Chapter 106 - Integration
(MC POV)
The light faded away and I found myself standing at where I had blocked the teleportation beam for my sister.
Before, there was a crowd of people gathered around here doing god knows what. But now it was empty except for a small group of people standing under a tree.
My fears of them meeting came true when I saw my disciples and sisters standing there.
What surprised me the most was the fact that they seem to be discussing something quite seriously.
Cai Hong was the first to notice me, as usual.
"Papa! Papa!" my loli dragon cheered, rushing towards me with tears in her eyes.
I braced myself for the impact, catching her just as she reached me.
"Papa! Please no leave Cai Hong again! Cai Hong scared!"
I patted her head, "Sorry Cai Hong… Papa just wants to protect everyone."
"Master… This one humbly begs you not to put your honorable self in any more danger…" Eris pleaded, grasping my arm.
"O… Onii-sama… Is your Master?"
"Eh? Are you saying… Master is your brother?"
I looked up to see Lian Li and Elaria staring at each other with a bewildered expression.
I sighed, it seems I couldn't prevent them from meeting each other. Honestly, it was a rather impossible task to begin with considering we would live in the same house anyway.
I raised a hand to get their attention, "Yeah… Sorry for the late introduction. Never really got a chance to get all of you to meet."
I gestured to my disciples, waving my hand to each one as I called out their names, "These are my disciples, Lian Li, Manami, Eris and Diao Chan. Cai Hong here is my adopted daughter."
Turning towards my sisters, I did the same for them, "These are my sisters. Odriana is my elder sister and Elaria is my younger sister."
They looked at one another, then looked at me, before turning back to look at each other again.
Lian Li spoke first, "Is Master your…"
Elaria nodded, "Yes. I would assume Onii-sama is also your…"
"Indeed."
There was a slight pause.
"Well met."
"Likewise."
My sister and Lian Li shook hands.
It kind of feels like some kind of understanding got passed between them? Must be a girl thing I suppose.
"Master, what happened to you?" Manami asked, concern clear on her face.
I shrugged, "That guy was using a transference Technique and since Elaria here won't be able to come back if she got hit by it, I took it in her stead."
"Onii-sama… Protected me…" Elaria gushed.
Why are you blushing?
Odriana pulled me into her embrace, stroking my head with a hand while she cried, "Ahhh… My poor little brother! I'm sorry this big sister can't help you back then! Please rely more on this big sister in the future!"
I tried to struggle out of her grasp but someone pulled me away from her without any prompting.
My face was buried into two mounds of soft flesh while nine fluffy tails curled around me protectively.
"Ara, ara? Master can rely on me as well~ This big sister will also take care of Master~"
Diao Chan stepped beside me, whispering softly, "Ummm… Because I failed to protect Master as well… Could Master punish me later?"
My little sister raised an eyebrow, "Onii-sama? Are they really just your disciples?"
Sensing a slight disturbance in the force, I quickly tried to change the topic, "Oh yeah, I haven't eaten yet, what about you guys?"
The collective sound of seven stomachs growling simultaneously was quite the spectacle to behold to say the least.
Ah… But the mansion's kitchen is destroyed isn't it? We'll have to dine out I suppose.
(Lian Li POV)
Master's little sister took us out into town for a meal at a restaurant she recommended.
To think this god of 'An Ney May' was also our Master…
I am thoroughly embarrassed.
I could tell that the little sister thought the same too with how she had been averting her eyes from me.
After that stupid fox got splattered by whatever it was, we saw a beam of light descend to the ground a distance away before ascending again.
When Manami teleported us there, we found Elaria and Odriana staring at an empty spot on the ground listlessly.
I tried to approach Elaria to seek answers but she just lashed out at us, screaming at everyone to go away while she roared out her frustrations.
It took awhile for us to figure out the beam of light had supposedly taken away someone important to them.
That was when Cai Hong showed up while poking her fingers together, telling us that Master told her to slingshot him here but he had disappeared.
We feared that Master may have gotten himself embroiled together with their important person so we had begun discussing on how to get both of them back.
We knew from them that it was Elaria's brother who disappeared while they already knew it was our Master who we thought was sent together with the brother.
But Master had returned to us on his own and we were surprised to find out that we had been searching for the same person.
It wasn't hard to figure out that Master was both of our person of worship from there.
The dinner itself was nice and warm, as was the norm when Master is around.
