**Chapter 12: Steward Su, The Madam Calls for You** - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

**Author: Iced Winter** **Chapter 12: Steward Su, The Madam Calls for You** Without a moment's hesitation, Su Mo chose the third option from the three presented before him. All he desired was to swiftly conclude the simulation. The prospect of dying didn’t even factor into his concerns. *[You chose to annihilate the millennia-old tree spirit. Upon hearing Dou Qianli narrate the tale, you were filled with righteous indignation, an inexplicable fury rising within. Your heart wished to flay and dismember that tree spirit!]* *[You spoke immediately.]* "This tree spirit truly harms people beyond measure. If left unchecked, will it not drain away the longevity of every citizen in Qinglin County?" *[Having spoken thus, you took Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing to the famous brothel.]* *[Witnessing this scene, Dou Qianli felt an immediate sense of doom.]* “Well then, it seems I won’t get to enjoy that decade-old glutinous rice…” *[He hadn’t imagined you’d act so fiercely, regretting ever providing you with the information.]* *[In the end, he could only pack up and flee.]* *[Meanwhile, as Dou Qianli was making his escape, you, along with Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing, arrived at the brothel. Some of the local officials, seeing you, jested and teased, with even a few constables sharing tips on whose skin was the best, who had the biggest assets, and who had the most attractive figure.]* *[Ignoring the banter, you invoked the lion's roar technique of the Buddhist sect right there.]* “Everyone, get out!” *[It was your first time unleashing the Lion's Roar with full force, causing everyone in the building and on the street to hear your voice. Some of the more timid or guilty-minded fainted on the spot.]* *[Several female spirits within the brothel were scared to the point of vanishing into thin air, deprived of any chance of rebirth by your roar.]* *[Once everyone had left the brothel, you relaxed, ensuring no innocents would be harmed later.]* *[At that very moment, several demons emerged, intent on devouring you.]* *[Xiao Qing introduced them one by one.]* *[They were all minor demons and spirits such as heartbroken ghosts, starving phantoms, skeletal infants, and mourning paper creatures.]* *[You showed no mercy to these demons, vanquishing them all with a recitation of a Buddhist mantra.]* *[After slaying these demons, the millennia-old tree spirit finally revealed itself.]* *[You saw the largest tree of your life, its crown blocking out the sky, nearly covering half of Qinglin County.]* *[The millennia-old tree spirit harbored extreme hatred toward you. You ruined its plan, leaving it no chance to evade the upcoming Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.]* *[You, Bai Suzhen, and Xiao Qing then embarked on the most grueling battle of your lives.]* Su Mo watched intensely. With spells and special effects flying across the screen and a sense of 100% realism, it was akin to watching a blockbuster! Before this, it was either love adventures or journeys toward love adventures. Experiencing such a visual feast now certainly satisfied a thrill that Su Mo had been craving. Just in this simulation, it seemed he was coughing up quite a lot of blood… … *[You were defeated, the strength of the millennium tree spirit far beyond your imagination. You, Bai Suzhen, and Xiao Qing lay gravely injured.]* *[Upon discovering you were the reincarnation of an Arhat, the tree spirit suddenly became jubilant.]* *[For if it swallowed your Arhat Golden Body, it could survive the impending celestial tribulation. In its eyes, fate had blessed its cause.]* *[Recognizing the spirit’s intention, you immediately chose to extract your Arhat Golden Body, infusing it into Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing, using your skills to send them miles away.]* *[As you parted, you left Bai Suzhen with but one line: “If there is an afterlife…”]* *[You forever remembered Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing's sorrowful and despairing eyes.]* *[You died.]* *[Your body was consumed by the millennia-old tree demon.]* *[After your demise, Fahai arrived too late, devastated at the sight of your remains, using a golden bowl to seal the tree spirit.]