Chapter 708
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 708
Love is magical.
There is a power to love, an imperceptible, immeasurable, ineffable quality which mere words cannot express, but the power is undeniably there. I feel it now, flowing through me with a warmth that has nothing to do with the heat of Milas body pressed against mine or the burning flames keeping our tiny bronze bathtub comfortably hot. With her in my arms, I feel like I can Cloud-Step a thousand miles and run ten-thousand more without breaking sweat, a task I would do a hundred-thousand times over just to keep her by my side. Love is renewing and refreshing, an invigorating nectar that cleanses my mind, energizes my body, and nourishes my soul in ways which can only be described as enlivening, giving me more of everything I need to forge ahead. A moments rest against her freckled shoulder is better than a full nights sleep, and a taste of her pouty lips more delicious than a full-course, five-star meal, and having her here and now trapped within my embrace reminds me of how Ive been sleepless and starved for far too long.
My lust and hunger is a stark warning of loves darker side, for it can be addicting, demanding, selfish, and controlling when we let love take control. Love is work, love is sacrifice, love is forbearance, but above all, love is necessary, because without love, life has no meaning. This is why we do awful, horrible things when love is lost or taken away, for while love brings out the best humanity has to offer, it can also give rise to the worst. I and many others would go to great lengths to reclaim what has been lost, or mete out justice when recovery proves impossible. Love is beautiful, but it can turn ugly all too easily, whether it be a love denied, lost, or unrequited, love is a power which can be abused or misused like any other. Thus we must strike a careful Balance with love, as we must in all other things.
Its said it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, but Im not entirely convinced. What would I do if my love was lost? How would I live without Mila in my life? Without Yan, Lin-Lin, Li-Li, or even Luo-Luo? Without my parents, my sister, my niece and nephew, my brother-in-law, my best friend, my rival, or my floofs? Not well, that much I can say, and I would do anything to get them back. I would kill, rend, and torture to recover the people I love, accept any allies or powers which might be of assistance, even if in the end it costs me more than I lost, because without love, there is no reasoning.
All of which means I must cherish the love I have while I still have it, and though the body is bruised and weak, the mind and spirit are more than willing. My roaming hands make their way slowly across Milas bare skin, touching, stroking, and exploring whatever they come across, her body a temple I wholeheartedly intend to worship before, but her steely grip clamps down on my wrists before matters progress too far as she chuckles softly in my embrace. You, she begins, punctuating the word with a soft kiss on my nape as she draws my arms around her while keeping my hands safely away, Are insatiable. Releasing my arms and wholly expecting me to keep them still, she sits up, covers up her bared breasts, and shoots me a coquettish glance, sending mixed signals as she wiggles her hips whilst still seated in my lap to get a better angle to face me. Left to you, we might never emerge from this bath ever again, not until someone comes looking and finds us in all our shame.
Nothing shameful about a man and his beloved wife having an afternoon bath. Wincing as I sit up to reestablish our embrace, I kiss her deeply in quiet thanks for sparing my wounded pride. Even my refined physique turned into a Spiritual Heart isnt enough to wholly dampen the effects of Milas enthusiastic response to my amorous affections, but at least I didnt break or dislocate anything this time around, proving I am at least durable enough to eschew the need for reinforced restraints every time we want to get frisky.
Though I wouldnt mind bringing those out every now and then, just for a bit of extra fun...
A thought which re-ignites my smouldering passions and sets my hands to roaming once more, but while Milas lips doth protest, her actions do not match her words as she submits to desire, both hers and mine. My strong and domineering wife turns meek and compliant once the clothes are off, a stark contrast which sets my blood to boiling, and after so many weeks and months of separation, we both seem determined to make up for lost time as quickly as possible.
And once we are breathless and spent, we sink back into the bath and bask in the afterglow, our lips pressed lightly together as neither one of us wants to break off. What did I ever do to deserve someone as amazing as Mila? I have no idea, but I will spend a lifetime making up for this immense karmic debt. I love you, I gasp, drunk on her taste, and her smile tells me everything I need to know in return.
