Chapter 1344: Let’s Play Ludo!

Chapter 1344: Let’s Play Ludo!

As the late night approached, the once lively Ru Yu Village gradually calmed down. The men indulged in drinks and merriment, eventually collapsing to the ground, while the women helped them into the guest rooms.

This unprecedented scene of immortals and demons drinking until tipsy was truly a testament to peace and prosperity.

The women, along with the servants, tidied up the disarrayed scene, and Xia Hanmo began sharing stories about the village’s past, recounting the little details of this seemingly ordinary place.

Although the noise outside faded away, the excitement inside continued.

In the red room, under the flickering candlelight, a spirited young man fought valiantly amidst the embraces and kisses of several new brides, carrying on until the early hours of the morning. Even though everyone was drenched in sweat, they were still left wanting more.

“Why is my dear husband so energetic tonight?”

“Yeah, he usually should’ve rested by now.”

“Truly a man with the prowess of a Demon Ruler; I love it~”

Lin Nuo’s vigor was indeed impressive, facing seven blossoming brides without any hint of weakness; had it been a one-on-one duel, he would have already made them concede.

However, prolonged exertion could lead to fatigue, and even if he felt like a god of war that night, he would start to feel drained the next day or the day after.

It wasn’t a big deal; a night of high spirits would mean that they wouldn’t have to deal with seven women waiting for their husband anymore—it could break down into manageable groups of one each day.

But who’s to say? There could be arrangements where two or three were cozy together, yet on the wedding night, they might easily stir up conflicts, resulting in utter chaos.

All in all, the future promised to be filled with antics.

Though it was already past midnight, the new brides were still not satisfied, persistently pleading for Lin Nuo’s affection.

“We still need to visit your family tomorrow. Let’s not cause a ruckus and get some rest.”

Lin Nuo was drenched in sweat, feeling that if he kept this up, he wouldn’t be able to visit his in-laws the next day.

According to Ru Yu Village customs, on the morning after the wedding, the daughter-in-law would first greet the mother-in-law, followed by the son-in-law visiting his parents-in-law.

Of course, this was easier when marriages happened within the village or with neighboring ones, but Lin Nuo’s seven brides hailed from all corners of the world. Fortunately, with sword flight, travel was swift.

“Afternoon is fine; we can manage that. If dear husband is too tired, we’ll visit my mother-in-law first. After you’ve rested in the morning, we can leave in the afternoon. Mother-in-law said it’s fine even if it’s delayed a day or two; we needn’t rush.”

Liu Shuqin chuckled lightly. She had already communicated with Xia Hanmo beforehand, reasoning that customs could bend a little, especially after so many years.

“Afternoon won’t suffice… No wait, don’t move just yet. I only have one body; how can I endure all this enthusiasm? Do you want to feast once or every day? At this rate, I might end up passing away young.”

“But dear husband, aren’t you feeling much better than before? You don’t seem weak at all!”

The new brides were displeased; if it were just one person enjoying everything, that would suffice. But dividing among seven? Each getting the time of one with him wasn’t even as much as before.

Yet they had a new experience—a few of them found each other’s tender bodies quite nice. They all felt good huddled together, all soft and lovely in varying shapes and sizes.

They even entertained the thought of grouping up in the future.

“Even the best bull can work until it’s worn out, and besides, customs are customs. If we change them, it bodes ill. If we aspire for a hundred years of harmony, we must respect the ancestral rules,” Lin Nuo declared seriously.

He typically denounced feudal superstition, yet here he was, using it as an excuse to refuse.

Let’s just say he had some double standards but was flexible—that’s a notable quality for a great villain.

Well then, now that immortals and demons were all in one household, the main character was already in their embrace, and the antagonist had bit the dust.

“Is it really that serious? We aren’t even from Ru Yu Village all the time. Many villagers have married outside and have never been able to visit the bride’s family the next day. This custom is essentially outdated; it’s fine as long as one visits within a month. Besides, my family doesn’t mind if you don’t go.”

Su Kexin added, her situation was even wilder—she straight-up wouldn’t go. What would that do to Su Lingjiang’s reputation?

But Su Lingjiang never had a reputation anyway.

Strangely enough, the other brides endorsed this idea; regardless, they were certain to visit their mother-in-law the next day, but returning home could be flexible.

Spending a night like this was worth more than gold; was it meant for sleeping?

“No, your family is truly progressive! I’ll lay it out straight; I’m just tired! I need to rest. I’m already over my limit, but I truly am worn out.”

