“Jon, Jashen, Severian.” Tundra greeted the three elders of his sect. “I’m thankful for your care while I was away.”

The three were loyal. They always had, and Tundra what it would have been like if some of them survived to walk those final years with him. The three nodded in return, and sat in the room. 

“With the Patriarch’s breakthrough to the fifth realm, the other sects will move more carefully.” Jon said. 

“That is the preferred outcome.” Tundra said. “That should buy us time to concentrate some of our resources on the Eastheart side of things, and I’d like to organize a spiritual beast hunt.”

The three elders glanced at each other. “With the sect’s forces?”

“Yes. Disciples who participate and defeat spirit beasts may provide their corpses and bodies to me, and I will make pills out of the harvested materials. This should, in theory, help support our allied family, and also give our disciples a chance to grow.” 

Jashen didn’t seem too pleased, but asked. “When will this hunt be?”

“In two or three months, we’ll adjust to suit the Eastheart patriarch’s timing.” Tundra said, and then looked at Jashen. He suspected he had something to say, and quickly got to it. “How are things over at Lakeshore?”

The elder seemed surprised, and relieved that Tundra brought it up. “Not well. The Yellow Cloud and Blood Blade sects seem intent on wrestling the area back. The Blackshore family’s scouts and spies spotted some movement in their elders.”

“If their elders moved, it would be quite unfortunate.” Tundra said. Those two sects were a tier below the Verdant Snow Sect. Their Sect Master was only in the 5th realm, and Jashen himself could fend them off. Yet, he immediately had a bad feeling. 

He trusted that instinct. It was fate telling him something, and so, Tundra thought about Lakeshore in his earlier life, and felt a little annoyed. He scrunched his head, and felt some memories come back. A scene where Jashen was bloody. The words rang in his head. 

Agnia was Jashen’s favorite disciple. There was an ambush. We lost our core disciple.

Tundra frowned. Was it Lakeshore? He tried to recall Agnia since then, and realized it had to be. There was no other mission with Agnia after this. She must have died in Lakeshore somewhere around this time. A sect had so many moving parts, and with his many, many memories, he’d need time to comb through every one of them and spot what went wrong. 

For now, he decided caution was best. There was no harm traveling to Lakeshore to make his presence felt. 

He looked at Jashen. “Jashen, I’m going with you to Lakeshore. Let’s set off as soon as possible.”

Tundra’s sudden change made him worry. “Is everything alright, Sect Master?”

“I believe our disciple’s life is at risk. We should set off tonight. Jon, Severian, I will leave the Sect in your good hands.” 

***

“You’re leaving for Lakeshore?” His wives were a little surprised, but they were actually more surprised that Tundra came to see them. 

Tundra would have darted out immediately, but the only reason he didn’t was because he thought about Celestia’s words. Husband and wife should act as one. To do so, he needed to involve his wives in his decisions. 

In his experience, even in cultivation, it is one thing to talk about theory. One could conjure palaces in heaven with words alone, but it was another thing altogether to practice what the theory speaks of.

Even simple scriptures could be profound, if properly practiced. What often happens, in reality, is a lack of dedication. 

Tundra looked around the room, as his three wives waited for the elaboration. He did. “I believe one of our disciples is at risk. There is potentially a sneak attack, or at least, an ambush from our competitor sects. Celestia, would you like to come? I believe you would be helpful. Lakeshore is a fairly misty, and forested place, and your wind-and-wood arts would be useful in such an environment.”

Celestia waited, and thought about the question. Tundra didn’t rush her. 

“I will.”

Elly and Marin looked at each other. Tundra was thankful he increased their cultivation to the 4th realm. At least, they’d be able to protect the family. “I will leave the protection of the family to you two. Elder Jon and Severian will be around.”

Those words made Marin flinch. She looked at Tundra like she saw a ghost. In her mind, she wondered where was the husband she married, and who was this strange imposter.

Elly just shrugged. “We’ll be fine. Travel safely.”

The regressor could sense the unusual reaction in his 5th wife, but wasn’t sure what. He reminded himself to talk to her once he’s back. 

***

Elder Jashen and Tundra both had their flying swords out, each big enough for two. The fact that they used flying swords instead of wagons highly suggested that it was urgent.

“I hope we are not too late.” Tundra said as their flying swords zipped across the skies. Celestia stood behind Tundra, and held on tightly. 

Traveling by flying swords was similar to riding a motorcycle at high speeds down a windy highway. It is thrilling, fun, and really, really scary. It’s only ‘safe’ because cultivators are significantly tougher than mortals.