I love you too, she replies, leaning back to meet my gaze as she rests her head on my shoulder, savouring my touch as much as I relish hers. There we sit until my body recovers and I feel my passions mounting once again, only seconds before Mila feels my passion too. Laughing with her eyes while pursing her lips, she playfully presses her fist into my face and says, Any more and my legs will give out and youll have to carry me around for the rest of day, assuming your battered body holds out. Though reluctant to end things here, my dutiful wife slips out of my grasp and exits the tub at last, a mock scowl etched across her beautiful face as she sits on a stool and sets to soaping up once again. Besides, what will people say if you return from a leave of absence just to shirk your duties and spend time with your insignificant wife, indulging in lust and passion?
Again with this argument, as if the outer provinces cant function without me. Insignificant wife? Never. Leaning over to take her hand, she slaps my fingers away, so I settle for resting a hand on her knee, the bathroom too small for her to escape from my reach. And nothing will ever be more important than my wives. A statement which elicits a tiny wince, one which fades as soon as it appears, but not before I catch it in plain view. I had to be honest and say wives rather than you, and it pains me to see her hurt by the admission. Though Mila loves Yan and Lin-Lin like sisters, Im sure she would love to have me all to herself, because who in their right mind wants to share their beloved husband with another woman, much less two to four others? I am a horrible, lustful man, and unrepentant to boot, because even though I know it hurts Mila to have to share me, I still intend to chase after other women. My beloved deserves better, but I cannot bear to abandon my love for Lin-Lin, Li-Li, or even the possibility of love with Luo-Luo, nor can I bear the thought of setting Mila free to find someone else who will love her and her alone.
You are an idiot. Splashing me with the bathwater to drive her statement home, Mila leans over for a quick kiss as she fills her basin to rinse off with. Your thoughts flit about from one mood to the next like an indecisive bee in a field of flowers. I cant imagine how exhausting it must be keeping up with all those conflicting emotions. Another reminder that I need to get my Aura in check, but most of the sting of her harsh statement is mitigated by the sight of water running down her naked body, and I forget how to breathe for the next few seconds. Noticing my distraction earns me another splash, but she makes no move to hide or turn away as she rinses off a second time. Then a third, which is when I finally realize shes teasing me, but my efforts to entice her into another round fall woefully short. Wash up and get dressed, she says, slipping just out of reach to towel off in a provocative fashion, knowing full well what shes doing is driving me mad and enjoying every second of it. Weve been in here long enough for people to talk, and Ill not be the one to explain it.
That being said, she makes no move to leave after throwing on her bathrobe and simply stands there waiting and watching, her smirk out in full force as she intends to ogle as good as she got. Honestly, when it comes to leering, Mila is almost as bad as Yan now, though thankfully not as vocal about her appreciation in public, and I feel my cheeks heat up as I try to feign nonchalance and recline back in the bath to hide my shame. I dont have much to do, really, I explain, still wanting to spend more time in her arms rather than go out and face dreadful reality. I mean, Luo-Luo, Liu Xuande, the Marshals, and the Colonel Generals are all working on a plan, so until they have something concrete for me to go over, theres no point showing up. Ill just slow things down with my stupid questions while they struggle to give face, so its best to stay away until they have all their ducks in a row.
Have you given any thought to laying down to rest? Your injuries are not few. Gently running her fingers alongside my stitched wounds and fresh bruises, the question is there in Milas eyes but she doesnt want to press me for too much, wondering why I dont just Heal my injuries like I always do, but worried it touches upon some secret I cannot share, whether be because telling her might affect her Dao or because I myself am not sure and the doubt would be my undoing.
This is nothing, I tell her, as her eyes linger on some fresh bruises resulting from her passionate embrace. Ive had much worse, so dont you worry, beloved. Gesturing at the injuries, I switch to Sending for the sake of privacy, even though I already have a Sound Barrier in place. The reason Im not Healing myself is because its simply not worth it.
