My Xianxia Harem Life

The two parties faced one another in silence, tension rippling faintly in the air like the aftershock of a distant thunderclap. Riley, however, remained perfectly composed.

He had no intention of making a scene, not here, not now. His gaze briefly landed on the man standing beside Diana—a man who looked like him, moved like him, and smiled like him.

But Riley knew the truth.

That man was just a clone.

A tool. A stand-in. A piece of himself—yet not truly him.

Whenever Riley was with Diana or his wives, he always ensured that it was his real body present.

He would transfer his body, his true self, before any act of intimacy. No matter how skilled or lifelike his clones were, he had a strict rule: only his original self could touch the women he loved.

It would be a grotesque kind of betrayal—of himself—if his own replicas ended up bedding his lovers. That would be no different than being cuckolded by his own shadow.

"Let's go," Riley said calmly, breaking the silence. His voice held no aggression, no drama—just quiet confidence.

His wives obeyed without question, falling into step behind him as they moved away from the scene. None of them sensed anything amiss.

To them, it was just another moment in a strange and wondrous realm. The vivid greenery of the secret realm shimmered in the background, its air filled with the faint hum of spiritual energy.

Birds with iridescent wings sang unfamiliar songs, and mystical beasts prowled in the distance—but Riley's group walked undisturbed, as if the entire world bent to their presence.

All except one.

Ruby lingered, her scarlet eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze flickering between Diana and the clone who stood silently beside her. Unlike the others, Ruby was no ordinary woman.

She had lived for millions of years, seen empires rise and fall, watched stars die and be born again. Her experience was vast, her perception peerless.

She noticed the difference at once—the subtle stiffness in the clone's aura, the faint shimmer of energy surrounding his form, the mechanical way his breath synced with Diana's as if imitating rather than feeling.

She knew the truth. The whole idea was a smokescreen, a deception crafted for some reason known only to him. And the man standing beside Diana? Definitely not the real Riley.

But Ruby said nothing. It wasn't her place to speak. She was his servant, yes—but she understood that some secrets were meant to remain buried unless he chose to reveal them.

Her trust in Riley ran deep, and so she kept her silence, turning away with the rest of the group. An orange cute ball was stuck on her hands as she dragged the cute creature tightly.

Behind them, the others began to scatter. The spectacle was over.

Yet some cultivators lingered, eyeing Riley's group with a mix of envy and greed. Opportunists. Scavengers.

They knew Riley had likely uncovered treasures within the secret realm—treasures they dared not confront him for directly. But perhaps… perhaps he would leave something behind.

Even scraps from someone like Riley could be worth more than fortunes to the average cultivator.

And so they followed, quietly, like vultures circling a lion.

Meanwhile, Diana and the clone remained where they stood, unmoving.

The clone watched the group disappear into the distance with an expression that mirrored Riley's usual calm, yet lacked the warmth of a soul behind it.

Diana said nothing either, though her eyes traced Riley's retreating back with a look that betrayed a thousand silent thoughts.

The wind picked up slightly, rustling the trees, carrying with it the scent of ancient flowers and distant rain. The realm felt still again.

But beneath the calm surface, ripples spread outward—subtle, silent, and inevitable.

"Riley Mason…" Diana murmured, her gaze lingering on the place where the mysterious figure had last stood. "He's a man with many secrets—and a powerful newcomer to this continent."

She stood in silence for a moment, her eyes scanning the distant horizon, as if hoping to catch another glimpse of him. This was her first time seeing Riley in person, even if only from afar.

And yet… something about him unsettled her. It wasn't fear exactly, nor awe—though both emotions stirred faintly beneath the surface. No, it was something else. A feeling of familiarity.

Like she had met him before, in another life or another dream. But no matter how hard she tried to grasp it, the thought slipped through her fingers like sand.

Ben followed her gaze with a skeptical frown. "I heard rumors that he killed several peak Void Tribulation realm powerhouses," he said, voice low. "Alone."

