Wu Qi followed the gorgeously dressed crowd, straightening her back as she walked in her high heels, her heart brimming with smug satisfaction.
Unfortunately, her phone had been confiscated as well.
Otherwise, attending such a private gathering with aristocrats, snapping a photo to show the sisters in her circle, flaunting it, and basking in their flattery—how satisfying would that have been?
The doors to the reception hall swung open. Carnival had his arm around Erjian’s waist as he spoke softly.
"Mr. Qi, to celebrate the conclusion of our deal, I took the liberty of arranging a small banquet for you."
Facing Qi Yuan, Carnival reverted to his polite, refined demeanor, entirely different from how he had acted outside.
Wu Qi swiftly scanned the furnishings of the reception hall.
When she spotted the assorted firearms and weapons resting on the golden-threaded aged-wood table, her pupils constricted abruptly. After all, starlets like her rarely had contact with the real deal.
Guided by Carnival’s voice, she then looked toward the depths of the reception hall.
A solitary figure sat there, seemingly fishing.
Wu Qi’s eyes narrowed suddenly; the back of that figure felt oddly familiar.
Just then, the young man turned around, revealing a radiant, handsome face.
The moment she caught sight of that face, Wu Qi’s heart skipped a frantic beat.
Because that person was none other than her junior from school—Qi Yuan!
She wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her, or if the two simply bore an uncanny resemblance, but how could she mistake a face blessed with such striking good looks?
Yet the thought that this junior, whom she had once looked down upon, had suddenly leaped to become a prominent figure capable of toying with her at will...
An inexplicable wave of humiliation and resentment welled up, leaving Wu Qi’s fair cheeks burning hot.
Immediately afterward, a bizarre sense of excitement surged forth, sending her heart on a roller-coaster ride.
Carnival broke into a smile. "I wonder... does this meet your satisfaction?"
Qi Yuan regarded Carnival intently, an awkward look on his face. "You're throwing a house party... and you actually invited me?"
Shouldn't the usual script go: *Damn it, you threw a house party and didn't even invite me?!*
Now that he had actually been invited, he didn't quite know how to react.
Seeing Qi Yuan’s reaction, Carnival breathed a sigh of relief.
His greatest fear was that Qi Yuan would be entirely free of desire.
Judging by Qi Yuan’s response just now, the young man had clearly accepted him.
Carnival took the opportunity to introduce the women. "These ladies can all be considered quite prominent stars. And this one..."
Carnival pointed toward Wu Qi.
"Hails from Tianyue City. She could be considered a high school classmate of yours, Mr. Qi."
He had deliberately summoned Wu Qi because she and Qi Yuan might have crossed paths in the past and were former schoolmates.
Such a connection was bound to stimulate one’s senses even more.
Otherwise, a starlet of Wu Qi’s tier would never have qualified to join their private gathering.
"Oh, what a coincidence." Qi Yuan glanced at Wu Qi as memories from the Innate Seed surfaced in his mind. "I remember now. The senior sister who ate three sweet potatoes in one sitting—you actually became a star?"
Qi Yuan had an exceptional memory. So long as he chose to recall, memories of the past would resurface in vivid detail.
Hearing this, Wu Qi blushed shyly and looked at Qi Yuan, speaking up with bold confidence, "You still remember me, Junior Brother."
To be remembered by a prominent figure like Qi Yuan—even if all he remembered was her eating three sweet potatoes—already left Wu Qi thoroughly delighted.
"My memory has always been excellent; I never forget what I see." Qi Yuan looked at Carnival and said softly, "Did you bring the goods?"
The goods were, of course, the immortal cultivation medicinal ingredients unique to the Yuelang Kingdom.
Carnival nodded. "Time was tight. In order to procure this batch of goods, I had to ask General Mu for help before I could assemble everything prior to returning."
Hearing this, Wu Qi found Qi Yuan even more unfathomable.
She had never imagined that this junior, who had seemed ordinary aside from his handsome looks, possessed such a background.
Wu Qi craned her neck, eager to see what kind of precious treasures had required the assistance of a general to gather.
The black-clad mercenaries pried the crates open, instantly revealing a jumble of bizarre plants.
All of these plants were encased in sealed transparent pouches. Peering through the clear plastic, Wu Qi’s expression turned peculiar.
Some of the items were things she recognized—they were just ordinary weeds.
"Not bad. This many will last me a while." Qi Yuan looked at the wooden crates, a satisfied expression surfacing on his face.
A humble smile appeared on Carnival’s face. "As long as Mr. Qi is pleased."
"How about we collaborate? You help me gather some materials, and as for me... I'll pay you a certain amount of money, or... give you some finished products. Though whether I give finished products will depend on my mood." Qi Yuan turned his gaze back to the sea, appearing wholly absorbed in his fishing, his back turned to the crowd.
Yet his voice rang clearly in everyone’s ears.
The actresses noticed nothing unusual about this, but Carnival did.