Its clear from her expression that my beloved Mila doesnt believe me, given the extent of my injuries. The vast catalogue begins with the bruise on my cheek, courtesy of Gerels teachings, and includes a whole host of scrapes, cuts, and bruises which arent worth mentioning, many of which are courtesy of my enthusiastic beloved wife. I also have a pulled shoulder and sprained ankle courtesy of the opening exchange with Gongsun Qi, as well as hairline fractures along both forearms from the subsequent trades. My back hurts from carrying Lin-Lin and Ping Ping the entire way back from the monastery, and Ive got a tiny bit of internal bleeding along my left abdomen, where I bruised a few ribs while fighting Half-Demonic Warriors. All in all, fairly insignificant injuries considering I went toe-to-toe with a Colonel General in the prime of health, and all easily Healed if not for the minor, thus far insignificant fact that I refined my entire body into a Spiritual Heart.
Earlier when I first tried to Heal the Abbot, he told me, Damage done during a battle between Divinities is not limited to mere flesh and bone. Suffice it to say, my injuries go beyond the physical, and even your unique Healing method is not enough to save me. I thought he meant Divinities had access to some powerful, non-physical attacks, but the truth is a little more complicated than that. In order to mend the divide between my body, mind, and soul, I refined my body into a Spiritual Heart by melding the physical and the metaphysical together as one. I am a human made of blood, bones, organs, and tissue, but I am also more than just what you would see if you cut me open and looked around. I have a Core to store my Chi and a circulatory system to distribute it throughout my physique, and while I lack the ability to quantify those metaphysical systems, I merged them with my physical being with help from the Energy of the Heavens.
Essentially I am the Core, and the Core is me. Thus, any damage to me, in turn will damage my Core, which as Ive long since established is either a part of or made up of my Soul. All of this means that every scrape, bruise, fracture, or puncture will also damage my Core and my Soul, the ramifications of which I have yet to wholly explore or understand, because I only just figured it out last night and havent had a chance to speak with any Divinities. Taddy and Monk Bones have been busy Healing Imperial soldiers all night, while the Abbot has yet to wake from his coma and recuperating in the monastery, though he should be back on his feet soon enough. I thought about looking for Guard Leader to bounce my questions off of, but given her... err, aversion to critical thinking, I figured asking her for guidance would be barking up the wrong tree. All I really know is that even though I am stronger and tougher than before, Im far from invulnerable or impervious to attacks. A dagger will still cut me and a mace still concuss me, though it takes a little more effort to do so than before. The downside is that it now takes an inordinate amount of Chi to Heal my wounds through Panacea, and I dont even know where to begin Healing using traditional methods, because my body is more than just the physical now. While I lack any ability to accurately measure my expenditure, it feels like Im using anywhere from five to fifty times the Chi depending on the severity of the injury when Healing with Panacea, which I suppose gives me a general idea of how much more complex my body has become. Even though I have the ability to Devour Chi and have access to as much as I need, refining my body into a Spiritual Heart has not made me immune to the side effects of using too much Chi either, hence my throbbing migraine and minor bout with insomnia, as well as my decision to leave my injuries to Heal on their own, albeit at an accelerated rate compared to your average Martial Warrior.
Sharing all of this with Mila in as much detail as I dare, I hold back on any practical details as I would hate for her to try and replicate my success with what might well be flawed or incomplete information. I have no idea how I succeeded in refining a Spiritual Heart, and I suspect I would have failed if I didnt have access to usable Heavenly Energy, which I no longer have. Im not even sure if Human Divinities or Ancestral Beasts even have Spiritual Hearts, but I assume they do and it has something to do with Shattering the Void. All this means I need to rethink my approach to close combat, I Send, pursing my lips with a sigh as I reluctantly exit the hot water and come face to face with the searing hot blaze hidden behind Milas expressive and appreciative eyes. Which sucks, considering how Gerel just proved how outmatched I am against a readied opponent. Give flesh and break bone was like, my whole shtick, so now I gotta come up with something new, fresh, and exciting.
