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

"We have more than a dozen children now, the oldest is only a few months old and the youngest is a newborn. I can't let them grow up in this environment."

The Barbarian Princess lowered her crossed leg, her expression unusually serious: "You're right, but can we leave? Will that old fox Shangguan Lin let us go?"

"He doesn't want to let go, but he doesn't dare not." Lin Qiye's voice was calm and resolute. "As long as I'm in the arena, he'll be restless. Once I'm gone, he can finally sleep peacefully. I'm only taking away a special-grade deacon; what I'm leaving behind is a threat that could explode at any moment. He'll settle this score."

"But the problem is, what if he makes a move on the road?" Shuang'er spoke, her voice cold and calm. "There are so many of us, carrying more than a dozen newborn babies, we can't walk fast. If he sets up an ambush on the road, we'll be at a great disadvantage."

Lin Qiye glanced at Shuang'er: "Therefore, I will take the road on the western slope of the Canggu Mountains, bypassing all the outposts and checkpoints of the arena, and directly enter the wasteland. I have already scouted that road; although it is rugged, it is relatively safe. Once we are outside the arena's sphere of influence, Shangguan Lin's reach will be limited."

"The western foothills of the Canggu Mountains..." Qingyin raised her head, her voice tinged with hesitation. "I've heard of that road. It's very dangerous, with strange beasts roaming around it, and the terrain is complicated. People who aren't familiar with the roads can easily get lost."

"I can handle it." Lin Qiye's tone was calm, but carried an undeniable confidence. "Neither the strange beasts nor the terrain are problems."

He looked at Qingyin, his gaze carrying a scrutinizing quality.

Qingyin's face paled slightly. She lowered her head and clenched her hands even tighter.

She and the other nine maids were all sent by Shangguan Lin. From the beginning, their identities were those of "spies," Shangguan Lin's agents planted around Lin Qiye to monitor him. Although they gradually fell for Lin Qiye after arriving at the Lin residence, and even bore him children, their identities remained an indelible stain.

"I..." Qingyin's voice trembled slightly, "I was indeed sent by Chief Shangguan... but in all the time I've been in the manor, I have never sent any information that is detrimental to Steward Lin to the Oversight Council."

Lin Qiye didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.

Qingyin bit her lip and continued, "I know it might not work if I say this. But please believe me, Steward Lin, I... I really don't want to be Shangguan Lin's spy anymore."

She raised her head, her eyes filled with a resolute light: "I am willing to follow Deacon Lin, even if there are dangers on the road, even if I die in the wasteland, I do not want to go back to that place."

Luo Sheng stood up, walked to Lin Qiye, and smoothed out a wrinkle on his shirt. Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable power: "Wherever you go, I will follow. That was true before, that is true now, and that will be true in the future."

Shuang'er didn't speak, she just nodded. The movement was light, but firm.

Barbarian Princess grinned and patted her belly: "Anyway, I've already given birth, so what difference does it make where I go? As long as I don't go hungry."

Lin Qiye looked at them, a very faint smile appearing on his lips.

He turned and walked towards the door of the reception room, stopping at the door without looking back: "Leave immediately. Take everything you can, and leave behind what you can't take."

……

An hour later, the gates of the Lin residence opened.

Lin Qiye stood at the door. Behind him, Luo Sheng, Shuang'er, Manji, and Qingyin each held a child, followed by nine other maids, each holding one or two infants.

Thirteen women, a dozen babies, and Lin Qiye, a group of more than ten people, walked along the streets of the core area towards the north gate under the afternoon sun.

Pedestrians along the way turned their heads in surprise and curiosity—Where was Special Deacon Lin Qiye, with his whole family, going?

Lin Qiye led his family along the streets of the arena's core area. The afternoon sun cast long shadows of the group. Thirteen women, a dozen babies, plus Lin Qiye himself—the group stood out conspicuously on the wide street.

Pedestrians along the way stopped and stared, their eyes filled with surprise, curiosity, and a hint of something else—Lin Qiye, the special-grade deacon, a mysterious figure who had risen from an unknown second-grade deacon to the core of power in the arena in just a few months, was now taking his entire family on a long trip.

Someone recognized Lin Qiye and whispered to their companion, "Isn't that Deacon Lin? Where is he taking his family?"

"Who knows? I heard he made a great contribution in the Canggu Mountains recently and was personally promoted by Chief of Staff Shangguan."

"So, he's... moving?"

"Stop guessing, get out of here, and mind your own business."

Lin Qiye paid no heed to the stares and whispers. He walked at the head of the procession, his steps steady and his gaze calm. Luo Sheng followed closely behind, carrying Lin Xi; Shuang'er carried Lin Chen side by side; Manji carried Lin Lan, walking behind with a carefree air; Qingyin carried Lin Yao, while the other maids flanked the procession, surrounding the children. Although the procession was large, it moved in an orderly fashion under Lin Qiye's leadership.

They traversed the bustling streets of the core area and passed through residential districts. Upon seeing the dark gold Special Class Deacon token on Lin Qiye, the checkpoints and patrols along the way readily made way, and no one dared to stop them. After all, the status of a Special Class Deacon was extremely rare in the entire arena, equivalent to the Vice Director of the Oversight Council. Apart from a few individuals like Shangguan Lin and Mo Shan, no one had the authority to question him.

But Lin Qiye knew that this calm wouldn't last long.

He chose to set off during the busiest time of day in the afternoon to ensure the news spread throughout the arena's upper echelons as quickly as possible. Shangguan Lin should have already received the message and is urgently gathering his men to discuss countermeasures. He must leave the arena's sphere of influence with his family before they can react.

When they reached the square in front of the North Gate, a group of soldiers in black armor, about thirty in number, appeared on the road ahead, forming a human wall that blocked the road leading to the North Gate.

Leading the group was a burly middle-aged general, dressed in dark blue heavy armor with a broad-bladed sword hanging at his waist. He had a stern face and a long scar on his chin. He was Tie Hu, the deputy commander of the combat department and a senior steward.

Tie Hu stood in front of the human wall, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Lin Qiye, his voice low and resonant: "Deacon Lin, are you going on a long journey?"

Lin Qiye stopped, and the group behind him also stopped. He didn't answer Tie Hu's question, but simply looked at him calmly, waiting for him to continue.

Tie Hu felt somewhat uncomfortable under that calm, almost indifferent gaze, but he still forced himself to continue, "The Commander-in-Chief of Moshan has ordered that Deacon Lin remain in the arena until the Oversight Council completes its full investigation into the Canggu Mountain Range incident, at which point a decision will be made."