Mu Zhou swung the broken greatsword in his hand and suddenly felt playful. He turned his head and said, "Talisa, I'll show you a magic trick!"

Talisa tilted her head in confusion, seemingly not understanding what a "magic trick" was.

Mu Zhou didn't explain much. He simply placed the greatsword steadily on the ground and rested his hands on it. "It's time to upgrade this old buddy."

At the same time, he activated [Alchemy].

A faint red light began to swirl around Mu Zhou's hands, and as the light flickered, the old greatsword began to disintegrate. It wasn't breaking, but rather entering a state similar to melting and decomposition. It turned into a black gel-like substance that floated in the air, constantly shedding gray remnants that fell to the ground.

Finally, when almost all of the gray remnants were separated, Mu Zhou spread his hands to the left and right. As he did so, the black substance stretched, became elongated, and gradually flattened and smoothed out until it solidified into a fixed form.

With a few strands of various colored lights blending into it, Mu Zhou waved his hand and a blade with a shimmering chill appeared in his hand.

It was a single-edged weapon, about one meter three centimeters long and two fingers wide. The blade was ink black while the edge was shiny and snow white. The entire weapon was straight with no curves except for a sharp slanted edge at the tip, somewhat resembling a Tang horizontal sword. Mu Zhou inspected it from left to right and nodded in satisfaction.

The skill he used to create this blade was called [Transmutation].

It was an ability to manipulate and change the form of matter. As long as one had the ability, they could change the form of any material, only limited to "matter" and its "form." It was impossible to transmute elements like wind or fire, but it could be done with earth. In simple terms, it could only change things that were visible and touchable.

"Knock... knock knock."

The sound of knocking awakened Talisa, who was dumbfoundedly watching everything. She quickly ran to open the door, revealing a neatly dressed young maid outside.

In her hands, she pushed a cart filled with clothes and said to Mu Zhou in the room, "We brought some clothes for you because we didn't measure your and your companion's sizes in detail. We brought as many options as possible for you to choose from."

As she spoke, she pushed the cart into the room and added, "We'll be outside the door. If you need anything, feel free to let us know. Also, the banquet is almost ready, and it will be held in the hall downstairs."

Then she closed the door.

Mu Zhou shook his head and said, "These two sisters, are they afraid I'll run away?" He then invited Talisa to choose clothes together. His tattered cloak really needed a replacement...

Somehow, Mu Zhou found many women's clothing that suited him among the clothes.

After trying different options, he chose one. Hmm... a cloak.

He didn't know if it was because he felt uncomfortable wearing the clothes of this otherworld or if he had developed a habit of wearing cloaks, but in the end, he chose another cloak.

However, this cloak was completely incomparable to his previous one. It was exquisitely crafted and beautifully made, and the size was just right. It was still all black, but the black appeared deep and profound. At the edges of the cloak, there were smooth, flowing patterns embroidered with golden silk thread. Four long hems hung below his body, and the large hood could cover his entire face, but it was designed in a way that wouldn't obstruct his vision.

Paired with his breathtaking looks, it exuded luxury and mystery.

Mu Zhou fastened the sword to his waist diagonally. With his current appearance, he went from a destitute wanderer to a behind-the-scenes boss figure, full of swagger.

At that moment, Talisa also came out from the dressing area. She had chosen a white princess dress that made her look incredibly adorable, making Mu Zhou's eyes shine.

However, he didn't notice that Talisa's eyes were already glittering with a radiant light...

Holding Talisa, with the admiring gazes of the maids behind them, Mu Zhou entered the downstairs hall where the Youlan sisters were already sitting at the long table, waiting.Upon seeing their arrival, the two sisters were visibly stunned for a moment. "This is... a bit unexpected," sighed Tianlu.

The maid stepped forward to pull out a chair for Muzhou and they all sat down. Tianlu noticed the weapon behind Muzhou and asked, "What is that?"

Muzhou scratched his head, realizing that it was not easy to explain the weapon now that he had acted on impulse earlier. He had to make something up on the spot.

"Well... um, this is actually... my companion came here earlier. I explained the situation to him and he agreed to help, and gave me this weapon as proof."

Muzhou himself felt that what he said was quite ridiculous, and it would be strange if anyone believed it!

However, the sisters, Yanlan, believed every word he said. In their concept, it was too simple for a powerful person to enter the estate without their notice.

And what they were more interested in was the fact that the powerful person Muzhou mentioned agreed to help.

"Really!? That's great! Where is he now? Please let us express our gratitude!" exclaimed Yanlan excitedly.

Muzhou looked at their excited expressions with a speechless expression, and continued to make up stories without changing his face.

"He's... He is a rather eccentric person, not fond of crowds. He has already left, but he entrusted the rest to me. He will appear to assist when necessary."

Yanlan nodded a little regretfully, "Oh, I see. Well then."

Tianlu continued, "By the way, we originally informed the other two protectors of The Domain about today, but now that we are on the brink of war, they are too busy. I will introduce you to them when there is a chance."

Speaking of which, Tianlu turned to the maid next to her as a sign to start serving the food and looked at Talisa, who had been sitting in Muzhou's lap like a delicate doll.

Although Talisa was petite, Muzhou himself also had a petite figure... So, although they may not realize it themselves, the image of Muzhou holding Talisa was indeed a bit discordant...

"Oh, she is Talisa, my daughter," Muzhou casually replied with a smile.

He felt that he said it without thinking, just a slip of the tongue and subconscious response.

There was an instant silence around them. Yanlan, the maids around, and Talisa herself all stared wide-eyed, with their mouths agape as if witnessing the end of the world.

"Bang!!!" Tianlu slammed her hands on the table and stood up.

"Who?! Which man did such a despicable thing to you?! ... Wait, no, which woman did such an outrageous thing to you?!"

"Bang!!!" Tianlu slammed her hands on the table and stood up.

"Mumu, don't worry! This matter cannot be simply overlooked! Damn it! It's so enviable!!"

[＃！]

Muzhou's smile froze on his face. He felt veins popping on his forehead.

"Bang!!!" Muzhou slammed his hands on the table and stood up.

"Adopted daughter! Adopted daughter! What on earth goes through your heads, you two problem-prone sisters?!"

[Tugging... Tugging...]

Muzhou felt someone tugging at his sleeve and looked to the side.

He saw Talisa, cautiously looking at him with her bright blue eyes.

"Um, Master Muzhou, should I start calling you Father, then?... Or... Dad?"

Muzhou's body trembled, and he slumped back into the chair as if all his strength had been drained from him, covering his face with his hands...