"He did," Diana replied without hesitation, her tone grim. "My people investigated. The reports were verified. There were dozens of witnesses—seasoned cultivators who saw everything. Entire valleys were reduced to rubble. Spiritual remnants still lingered in the air days after the battle. The kind of devastation he left behind… that can't be staged."

Ben exhaled slowly. "That's insane. At his age?"

"That's the thing," Diana said, eyes narrowing slightly. "No one knows his real age and the accounts that he's merely a man less than 100 years old is nothing but a lie. At least I don't believe it."

She turned away, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "He's not someone we can afford to underestimate. Not him."

Ben gave a slow nod but said nothing. The weight of Riley's reputation seemed to hang in the air between them, heavy and undeniable.

Diana fell silent for a few breaths, lost in thought. Her instincts were rarely wrong, and they were screaming at her now.

There was something more to Riley Mason—something dangerous, something ancient perhaps—but whatever it was, it remained veiled beneath the calm exterior he wore like a second skin.

Then, as if flicking a switch, she shook her head and smiled, casting off the heavy mood.

"Enough of that," she said, her voice brightening. "We've spent too much time talking about others. There are still parts of this secret realm we haven't explored yet."

She turned toward the dense forest ahead, where strange lights flickered between the trees and distant roars echoed from deep within the unknown.

"Come, Ben. It's time to hunt," she said, flashing him a grin.

Her excitement was contagious. The thrill of discovery pulsed through her veins. Hidden artifacts, ancient ruins, lost legacies—this realm was filled with opportunities waiting to be claimed.

Every corner could hold something that would make them stronger… or kill them outright. But that was the kind of risk she lived for.

Ben gave a soft chuckle and followed her, drawing his weapon as they stepped into the shadows of the forest.

Unseen from their view, another clone of Riley Mason still stood quietly atop a rocky outcrop, watching them disappear beneath the canopy.

Though he didn't move, there was a strange intensity in his gaze—as if he, too, was weighing possibilities and outcomes far beyond what anyone around him could see.

And somewhere, deep within the realm, the real Riley smiled.

"You play a deep game, Young Master," Ruby whispered, her voice barely audible beneath the soft crackle of the campfire.

They were far enough from the others—his wives were preoccupied preparing tonight's meal, laughing and chatting among themselves—giving Riley and Ruby a rare moment of privacy.

Riley chuckled lightly, the corners of his mouth lifting in that familiar, almost boyish grin. "What is life, if not a game meant for play and pleasure, Ruby? You should try enjoying it more."

Ruby smiled, a glint of amusement in her crimson eyes.

"I have my moments, Young Master," she replied, her voice warm yet composed. In truth, she did have her own hobbies and indulgences, though none as brazen or flamboyant as Riley's ever-growing harem.

Still, she could hardly judge. The young master had earned his freedom and lived life unapologetically.

"That's good to hear," Riley said with a satisfied nod. "And by the way, thank you for handling Fluffy earlier. That could've turned into a disaster."

Ruby let out a soft laugh at the memory. Their pet spirit beast, Fluffy, had very nearly exposed Riley's secret.

The little creature had been seconds away from shouting its trademark beeeeeeeeeee!—right in the direction of Riley's clone standing beside Diana.

Had Ruby not intervened in time, the clone's identity could have been compromised before half a dozen high-level cultivators.

"It was nothing, Young Master. Just doing my duty," Ruby replied, bowing her head respectfully.

"Still," Riley said, his tone more serious now, "you have my thanks. And just so you know—I'm not blind to your loyalty, Ruby."

She looked up, surprised by the sincerity in his voice.

"When we're done with this secret realm," Riley continued, "we'll head to the Upper Realm next. It's about time we dealt with that issue you left behind."

Ruby's eyes widened, her composed expression breaking for a moment. "This… I don't know what to say. Thank you, Young Master Riley!"

She bowed deeper, almost to the ground, overwhelmed. She hadn't expected this day to come so soon—hadn't dared to hope that he still remembered her unfinished business in the Upper Realm.

And yet here he was, not only remembering, but promising to help her see it through.

For a moment, Ruby felt something rare: warmth—not from the fire, but from knowing she served someone who didn't just use loyalty, but honored it.