Halfway through the meal, Master had excused himself to visit the washroom.
As though a switch had been flipped, Elaria and Odriana turned to us while we did the same.
Elaria was first to speak, "I am thoroughly ashamed of what I had said back at the Adventurer's Guild. I should have realised that Onii-sama is the only one capable of such generosity. For that, I apologize."
She bowed her head to us.
I mirrored her actions, "I offer my sincerest apologies as well. I had not suspected that another group of people had already seen Master's greatness. I take back all that I have said that time."
Odriana clapped her hands together, "Well, isn't it great that this misunderstanding is solved without bloodshed and complications?"
"Ufufufu~ indeed," Manami giggled. "I can't imagine the pain Master would go through if he finds out we have been fighting over him unknowingly."
"But still… You mentioned that Master lost his divinity?" Eris asked.
Elaria nodded, "Master had insights to another world of wonder that he sought to bring to this wretched world of ours. He had taught me all that he knew and even showed me a glimpse of it. Unfortunately, some meddlesome people came and disrupted us, which led to his amnesia and loss of divinity."
I bristled, "And those meddlesome people?"
She waved her hand, "Already long dead and buried, there's no use getting angry at them anymore."
All of us nodded in understanding.
"What about the regaining memory thing that you had mentioned? I remember you said something about Master regaining his memories after more people believed in him?" Diao Chan asked.
That seemed to trigger her as she suddenly stood up, her fist raised in the air.
"Yes! Just before Onii-sama had lost his memories, I heard a very clear voice in my head! 'Spread it, and I will remember'! It is definitely a call for help from Onii-sama! I will spread his An Ney May teachings to every corner of this world!"
I grimaced, "This…'An Ney May' of yours… Wouldn't involve dressing all weird and talking nonsensical stuff right?"
Odriana chuckled, "Fufufu~ It seems you have yet to know the true beauty of An Ney May. Should we spend some time introducing you girls to it? A lot of girls like the books we've been publishing~"
Cai Hong looked at her, "Umm… If Papa remembers… Will Papa change?"
"Hmmm? Of course! Onii-sama was way more glorious than he is now! He is the epitome of An Ney May that we have yet to reach! Only by returning him to his past self will we get to understand this world of An Ney May even better!"
Cai Hong pouted, "Cai Hong no want Papa to change…"
I nodded, "Master is already perfect now, why not just celebrate him as he is now instead of trying to return him to what he was?"
Elaria swung her arm in an arc dramatically, "You can say that, but you never saw how inspiring Onii-sama was and how magnificent the worlds I witnessed were!"
Eris tilted her head, "Master… Already magnificent..."
Odriana tapped her cheek with a finger, "That we cannot disagree with. My darling brother is always magnificent… But the past him was even more so."
Manami raised an eyebrow, "Ara? You've barely interacted with the current Master and yet you think so? Maybe the current Master is better?"
Elaria sneered, "The same goes for you as well, none of you know how Onii-sama was like in the past."
Cai Hong puffed her cheeks, "Papa is Papa… Papa does not need to change!"
"Little girl, what do you know--"
"Yeah, Master is already perfect I tell ya! So you can just stop--"
"That won't be possible, my dearest younger brother--"
"Ara ara? Is that what Master really thinks? Maybe--
"I wonder when Master will punish me--"
It seems like there is still something we cannot agree on even when we worship the same God.
I raised my hand before the discussion became more heated, "May I offer a suggestion then? I agree that we do not know how Master is like in the past but you do. Perhaps if you spent more time with Master you would be able to discern whether Master truly is better in the past or Master has become even more perfect after shedding his past self?"
Everyone stopped their bickering.
"Mmm… Master is only visiting here temporarily after all. We should be leaving after some time," Manami stated.
"Ah?! Onii-sama is not staying here permanently?!"
I shook my head, "Master is a Master Practitioner at Heaven Sect after all and he has already expressed his intent to return there after his body returns to its adult form."
Elaria bit on her thumb, "This… This can't be… Are we destined to separate no matter what?"
Odriana turned to me, "For us to spend more time with my dearest brother… Are you suggesting?"
I nodded, "Accompany us too, I'm sure Master would not mind if he treasures you two as you claim him to."
Elaria pumped her fists in the air, "Yosh! Sugoi! To accompany Onii-sama on his journey! I can't wait! Tanoshimi!"
Master entered the room at that exact moment, "Huh… Well at least you girls are getting along well."