Idiot. Rolling her eyes at my statement, Mila sits me down on the stool and proceeds to lather my back, a service I would enjoy much more if she would remove her robes again. Just learn to fight properly and avoid injuries like everyone else. Is that so difficult?
Well... yes. Making the most of this rare indulgence, I bask in my beloved wifes ministrations while Sending my thoughts as they come to me. Killing unsuspecting foes in the chaos of battle is one thing, but going toe to toe with a Peak Expert is an entirely different kettle of fish, and its clear Im sorely lacking in both foundation and experience. Being a prime target means Ill be facing stronger and stronger opponents, which becomes problematic if I cant protect myself, especially now that I need Pong Pong to keep tabs on Rakshasa and cant count on his Turtley intervention to save my ass. Sure, I survived a clash with Gongsun Qi, but our exchange lasted for less than a full second before your mother arrived to save me, which means I still have a long way to go before I can call myself a Peak Expert.
While Pong Pong has made it clear that all floofs are friends, if Rakky takes a bite out of Georgie, Im not sure Im even allowed to be mad. At some point, you just gotta chalk it up to Darwinism and accept that sweet, stupid George was not meant for this cruel, merciless world.
Planting myself between the bears, I settle in to comfort my pets while wondering how to fix the epidemic of doom and gloom plaguing the Citadel. I genuinely do not understand the mentality of the average Martial Warrior. We won a stunning victory yesterday, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to some quick thinking from Akanai to send the Peak Experts ahead alongside the Tyrants Runic Cannons. However, because there was no epic final fight to culminate the long-fought siege, the soldiers of Central feel like theyve been robbed of their victory and allowed a golden opportunity to slip through their fingers. Never mind the fact that even though the bulk of the Enemy army got away, the Runic Cannons still caused significant casualties during the retreat, or how chasing after them with a tired army of soldiers and an overabundance of Peak Experts would have resulted in too many casualties within both groups. No, those facts are unimportant, because G.I Joe didnt get to stab his fleeing foes in the back, and that makes him sad.
At least, thats what the Colonel Generals told me, and I have no idea where to go from here, which is why I left it for them to decide our next steps. Whether it be a banquet, speech, parade or whatnot, Ill do whatever is necessary to raise morale, even though I feel like theyre all pouting over nothing.
The downside of being so good at delegating my work is that there are times when I have nothing to contribute, hence why I sought out Mila for lunch and company. Everyone else is either busy with work or catching up on some much needed rest, which I probably should do as well considering the fact that my throbbing migraine has yet to subside. Add to this the fact that I feel restless and unable to sleep, and its clear Im suffering from a mild case of Chi over-consumption. Overuse? Overexertion? Whatever. Side effects can include depression, psychosis, and development of multiple personalities, so I decided to take this seriously. Alas, theres no real cure except time and rest, meaning I cant use Chi for anything unless its an emergency, or you know... indulging my beloved wife. It sucks, especially considering theres so much I want to test and try out, especially after seeing and hearing about so many different Peak Experts and how they fought. I even broke the rules a little to spar with Gerel and throw up a Sound Barrier for fun times with Mila, though I refrained from doing anything too overt and flashy besides my inadvertent Aural leakage. Now that theres no one to keep me company and Ive been left to my own devices however, I have no idea what to do with all my free time.
Pet some rabbits and make friends with a tiger I suppose. Not the worst use of my time, but certainly not the best.
One thing Id like to test out is if using too much Heavenly Energy has the same side-effects as using too much Chi, as that would be a great workaround to my limits. Oddly enough however, the Central Citadel is completely and utterly devoid of any and all free-floating Spectres, leaving me with no way to replenish my drained reserves of usable Heavenly Energy. The dearth of angry ghosties is odd considering the staggering number of casualties sustained during four days of nonstop battle, which leads me to believe Zhen Shi has taken steps to limit my abilities as much as possible. As soon as I arrived, he withdrew every last Demon from the battlefront, even carrying away their corpses for no reason except to deny me access to Ichor, so I suppose he summoned the Spectres away in the same manner. The half-Demon Warriors stayed to fight, but during my first exchange with those amalgamated foes, I discovered I could not absorb the Demonic Ichor even after killing the human host. Why? No idea, though my best guess would be that it has something to do with the fact that the hosts are still technically human. With Demons, the Spectres are wholly in control while the host is relegated to prisoner and bystander, leaving me to believe the Ichor is a physical manifestation of the Spectres metaphysical existence, the same way my Spiritual Heart is a combination of my physical and metaphysical existence. With half-Demonic Warriors however, their Ichor might somehow be integrated with the hosts physical and metaphysical being as well, and thus protected by the inviolability of their still whole-and-human souls, protection which remains in place even after death.
