowing respectfully to Lin Qiye who came out upon hearing the commotion. His tone was respectful yet measured: "Deacon Lin, Chief Shangguan said that with your new residence and the increasing number of people in your household, daily chores may be inconvenient. These ten women are handpicked by the General Affairs Department and have all undergone rigorous background checks and basic etiquette training. Two of them are skilled in medicinal cuisine, three have cultivation foundations and can assist in managing the cultivation room and material storage room, and the other five are responsible for daily cleaning, laundry, and kitchen duties."

He paused, then added, "Chief Shangguan specifically instructed that the monthly salaries of these maids be paid by the General Affairs Department of the Overwatch Council, so Steward Lin doesn't need to worry about it."

That was a very thoughtful statement.

Lin Qiye stood inside the door, his gaze sweeping over the ten women, his mind clear.