His evaluation of Qi Yuan climbed to another level.
"I want finished products!"
There was no need to think twice!
Money was something Carnival did not lack.
As for the finished products, he guessed they were bound to be something akin to immortal pills.
The surrounding women looked at Carnival’s uncharacteristic loss of composure with curious gazes.
They had no idea what this deal entailed, or what it represented.
"Fine. Move these things to my place. I'll send you the information on the other materials. If you run short on funds, or run into any danger, come find me."
The materials Qi Yuan required were both numerous and miscellaneous.
Some were extremely obscure, rare, and unconventional.
Gathering them would consume tremendous manpower and material resources.
Certain items could not be bought in any market.
That was why Qi Yuan considered collaborating with someone of Carnival’s capabilities.
Delight surged within Carnival’s heart. He said solemnly, "It is my honor to serve Mr. Qi!"
After all, if the cultivation method was real, Mr. Qi was undoubtedly a legendary immortal.
To serve an immortal was his great privilege.
"You girls, go over and keep Mr. Qi company!" Carnival hurriedly signaled the actresses with his eyes.
Hearing this, Wu Qi and the others swayed gracefully over to Qi Yuan's side. Wu Qi in particular adopted an exaggerated posture, as if longing to flaunt every bit of the scenery on her chest.
Meanwhile.
Aboard the *Starfish Bay*, quiet murmurs rippled through the air.
"Did you hear? Viscount Carnival actually reveres a fraud as an immortal and spent a fortune to buy an immortal cultivation method! Isn't that ridiculous?"
"Immortal cultivation? Has Carnival’s brain gone soft from being a mercenary?"
"The funniest part is, he stumbled across this seller while scrolling through short videos online. Word is, the seller is mentally ill. These days, even lunatics can pull off scams, and people actually fall for it. What a disgrace to our nobility."
"Right now, he's treating that fellow like an immortal, inviting a bunch of stars to throw a private party. Should we head inside and expose that guy’s lies?"
"Are you out of your mind? If it's fake and you expose it, Carnival loses face. Other than offending Carnival, what good does it do you?"
"If it's fake, offending Carnival is all that happens. But if it's real, you'd be offending an immortal!"
The men and women laughed, treating it like casual gossip over drinks before quickly changing the subject.
As for marching into Carnival's private gathering to pick a fight and unmask Qi Yuan... only fools or people with far too much time on their hands would do something like that.
Inside Carnival’s private gathering, the anticipated scenes of debauchery failed to unfold.
Although Wu Qi and the others had been arranged by Qi Yuan’s side, Qi Yuan stated that he was an engaged man who had to maintain his personal integrity.
However, he did not chase the actresses away; instead, he put them to work fishing.
At that moment, Wu Qi held a fishing rod, her heart fluttering nervously.
She rather regretted not encountering Qi Yuan earlier.
If she had known Qi Yuan’s true background back in high school, given her charms, wrapping a younger high school junior around her finger as a senior would have been as easy as turning her hand.
Yet facing Qi Yuan now, she felt inherently inferior, timid and hesitant in everything she did and said.
Such was the disparity in status and standing.
Power, wealth, and strength indeed bestowed confidence.
When facing a being far more powerful than themselves, creatures bound by order could not help but feel lesser.
"Stop daydreaming and keep a closer eye on the line." Qi Yuan shot a sidelong glance at Wu Qi beside him.
Wu Qi hurriedly gave a flustered smile. "I'm watching!"
She was not good at fishing, and her attempts to handle the rod were clumsy and chaotic.
Seeing this, Carnival chuckled softly. "I didn't expect Mr. Qi to hold so firmly to the path of a gentleman."
Were Qi Yuan one of those swindlers, he would have grown impatient and started groping about by now.
Yet even if he was no fraud, it would be entirely normal for an immortal to indulge in a few worldly pleasures.
"Unlike someone without a wife like you, my wife possesses beauty that could topple kingdoms," Qi Yuan said smugly.
Recalling something, Qi Yuan frowned and asked, "Does the Qinyuan Kingdom have laws against bigamy?"
"Yes, it does," Carnival answered truthfully. Seeming to grasp Qi Yuan’s implication, he shot a glance at Wu Qi. "However, keeping a mistress outside is neither illegal nor a crime, and illegitimate children still enjoy inheritance rights."
"But if you don't register the marriage, how does it count as being married?" Qi Yuan rejected the notion.
He wanted to give every one of his wives a proper home.
"In some time, my wife will probably come down. When the time comes, I plan to marry two wives at once. Can you help me get the certificates processed?" Qi Yuan asked.
Once he reached the Origin Core realm, he could draw the phantom of the Stellar Golden Core into this universe.
At that point, Ning Tao could also be summoned down by Qi Yuan.
Since Qi Yuan’s true body had already stepped into the Divine Infant realm and his internal spiritual energy was abundant, summoning Ning Tao would allow her phantom to remain permanently without having to return to the Golden Core phantom.