Lin Nuo wasn’t going to waste time with back-and-forth; there was no way he could endure being tangled up all night. He had to stay alive; If worse comes to worst, he’d just sneak away during this idyllic night.

“With your current condition, you can still hold for another two hours,” Qin Shili deduced, analyzing Lin Nuo’s physical reactions, offering her professional judgment.

Lin Nuo thought it was time to evade, but in his current state, even a swift getaway would likely land him caught instead—nowhere near the vigor of his former self.

If caught, he would have no strength to resist, leaving him helplessly at their mercy.

Such a fate could not befall Lin Nuo, a man of great wisdom!

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Lin Nuo’s mind.

“Always getting tangled up is getting stale. Let’s play a game!”

“A game? What game?”

“Ludo!”

Long ago, Lin Nuo had created a version of Ludo, perfect for eight players. He used to play with village children, and now it lay forgotten under the bed.

Playing with adults was uninspiring; it was much more entertaining with children.

“What’s that?” everyone asked in confusion.

“You know chess, right?”

“Yeah, is it similar to chess?”

“No, it has nothing to do with it.”

“…”

They all rolled their eyes; Lin Nuo was cracking cold jokes again!

“Here it is; let me grab it.”

He wriggled free from the bunch and flipped beneath the bed, retrieving the box of Ludo and explaining the rules:

“This is the dice; you need to roll a six to move a piece…”

Lin Nuo explained slowly. With varying levels of intelligence among the brides, some like Qin Shili and Liu Shuqin quickly grasped it, while Su Kexin and Ruo’er needed a moment to digest.

“Just playing isn’t quite enough, esteemed master. Whoever gets their piece to the finish first or knocks out another’s piece can make them do a task,” Ling Meng suggested, and Lin Nuo realized this had escalated to a big adventure!

Fine, as Lin Nuo was quite lucky with rolling dice, he could easily get several sixes and wipe them all out one by one, sending them off to sleep and leaving him in peace.

“Great, that’s the plan. You guys roll first, I’ll go last.”

Lin Nuo declared confidently, but his luck was miserable; instead, the others rolled the dice like koi, landing sixes one after another, catching him off guard.

And then, more chaos ensued.

He learned a valuable lesson: never marry so many wives at once!

The End: The Villain has perished

Lin Nuo rebuilt a luxurious villa in Ru Yu Village as his retreat.

Though he had seven wives, he longed for a carefree life, disliking prolonged intimacy with any of them.

Moreover, they were all exceptionally talented; if they settled down as farm wives, they would easily conform, becoming true village girls.

He preferred their individuality and naturally didn’t want them to turn into village girls, stuck at home gossiping all day.

Primarily, it would constrain his freedom.

Later, Lin Nuo encouraged them to find some work.

Not just any dull factory job mind you, but something suitable for them to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

Thus, with Lin Nuo’s encouragement, Su Kexin, Qin Shili, and Liu Shuqin set out to rejuvenate the Xuanyun Sect. After all, peace in the world relied on these esteemed sects. Moreover, they helped reinvigorate the failing sects around.

As for Zifeng Valley, they had advanced to learning about the immortality path; this was a significant step into the realm of cultivation.

But they wouldn’t delve too deeply into immortality, just enough Spirit Techniques for self-defense, as true cultivation required serious study in Zifeng Valley, and once they closed that door, Lin Nuo wouldn’t sleep with them any longer.

As for Ruo’er, she aimed to unify the demon clans, starting with the fox clan and gradually expanding to others.

Ling Meng took charge of the remnants of the Refining Demon Sect, realizing that with the rise of the immortal sects, monopolization could only lead to trouble; the Demon Sect mustn’t be eradicated but should not become overwhelmingly powerful either.

Meanwhile, Mu Yiting pursued her family’s wish to revitalize Helong Hall, establishing good relations with the Demon Sect.

Although Luo Xiaoxue gave up her throne, she became a regional queen, dictating terms for hundreds of miles around Ru Yu Village.

Lin Nuo’s wish wasn’t for world peace but rather that no new evil forces would disrupt his life while he was alive.

Thus, he sent his wives to become the rulers of this realm, ensuring that even if another Liang Zhao appeared, they wouldn’t cause a fuss.

Every day, they would venture out to handle their affairs and found joy in it. Except for the occasional nighttime return back to the luxurious villa at Ru Yu Village, they acted like dutiful wives, chatting with Xia Hanmo and sharing tales from the outside world with the villagers.

As for Lin Nuo, he was often nowhere to be seen, which perplexed them. He’d disappear during the day but reliably return home at night.