A lot of this is just guesswork, because I still dont know enough about souls to do anything more, but it feels right, and Ive learned to trust my gut. Besides, while it would be nice to know why I cant Devour Ichor from half-Demonic Warriors so I can maybe devise a workaround to those limitations, its not the most pressing issue I have at hand. No, the important thing is that I can no longer afford to sit back and give Zhen Shi the initiative, because as time goes on, his forces only continue to grow in strength. He revealed thousands of half-Demonic Warriors during the siege of the Central Citadel, and who knows how many more he has tucked away, not to mention how more Demons, Defiled, and Chosen are being turned with every passing day. Given enough time, he could muster three armies equal to the one we just defeated, and if he were to send them all at different targets, the outer provinces would stand no chance against them. Right now however, we have a golden opportunity to strike back using our Runic Cannons before our foe can rally more troops and devise countermeasures to deal with these new weapons of war, and I would be a fool to let this chance slip by.
With nothing better to do, I bring the floofs out to see the Citadel and show my face to the crowd, offering condolences and commiserations which mean little to those in mourning. The Ryo and Ishin families are particularly torn up, both having lost their influential patriarchs in the last twenty four hours, and I can tell my sympathies fall on empty ears as their political woes come home to rest. This is all more Luo-Luos wheelhouse, but I try to do what I can and publicly offer my support to anyone and everyone who might need it, including Ryo Dain and Ishin Ken-Shibu who are now the respective heads of their families and wholly out of their depth.
Poor Ken-Shibu is not only mourning the loss of his father, but his younger brother as well, both dying in valiant defence of the Empire and already forgotten by the vast majority while the powers that be pick away at the still-living body of the Ishin family, opportunistic vultures one and all.
The outer provinces will be long in mending from their wounds taken in war, but the sooner we put an end to the threat, the sooner we can start rebuilding. Hence my rush to take the fight to the Enemy, but not with a mere million soldiers as I implied earlier. No, those million soldiers will merely make up my vanguard, the heroes who will spearhead our invasion Western Province and establish a foothold deep within Enemy territory, but there are a number of pressing issues we have to deal with first, one of which is general morale. The mood is dark and dour, but given the lack of Spectres, I can only chalk it up to a difference of outlook, because I have no idea how to explain the general mood of hopelessness and despair following our unexpected and frankly spectacular victory against the Enemy.
As the hours wear on and the gloomy atmosphere persists, I develop a sneaking suspicion that all is not well in the Central Citadel. Ive seen more than my fair share of grief and bereavement, but this is on a whole other level, even to someone as self-deprecating as myself. Odd to think that the entire Citadel could be in such a foul mood, with few people talking about our victory and everyone focused on our imminent defeat, and were it not for the obvious lack of Spectres, I would think this Zhen Shis work. In fact, even without them, Im almost ready to blame our foe for this sorry state of affairs. Im not sure if hes actually responsible or how he might be doing it, but I can almost smell his foul influence in the air, a subtle wrongness hiding behind the acrid smoke and scent of charred flesh. Its possible Zhen Shi has unleashed yet another weapon against us, one I cannot even identify, but soon I am convinced there is some foul magic at work when I notice Rakkys hackles and Aural defences are still up no matter where we go in the Citadel. A quick query to Pong Pong further proves my theory, as he shares with me an Aura of uneasy discomfort, one that comes across as swimming through an inky, impenetrable sludge that tastes of death and decay.
