The moment Yang Kai stepped into the great hall, he knew something was off.
Though the entire hall had been decorated as a bridal chamber, no fewer than fifteen fragrant couches were arranged inside, and upon each one sat a woman poised with perfect posture—wearing a phoenix crown and rosy veil, a red cloth draped over her head, her figure slender and graceful. Each was a bride waiting to be claimed.
The great hall's doors slammed shut with a deafening boom.
What kind of trick was this? Yang Kai was baffled, though he at least understood that the Myriad Demons Heaven hadn't neglected to test him—they had simply been waiting for him here.
Mocha Divine Lord's voice rang out from some unknown location. "Three chances. Pick the right one, and you take her away. Pick the wrong one, and heh heh…"
The "heh heh" was followed by silence. The implication was crystal clear—if he couldn't find her, he'd be staying.
Yang Kai let out a contemptuous laugh. "I don't need three chances. One will do!"
After all those years with Yu Rumeng, the two of them knew each other inside and out. He was confident he could identify her even with his eyes closed.
Mocha Divine Lord sneered. "Don't speak so soon. You might find yourself in an embarrassing situation!"
Yang Kai frowned and immediately began studying the fifteen veiled brides. From the outside, the group was virtually indistinguishable—they were identical in height and build, without a single visible difference!
He was somewhat surprised. Where on earth had the Myriad Demons Heaven found so many women to fill in?
He quickly set aside his earlier dismissiveness. Since the Myriad Demons Heaven had set this trap for him, they clearly weren't going to let him pass easily.
Gathering his focus, he extended his spiritual sense to probe them.
Unexpectedly, some unknown force shielded each of those women, and Yang Kai found he couldn't detect the depths of their cultivation at all.
They really had their guard up! He had originally figured that even if the Myriad Demons Heaven could round up a dozen or so women who roughly matched Yu Rumeng's appearance and height, there would surely be differences in cultivation. Yu Rumeng was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator—by distinguishing their cultivation bases, he should be able to eliminate most of the imposters.
But the moment he tried, he realized the Myriad Demons Heaven had anticipated that very approach.
He clenched his fist, gave a light cough, and cupped his fists in a salute. "Wife!"
A chorus of voices immediately rang out, one after another: "Husband!"
Yang Kai's jaw dropped. He was dumbfounded! Though the voices were slightly staggered, every single one sounded exactly like Yu Rumeng's—as though they were all her duplicates.
Moreover, his initial call had been intended to elicit a subtle hint from the real Yu Rumeng. Instead, she hadn't responded in the slightest.
Come to think of it, Yu Rumeng had been furious just recently, packing her bags and threatening to remarry someone else. Even though she had evidently agreed to go through with this marriage, her anger probably hadn't dissipated yet. Why would she willingly cooperate?
Perhaps this trial had even been Yu Rumeng's own idea.
Knowing her temperament, she was absolutely the type to pull something like this. Yang Kai suddenly felt a headache coming on.
After a moment of contemplation, he walked slowly to the nearest fragrant couch, crouched down to examine the woman closely, and flared his nostrils to catch her scent.
The woman before him giggled. "Husband, the others are all fakes. Don't you go picking the wrong one—if you do, I won't let you off."
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry. I definitely won't make a mistake!"
As he spoke, he moved to the second fragrant couch, continuing his observation and sniffing carefully.
It took him the better half of a cup of tea to finish examining every last one. Only then did he reveal a confident expression, smiling. "I think I know which one you are!"
Soft laughter rang out, and Yu Rumeng's voice drifted over. "If you know, then come and take me away."
Yang Kai nodded eagerly. "I'm taking you right now!"
The instant the words left his mouth, he lunged toward a fragrant couch near the center and grabbed the woman's arm. "You're the one!"
The woman stumbled forward and collapsed straight into Yang Kai's arms, letting out a string of tinkling giggles.
Yang Kai's face immediately darkened. He flipped the red veil aside, only to find a bright-eyed, pretty-toothed young girl giggling in his arms. She was no Yu Rumeng—just someone he didn't recognize at all.
"You—" Yang Kai gaped, hastily letting her go.
The girl beamed. "Aunt Rumeng was absolutely right—you really were trying to tell us apart by scent! That's why she left a bit of her fragrance on me."
The girl was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, equal in rank to Yu Rumeng, but since Yu Rumeng had since taken Mocha Divine Lord as her master, her standing in the Myriad Demons Heaven was far beyond ordinary. The girl had to address her as "Aunt."
The girl pressed close against Yang Kai and refused to retreat, her eyes sultry and inviting. "Aunt's husband, do you want to marry me? I'd be quite happy to oblige."
"Mind your manners—get off!" Yang Kai pushed her aside, stroked his chin, and stared at the fifteen or so Yu Rumengs before him, his head pounding.
After a long moment, he tried once more in earnest, imploring tones. "Rumeng, stop this. Come with me nicely."
Nobody paid him any attention.
But Yang Kai was undeterred. He launched into a heartfelt speech, recounting their days together back in the Demon Realm, every little moment he could remember. Pouring out his emotions, he spoke as though those had been the most beautiful days of his life.
On one of the fifteen fragrant couches, a figure shifted ever so slightly.
Yang Kai instantly darted over, chuckling. "Is it you, Rumeng?"
The woman before him didn't answer. Instead, Mocha Divine Lord's voice rang out once more. "Kid, you've only got one chance left. You'd better make it count!"