Dual Cultivation: Gathering SSS-Rank Wives in the Cultivation World-Chapter 413 - Tianlong’s Favor to a Widow

"I... yes," she finally managed, nodding rapidly. "Yes, of course, but... my house is very humble. I don’t know if it’s suitable for... for people like you..."

"It’ll be fine," Tianlong said simply.

The woman swallowed hard, then stood on shaky legs, still holding her son. "O-okay. This way."

She turned and started walking, glancing back every few seconds to make sure they were following, her mind spinning with confusion and anxiety.

Tianlong and his wives followed casually, the crowd parting before them like water.

As they walked through the marketplace, the woman—whose name was Mira—kept up a nervous stream of chatter.

"It’s... it’s not far. Just at the edge of the residential district. Like I said, very humble. Just two rooms really. I hope that’s okay. I don’t have much food prepared but I can make tea. Do you drink tea? I hope you drink tea because that’s what I have and—"

"Relax," Yu Xiang said smoothly from behind her. "We’re not going to eat you."

Mira’s tail bristled. "I—I wasn’t—"

Akane giggled. "You were thinking it though."

They walked for several minutes, the marketplace transitioning into residential streets. The houses here were modest—wooden frames, thatched roofs, small yards. Clean and well-maintained, but clearly lower-class housing.

Mira stopped in front of one particular house—smaller than most, with a slightly sagging roof and a door that looked like it needed new hinges.

"This... this is it," she said quietly, her voice small with embarrassment.

Tianlong looked at the house—taking in the worn wood, the patched walls, the general state of disrepair—and shrugged.

"Fine."

Mira fumbled with the lock on the door—her hands shaking so much it took three tries—and finally pushed it open.

"Please, come in..."

The interior was cramped. One main room serving as kitchen, dining, and living area. Soft light filtered through a small window. A single table with two chairs. A cooking pot over a cold fireplace. A doorway leading to what was presumably a bedroom.

It smelled like home—bread, herbs, a faint mustiness from the old wood.

Tianlong entered first, ducking slightly under the doorframe. His wives followed.

Yu Xiang. Akane with her nine tails. Yuna. Sabrina. Sylvea.

The small house was suddenly, completely packed. There was barely room to move. The wives had to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, their presence filling every inch of available space.

Mira set her son down—who immediately ran to a corner to play with a wooden toy—and nervously gestured to the table.

"P-please, sit. I’ll... I’ll make tea."

Only Tianlong sat, the single chair creaking under his weight. His wives remained standing, arranged around him like a protective formation.

Mira busied herself with the tea, her hands still trembling as she poured hot water from a kettle over the fire into chipped clay cups.

She served them—placing cups in front of Tianlong and offering them to the wives, most of whom politely declined—and then stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do.

"Sit," Tianlong said, gesturing to the other chair.

Mira sat quickly, her posture rigid.

For a long moment, there was silence except for the sound of Kael playing quietly in the corner.

Then Tianlong spoke.

"Tell me about this place."

Mira blinked. "The... the house?"

"No. The territory. The Panther Clan’s neutral zone."

"Oh!" Mira nodded rapidly, grateful for a topic she could discuss. "Yes, well, this is the Fifth Circle—well, technically the outer edge of the Fifth Circle. It’s a neutral zone, which means no clan has exclusive control. That’s why there’s so much trade here."

She warmed to the subject, her nervousness easing slightly.

"We get merchants from all over. Beast slave traders come through—though I don’t like that business personally—and there are auction houses for rare goods. Sometimes people from the inner circles visit, though that’s rarer. Mostly it’s just... normal trade. Food, weapons, cultivation resources, things like that."

Tianlong nodded, absorbing the information. "And governance? Who maintains order?"

"The Panther Clan oversees it, but they don’t interfere much as long as taxes are paid and violence is minimal. There’s a council that handles disputes."

"Interesting."

As they talked, Mira found herself studying them more carefully.

The women seemed... protective of the man. Possessive almost. They stood around him like guards, their eyes constantly scanning the room, the windows, even her.

But the man—Tianlong, she’d heard one of them call him—radiated the most power. His presence was overwhelming, making her instinctively want to submit, to lower her gaze.

It was confusing. In her experience, strong women dominated weak men. That was natural order. But this... this was reversed.

’Is he really that strong? Stronger than all of them?’ 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The thought made her head spin.

Yu Xiang, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke.

"By the way," she said, her violet eyes focusing on Mira with sudden intensity. "Which one is your wife?"

Mira blinked. "My... what?"

"Your wife," Yu Xiang repeated. "Among us. Which one do you think looks like they’d be married to him?"

Mira looked from Yu Xiang to Tianlong, completely lost. "I... I don’t understand the question?"

Akane giggled, raising her hand. "I am."

Yuna raised hers next. "Me too."

Yu Xiang smiled and raised hers. "Also me."

Sabrina rolled her eyes but raised her hand. "Unfortunately."

Sylvea raised hers last. "As well."

All five women, hands raised, looking at Mira expectantly.

Mira’s golden eyes went impossibly wide.

"All... all of you?"

"All of us," Yu Xiang confirmed.

"But... but that’s..." Mira stammered, her mind rejecting the information. "I’ve never... in all my years, I’ve never seen a man with multiple wives. That’s... that doesn’t happen."

"It does now," Tianlong said simply, taking a sip of tea.

Mira sat back in her chair, completely shocked. Her worldview was cracking.

The conversation continued, Mira providing more information about the area in a daze—trade routes, important figures, local customs—while her brain tried to process the impossibility of one man having five wives.

Eventually, Yu Xiang stood gracefully.

"We should give them some privacy," she said, looking at the other wives.

Akane’s eyes sparkled with understanding. "Oh, yes. Good idea."

Yuna nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

Sabrina’s tail lashed. "Seriously?"

Yu Xiang ignored her and walked to where little Kael was playing. She scooped the boy up gently, making him giggle.

"Come on, little one. Let’s go see the marketplace."

"But it’s my son—" Mira started to protest, standing.

"We’ll bring him back shortly," Akane said smoothly, also moving toward the door. "Don’t worry. He’ll be perfectly safe."

One by one, the wives filed out of the small house—Yu Xiang carrying Kael, the others following—until only Tianlong and Mira remained.

As the door closed behind them, Yu Xiang gave Tianlong a very deliberate wink.

Mira stood there, frozen, suddenly very aware that she was alone with this impossibly powerful man in her tiny house.

"W-why did they take my son?" she asked, her voice small.

Tianlong set down his tea cup and looked at her directly.

His crimson-gold eyes seemed to see right through her.

"Relax, lady," he said, his tone calm. "He’s safe. They just wanted to give us privacy."

"Privacy for... what?"

Instead of answering, Tianlong asked a different question.

"Tell me—are you a body cultivator?"