The little guy is getting really good at sharing his thoughts through Aura, though it still takes a bit of artistic liberty to understand.
As soon as I bring my suspicions to Monk Happy, his brow furrows in palpable uncertainty. Not the reassurance I was hoping to get, but he merely says he will look into it and leaves to do just that. With dinner time fast approaching, I head home with a belly full of worry and back bent with unseen burdens, wondering if I should rethink my plans to take the fight to our foe. Maybe it would be better to stick to tried and true tactics, to gather my strength and wait for the Enemy to come fight on our terms where we hold the advantage. Am I in too much of a rush? What if our offensive fails? Then the outer provinces will be doomed and I will be forever known as the man who lost an Empire. Is that how I want to be remembered? A legacy of folly and defeat? Falling Rain, the man who led the Azure Empire to their ultimate defeat, that is how the history books will remember me.
...
I cant tell if these are my own doubts, or ones whispered into my ears by Zhen Shi, but as I return home to find Yan and Lin-Lin waiting to greet me, my worries melt away in their warm embrace, for the moment at least. I made my choice, but if the plans put forth by the Colonel Generals are not up to snuff, then theres no harm in rethinking my position. No man is an island, so Ill rely on my allies and take things one step at a time, advice Mila would no doubt share with me if she were here at my side. Glancing at the bathroom as if I could see through those walls, I idly wonder how my beloved wife is faring only to notice a powerful convergence of Chi gathering within those closed walls. Still deep in the throes of Insight, Mila channels the Energy of the Heavens on a scale unlike anything shes ever managed before, and the entire family stops to watch as her presence is made known to their senses. Not one of the five major senses, but to our Spiritual Sense, an intangible impression that emanates from our very souls, one that warns me and everyone else to take shelter mere microseconds before the roof of my borrowed bathroom explodes in a burst of splinters and shards.
A beam of concentrated light shoots up into the heavens themselves, illuminating the dark clouds hanging overhead and piercing through to reveal a small patch of clear skies. Disappearing in the blink of an eye, the radiating pillar leaves behind an afterimage of light, one that is seared into my retinas for the next few seconds as I rush over to check on Mila. Unable to move too quickly due to my inability to see clearly, I arrive long after the Peak Experts and arrive to find my wife staring up at the destruction she has wrought while her parents escort her out of the now unsafe structure, her mouth opened wide in bewildered amazement as if she were not the one who destroyed it.
What happened? Are you alright?
At the sound of my voice, Milas gaze snaps onto me, her wide eyes filled with excited confusion. How did you do that? she whispers, stroking the edge of her shield as she tries to put her thoughts into words. We were sitting there talking, and then you fell silent, but I could... see your thoughts almost, perceive what you perceived, and then... Idly gesturing at the roof, she rapidly blinks as she finally comes out of her fugue state and sags into her fathers arms, drained and exhausted like Ive never seen her before, leaving me to ponder the implications of what she just said.
Did I really share my thoughts with her and teach her how to fire a laser? How? Can I use this to my advantage?
...I sense many migraines and sleepless nights ahead, because I simply cannot wait to test this out.
Chapter Meme
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 708
Love is magical.
There is a power to love, an imperceptible, immeasurable, ineffable quality which mere words cannot express, but the power is undeniably there. I feel it now, flowing through me with a warmth that has nothing to do with the heat of Milas body pressed against mine or the burning flames keeping our tiny bronze bathtub comfortably hot. With her in my arms, I feel like I can Cloud-Step a thousand miles and run ten-thousand more without breaking sweat, a task I would do a hundred-thousand times over just to keep her by my side. Love is renewing and refreshing, an invigorating nectar that cleanses my mind, energizes my body, and nourishes my soul in ways which can only be described as enlivening, giving me more of everything I need to forge ahead. A moments rest against her freckled shoulder is better than a full nights sleep, and a taste of her pouty lips more delicious than a full-course, five-star meal, and having her here and now trapped within my embrace reminds me of how Ive been sleepless and starved for far too long.