His other wife was naturally Xiao Jia.
When the two of them appeared together, marrying them both at once would even save some money.
"This... can be done." Carnival hesitated briefly before agreeing at once.
"Oh, right. Neither of my wives has an ID card... That won't be an issue, right?"
"No problem..." Carnival’s expression turned peculiar. He asked tentatively, "Where are my sisters-in-law right now?"
"In the heavens," Qi Yuan replied.
Listening to their conversation, Wu Qi felt utterly bewildered.
*In the heavens...?*
*What does that mean?*
She recognized every single word spoken by these two prominent figures, but strung together, she could not make heads or tails of it.
Carnival’s heart skipped a violent beat. "When will they arrive?"
"In roughly a few months?" Qi Yuan said softly.
As long as resources were sufficient and he was not overly picky about Foundation Establishment and Core Formation spiritual items, Qi Yuan would only need a few months to step into the Origin Core realm.
Reaching the Yin God realm would take longer.
That would be measured in years.
After all, Qi Yuan had yet to discover a way to gain experience by slaying monsters in this world.
On the Wangyue Continent, there were game mobs to slay for experience points, and in the Mortal Heart Realm, there were New Gods to kill.
In this world, there was currently no overarching villain boss.
Such a world was well-suited for spending a honeymoon with his wives.
"When you look up at the sky and find that a few more suns have appeared up there, my wife will probably have arrived." Qi Yuan looked up at the sky.
Above, aside from a single sun, a scattering of stars dotted the expanse.
Hearing Qi Yuan’s words, the actresses present paused, then laughed.
Wu Qi still plucked up the courage to ask, "How many more suns will appear in the sky?"
Carnival was dumbfounded; Qi Yuan’s words were simply too sensational.
A few more suns appearing in the sky? What kind of concept was that?
Arch Star itself would probably be obliterated.
Even though technology was advanced nowadays and formidable weapons were abundant, when faced with an actual sun, not even the nations of Can Star would have any solution.
Seeming to sense Carnival’s concern, Qi Yuan chuckled. "It's merely the projection of a sun. It won't affect Arch Star’s ecosystem. Just think of it as a few more paintings hanging in the sky."
Carnival’s heart pounded unevenly.
To tell the truth, this statement was far more terrifying than Qi Yuan claiming to be an immortal cultivator.
If Qi Yuan had encountered a bizarre serendipity and obtained an immortal cultivation method, Carnival could still wrap his mind around it.
But summoning suns... this was no longer just an immortal cultivator, was it?
"Haha..." Carnival laughed, dismissing Qi Yuan’s words as a joke.
If Qi Yuan were truly such an entity, why would he be sitting here fishing with him?
And conducting a trade?
It defied logic.
"Once my sisters-in-law descend, I will personally visit the Civil Affairs Bureau to handle your marriage certificates!" Carnival patted his chest in assurance.
"Don't worry, it's only a few months. You won't have to wait too long," Qi Yuan said.
He was rather looking forward to Ning Tao’s descent.
Back in the Liufeng Realm, Ning Tao had worn black stockings, but had never worn white stockings—what a true shame.
Carnival offered a faint smile; in just a few months, he would know whether it was all a joke or not.
Right at that moment, a look of pleasant surprise surfaced on Wu Qi’s face. She sprang up, shouting in delight, "I caught a fish!"
Wu Qi gripped the fishing rod in a flurry, but her skills were so poor that it took her quite a while without managing to haul the fish up.
Only with the assistance of a nearby actress was she finally able to land the fish and drop it into a bucket.
A look of admiration surfaced in Carnival’s eyes. "Not bad. That's a jinlibian. This fish is worth two thousand yuan, quite decent."
Wu Qi felt delighted inside. She cast a deliberate glance at Qi Yuan, like a kitten begging for affection.
Unfortunately, Qi Yuan did not look at her at all, staring instead at the fish. "What a pity. That's not the little cutie."
"The little cutie?" Wu Qi was slightly taken aback.
The fish she caught was translucent white laced with gold—how was it not cute?
Carnival paused, then remarked, "Do you have a specific target in mind, Mr. Qi?"
He surmised that among the marine fish lay a cultivation ingredient Qi Yuan required.
"Yeah, there's a little cutie, though unfortunately I don't know what it's called. No matter; keep fishing for a bit and it'll show up eventually," Qi Yuan said casually.
While fishing here earlier, he had caught sight of that little cutie.
His eyes had detected a thread of uniqueness upon it.
Unfortunately, Qi Yuan was currently too weak and saddled with curses; diving into the bay for the sake of a single little cutie would simply not be worth the trouble.
That was why he had drafted these actresses to help him fish.
"A cute, rare sea fish?" Carnival mused. "Let me give it a try as well, to see who can reel it in today."
"A fish even cuter than a jinlibian?" The other actresses grew eager to try as well.
Chapter 286