“Dear husband! I’ve settled the conflict between the wolf and tiger clans! When will you come to see my achievements~?”

“Master, the Refining Demon Sect is now operating smoothly, but as the king, you must make an appearance.”

“Dear husband, Helong Hall has also started functioning well, and I’ve absorbed some forces pretentiously powerful; please come by to guide us.”

“Ah, dear husband, when will you come to oversee my work? You left right when I became an empress, and now, while I’m a queen, I still have much to handle. The people are eager to meet you, their hero!”

…

All the wives wanted Lin Nuo to witness their achievements; it was the perfect chance for intimacy. Once he arrived, an enchanting evening under the moonlight would surely lead to sweet moments filled with deep conversations and tender love.

However, Lin Nuo would always wave them off, saying to pursue what they wished, and to avoid him, as he was averse to dealing with all that.

“Ah, don’t run away, dear husband!”

Before they could finish their chatter, Lin Nuo took off. He loved his freedom, and while having a wife and home was nice, the responsibilities weighed heavy—his personal freedom felt constrained.

If he could escape, he would.

Since he still desired a blissful and carefree life, he hadn’t planned on having children yet, but eventually, the reminders from Xia Hanmo would push him to consider it.

However, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; hearing a sweet “dad” wouldn’t be too shabby.

…

Lin Nuo wandered to the back mountain, reaching the place that once belonged to his grave. It had been left empty, yet he still erected a monument there with no words inscribed.

That was his past self. He frequently reminisced but never lingered too long—he looked ahead instead.

Reflecting on it, in his last life, he seemed to have been buried there too.

“If I truly didn’t return that day, how heartbroken would they be? Thankfully, it wasn’t all that terrible.”

He prepared wine and dishes, aiming to share a drink with himself.

Recalling the illusion from their wedding, he saw an old, familiar house—his lonely self, as they all bid farewell to him; it was all in the past.

“Here’s to you.”

He took a hearty gulp. Feeling it wasn’t enough, he drank a few more, then lay back on the grassy mound, staring up at the sky alone.

The sky was a brilliant blue today, and with the gentleness of the breeze, he felt utterly carefree at this moment, loving that feeling of lying down without a worry. He instantly envisioned his youthful self soaring under the blue sky, completely unrestrained.

Though he had regrets, he found peace; he was content with his current life. No killings, no darkness, no solitude. He had weathered the night and faced true dawn.

“Dear husband!”

“Master!”

After a while, the wives arrived, and Lin Nuo lay there still, gazing up at the azure sky.

“Dear husband, what are you doing? Are you in remembrance? That monument…”

They didn’t understand why a monument had suddenly appeared in that spot, or who was buried there.

“Do you think today’s sky is blue?”

“Ah? It’s blue, so what?”

They sat beside Lin Nuo, puzzled by his odd talk.

“I often find myself questioning if this is a dream; yet life feels like a grand dream. What does it even matter if dreams and reality are different?”

“Dear husband, what are you saying …?”

The brides found his words increasingly cryptic. What was up with him today?

“Treasure the moment; the past is of no concern. The villain has perished.”

Lin Nuo suddenly bent forward, toasting the monument with the last sip of wine before placing the cup at its base.

The actions left the brides confused, worried about Lin Nuo’s mental state and wondering if he was under pressure.

He turned to face his seven wives, revealing a gentle smile.

“Thank you for choosing me.”

“Dear husband, what’s wrong? You’re not usually like this.”

“Yeah, you never say stuff like this.”

“Are you under too much pressure? I won’t push you.”

“If anything’s bothering you, please share with us; we’re family. Don’t keep it all to yourself…”

…

In response to his wives’ concern, Lin Nuo shook his head, continuing to smile:

“I’m fine. Just feeling a bit sentimental all of a sudden.”

After saying that, he opened his arms:

“Thank you for encountering me; I love you all.”

The wives exchanged looks, each wearing an enormous question mark above their heads—could this truly be the Lin Nuo they knew?

People do change, perhaps he’s trying something new and romantic!

“I love you too, you are my favorite!”

They all declared in unison, rushing towards Lin Nuo…

…

And that was the end of the story.

…

The main text concludes here. Should there ever be tales of their future lives, I may write side stories, and the first one I plan to pen is Lin Nuo and Ruo’er’s pure love chapter. If you have ideas for side stories, feel free to share!

I’ll add a conclusion tomorrow.

Lastly, thank you for your continued support! See you in my next book!