Jashen looked at Tundra as they flew towards Lakeshore. “Something in your dream, Tundra?”

“Yes.” Tundra said. “It- It didn’t end well.”

In his heart, he knew it won’t be the first, or the last time. There were many, many horrific tragedies over the 10,000 years. Many deaths. He hoped this wouldn’t be the first one he knew something about, but didn’t do anything to stop it. 

Elder Jashen knew Tundra well enough, and spoke. “If things don’t go well, it’s not your fault, Tundra.”

Tundra didn’t think that way. It’s true he couldn’t save everyone. It’s true he couldn’t win all the time. He felt the scars nevertheless. The pain is real all the same, and to feel it a second time, that was just something else. He’d just have to try harder. 

***

Lakeshore Barrens and Lakeshore. Lakeshore Barrens was a land of mist and forests, despite the name. It was named that way because a few thousand years ago, the entire area was once a barren lake, but things have changed since then. 

These days, Lakeshore Barrens is famed for its spirit beasts, especially the Driedbark Lizards that somehow breed like rabbits in this environment. The Driedbark lizards’ bark like skin is a major ingredient in basic healing elixirs for those below the 4th realm.

“I’m glad to see you are well, Disciple Agnia.” Jashen greeted the disciple, who was meditating in the branch office of Lakeshore. It wasn’t really a proper branch office, and it lacked all the common defensive formations found in a proper branch office. 

Agnia knelt. “Greetings, Elder Jashen, and?” 

Both Tundra and Celestia wore masks, hoods and kept their cultivation hidden. They both had a special relic meant to mask their presence. It wasn’t that effective against higher realm enemies, but would mislead most lower level scouts and spies. 

Jashen smiled. “Our Sect Master, and Lady Celestia Gale.”

Agnia’s face immediately turned to fear, her head on the ground. “This disciple greets the honored Sect Master and the honored companion.”

“Disciple Agnia, both of you are to carry out as usual, and be the bait. There is someone conspiring against us lurking in this city, and we will flush them out.”

“-what?”

Tundra sensed it the moment they entered Lakeshore. There was a trapping formation set up in the city, and it was from a familiar enemy. He even recognised the formation type. [Blood Blade’s Divine Lightning Purgatory]. Despite the name, it was a formation strong enough for the 5th realm, and in theory, should be enough to deal with Jashen and Agnia. 

He walked to elder Jashen and Agnia, and checked his own spatial pouch for three lightning-element resistance pills. It wasn’t total lightning immunity, but the pills should significantly weaken the damage from the formation.

“There’s a few trapping formations in this city. If you’re caught in it, take this pill. It should offset the damage from the formation.” Tundra said, and handed one each to Agnia, Jashen, and his wife, Celestia. “Celestia, you’ll stay with me. We’ll keep our distance and see who’s behind this.”

The formation itself was fairly easy to detect, especially with his trained levels of senses. Formations, inherently, were hard to hide, because they involved manipulating natural energies to create a certain effect. It is for this reason that formations are usually ‘defensive’ in nature. 

Occasionally, they are also used as traps and lures, meant to guide or ‘funnel’ their enemies into where they want them to be. In cases where subtlety is needed, the formations needed to come with their own internal power source, usually supplied by spirit stones, spirit crystals, and spirit beast cores. 

Every formation is created by a formation master, and it is an act that requires serious planning. This formation must have been around for at least five years, because the increase in its energy levels were so subtle that most cultivators would not notice. 

The formation is almost at its peak, and Jashen is likely the bait. They wanted to hurt him badly, and scare the Blackshore family. 

The message they wanted to send was simple.

“Even the Elder of the Verdant Snow can’t protect you.”

“Alright, let’s see what these folks have planned. The two of us will remain in hiding, and we’ll use it to flush it out. They will most likely take action once they’ve trapped you in the formation.” Tundra explained the plan. 

Agnia looked at the elder, a little horrified. “We’re walking right into a killing formation?”

Elder Jashen grinned. “Better than walking into it without knowing it?”

The disciple took a while to process the question, before she realized it was rhetorical. She blushed when she realized it. 

“Alright. Let’s carry on. They will likely strike when you and Jashen are patrolling the streets of Lakeshore.”

***

Celestia and Tundra found an inn on the other side of Lakeshore. They chose the location to hide their presence, and not arouse the suspicions of those who wanted to target Jashen and Agnia. 

“Would they strike at night? Why wouldn’t they attack the branch office directly?” Celestia asked, curious.

Tundra shook his head. “They wouldn’t. The branch office may be a bare building with hardly any defenses, there are still some basic detection equipment and formations in place. The formation would trigger those equipment and reveal their plan. Not when a formation like this takes a few years to set up.”