* *[Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing, grievously wounded and regressed in cultivation, changed back into white and green snakes to restart their training.]* *[With the blessing of your Arhat Golden Body, they progressed swiftly, their return to human form a matter of time.]* *[Bai Suzhen’s devotion to you remained unwavering, secretly vowing to avenge you!]* *[…]* *[The system begins evaluation.]* *[Your life was one of both righteousness and wrong, marked by many erroneous choices that led an otherwise perfectly meritorious life to ruin.]* *[You poisoned Fahai’s meals in jest, shattering his Buddhist heart.]* *[You plotted to kill all the monks of Jinshan Temple, your mind filled with malicious intent, causing your Arhat Golden Body nearly to abandon you.]* *[Yet, your grasp of Buddhist teaching reached mastery, and you slayed demons, aiding many people in Hangzhou.]* *[You resisted the lure to fall into a demonic path, remaining true to yourself.]* *[You stripped Qing of her purity, defiling those outside the bonds of destiny, adding to your karmic debts, which drew the attention of the almighty Zhu Jiuyin.]* *[You took advantage of circumstances, robbing Bai Suzhen of her chastity, thus prematurely activating your destined bond.]* *[You guided Xu Xian into monkhood, finding him the best possible fate.]* *[Together with Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing, you experienced the most depraved years.]* *[Your romantic escapades were enviable to even the Buddha.]* *[Evaluation: A life of indulgence and delight unto death!]* Observing the final evaluation, Su Mo remained impassive. After all, it wasn't truly his indulgence unto death. If only he could delight unto death, then this life would have been worth it. It was just that Zhu Jiuyin now noticing him left him pondering, unsure of exactly what Zhu Jiuyin represented, unable to align it with the notion of a god-like creator. He then rose from bed. With a simple stretch, Su Mo took a deep breath. His body and spirit showed no sign of fatigue from a sleepless night; instead, he felt invigorated. Su Mo was immensely pleased with the 'Destined Life' feature. Not needing sleep. It effectively granted him double the lifespan. After a quick wash, he opened the door to find the biting winter chill penetrating his abode. Unbeknownst to him, the world outside had been blanketed in a layer of snow. Furrowing his brow, Su Mo realized a heavy snowfall had occurred overnight, so engrossed was he that he failed to notice. For a household servant, snow was hardly good news. Just shoveling the snow would be a day’s work. Tightening the short jacket around himself, Su Mo braved the cold as he made his way to the kitchen. The kitchen chimney was already releasing puffs of white mist. The helpers adeptly fed kindling into the hearth, savoring the warmth from the stove. Master Ma was busy cleaning crabs. Seeing Master Ma at work, Su Mo stepped forward to remind him. “Master Ma, Chun Zhu mentioned yesterday that the Second Miss's crab roe soup dumplings needed to be delivered to her room before she wakes up to pray for blessings and joy.” Master Ma nodded in acknowledgment. “Rest assured, there’s plenty of time.” After instructing a few more things, Su Mo checked today’s ingredients. Having learned from yesterday’s mishap, Xiao Wang, who was responsible for purchasing, hadn’t left the vicinity of the supplies even for a moment. Upon noticing Su Mo's arrival, Xiao Wang quickly approached with a whisper, producing a packet of pastries from his coat. “Steward Su, these are fresh mung bean cakes from Bai Gu Tang. Thank you for yesterday.” “I told my uncle, and he gave me quite a dressing down. If not for you, I might have lost this job.” Su Mo accepted without refusal, tucking the pastries into his jacket. “It’s nothing. Just be more mindful in the future, let’s start counting.” “Alright!” Once the inventory was complete, Su Mo sat aside, ready to enjoy some tea and pastries when the kitchen door creaked open. Chun Zhu entered, clad in a thick, floral jacket, a veil of cold mist about her, her round cheeks rosy from the chill. Upon seeing Su Mo, Chun Zhu hurried over. “Steward Su, the Madam calls for you!” (End of chapter)