The inn was basic, and simple, and Celestia thought the bed looked a little cramped. Celestia sat on bed. 

“What do you think will happen?” 

Tundra thought briefly, took off his outer robe, and sat on the bed next to Celestia. “They will most likely cause an incident somewhere near their formation. An attack, or a challenge on their authority. Agnia will rush to the situation, and they will retreat into the formation for the battle. Naturally, if Jashen’s caught in it, he’ll be injured. It’s likely they will use a stronger disciple to taunt Agnia and Jashen, maybe a 5th realm elder from the Blood Blade Sect.”

“Oh.” 

“It’ll be fine. We know which formation they’re using, and with the right elemental pills, they wouldn’t suffer a loss. Our goal is to get the Blood Blade Sect’s formation master. There’s someone in the mid or high 4th realm that’s working in the background.” Formations were one of the ways a cultivator could fight someone of a higher realm, and was thus a favorite of many smaller sects who wanted to hold off the threat of stronger sects.

Celestia nodded, and undid the pin on her hair, allowing her hair to flow freely. The bed was cramped, but since her husband agreed to this location, she wasn’t going to complain. It was only for a few days, anyway.

Tundra waited, and smiled. “I hope this place doesn’t bother you too much. We’ll move to somewhere more pleasant.”

“It is nothing. I have lived in far less pleasant locations.”

Tundra stretched, and very naturally, placed his arms around her waist. “A man also desires to provide the comforts of life to his partners.” 

“Really? The old you would have just done whatever you pleased.”

Tundra chuckled. “True. I believe you liked that.”

“I did.” Celestia smiled. She didn’t resist, and instead, slumped into his arms. Their eyes met momentarily, and then she asked. “Did we have children, Tundra?”

“No. We didn’t.” Tundra looked at her wistfully. If she was willing, he’d not make that mistake again. 

“Do you remember why?” 

“I was too busy. Around this time, with the attack on the Blackbone City and the Black Ash Temple, the incident here, in Lakeshore, and preparing for the upcoming Imperial Summons. Then after this, there was another set of attacks on the Scarlet Thunder Sect.”

“Scarlet Thunder.” Celestia frowned. “That’s quite a powerful sect.”

“There was an incident that weakened them.” Tundra said, remembering that there was a great explosion in their sect grounds that left the sect master heavily injured. Now that he thought about it, he wondered what was the cause of that incident.

Tundra said, and made a note to send a disciple to investigate them later. If he remembered correctly, Elder Severian also worked on diplomatic ties with one of the nearby cities just outside of Scarlet Thunder Sect’s reach, the Mystical Harbors Sect. It was a weaker sect that was naturally under pressure from the Scarlet Thunder Sect, so the attack on the Scarlet Thunder improved their power and shored up their relationship with a possible ally.

Tundra himself used some of Scarlet Thunder’s cultivation and combat methods up till the late 7th realm.

Celestia touched his fingers quietly, her head on his chest. Her hair had the faint fragrance of lavender. All of their wives did, because lavender soap was a popular product in their part of the world. The whiff of that smell brought back memories of his wives, and he instinctively pulled her waist closer. “I’d like to have children with you, someday.” Tundra said, as he thought about their earlier topic.

Celestia blushed red as a tomato. She didn’t reply. 

Tundra noticed the slight redness around her earlobes. “Do you like this version of me?”

His wife squirmed, wriggling in his arms. She stammered. “Don’t ask things like that!”

The regressor chuckled, and didn’t let his wife go. He pulled her closer. 

The fates were kind to him, when they blessed him with so many wives. It’s a shame his own heart was elsewhere, chasing something that eventually felt meaningless. So what if the Verdant Snow sect was a Great Sect? 

He looked at his wife, and then back at the small window of their inn. He leaned his head closer to his wife’s hair, and tapped her head softly with his other hand. 

Celestia clearly seemed to enjoy being treated this way, because she closed her eyes and snuggled closer. “We actually feel like we’re married.” She said softly, her words felt like soft, frail little puffs of smoke that vanished when touched.

Tundra wanted to get the details, but decided not to. He wondered when he became so affectionate? Was it during those lonely years, when it truly reminded him how alone he was? The final years of fighting?

No matter. He may be a 10,700 years old cold-hearted bastard, but as they say, even the strongest warriors can be seduced by a beautiful woman. 

His heart felt warm, the presence of a woman he liked in his arms. To love, and to be loved in return. The rest of his family might not yet be ready to function like a normal family, but at least with his wives, he felt like he was getting somewhere.