My lust and hunger is a stark warning of loves darker side, for it can be addicting, demanding, selfish, and controlling when we let love take control. Love is work, love is sacrifice, love is forbearance, but above all, love is necessary, because without love, life has no meaning. This is why we do awful, horrible things when love is lost or taken away, for while love brings out the best humanity has to offer, it can also give rise to the worst. I and many others would go to great lengths to reclaim what has been lost, or mete out justice when recovery proves impossible. Love is beautiful, but it can turn ugly all too easily, whether it be a love denied, lost, or unrequited, love is a power which can be abused or misused like any other. Thus we must strike a careful Balance with love, as we must in all other things.
Its said it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, but Im not entirely convinced. What would I do if my love was lost? How would I live without Mila in my life? Without Yan, Lin-Lin, Li-Li, or even Luo-Luo? Without my parents, my sister, my niece and nephew, my brother-in-law, my best friend, my rival, or my floofs? Not well, that much I can say, and I would do anything to get them back. I would kill, rend, and torture to recover the people I love, accept any allies or powers which might be of assistance, even if in the end it costs me more than I lost, because without love, there is no reasoning.
All of which means I must cherish the love I have while I still have it, and though the body is bruised and weak, the mind and spirit are more than willing. My roaming hands make their way slowly across Milas bare skin, touching, stroking, and exploring whatever they come across, her body a temple I wholeheartedly intend to worship before, but her steely grip clamps down on my wrists before matters progress too far as she chuckles softly in my embrace. You, she begins, punctuating the word with a soft kiss on my nape as she draws my arms around her while keeping my hands safely away, Are insatiable. Releasing my arms and wholly expecting me to keep them still, she sits up, covers up her bared breasts, and shoots me a coquettish glance, sending mixed signals as she wiggles her hips whilst still seated in my lap to get a better angle to face me. Left to you, we might never emerge from this bath ever again, not until someone comes looking and finds us in all our shame.
Nothing shameful about a man and his beloved wife having an afternoon bath. Wincing as I sit up to reestablish our embrace, I kiss her deeply in quiet thanks for sparing my wounded pride. Even my refined physique turned into a Spiritual Heart isnt enough to wholly dampen the effects of Milas enthusiastic response to my amorous affections, but at least I didnt break or dislocate anything this time around, proving I am at least durable enough to eschew the need for reinforced restraints every time we want to get frisky.
Though I wouldnt mind bringing those out every now and then, just for a bit of extra fun...
A thought which re-ignites my smouldering passions and sets my hands to roaming once more, but while Milas lips doth protest, her actions do not match her words as she submits to desire, both hers and mine. My strong and domineering wife turns meek and compliant once the clothes are off, a stark contrast which sets my blood to boiling, and after so many weeks and months of separation, we both seem determined to make up for lost time as quickly as possible.
And once we are breathless and spent, we sink back into the bath and bask in the afterglow, our lips pressed lightly together as neither one of us wants to break off. What did I ever do to deserve someone as amazing as Mila? I have no idea, but I will spend a lifetime making up for this immense karmic debt. I love you, I gasp, drunk on her taste, and her smile tells me everything I need to know in return.
I love you too, she replies, leaning back to meet my gaze as she rests her head on my shoulder, savouring my touch as much as I relish hers. There we sit until my body recovers and I feel my passions mounting once again, only seconds before Mila feels my passion too. Laughing with her eyes while pursing her lips, she playfully presses her fist into my face and says, Any more and my legs will give out and youll have to carry me around for the rest of day, assuming your battered body holds out. Though reluctant to end things here, my dutiful wife slips out of my grasp and exits the tub at last, a mock scowl etched across her beautiful face as she sits on a stool and sets to soaping up once again. Besides, what will people say if you return from a leave of absence just to shirk your duties and spend time with your insignificant wife, indulging in lust and passion?
Again with this argument, as if the outer provinces cant function without me. Insignificant wife? Never. Leaning over to take her hand, she slaps my fingers away, so I settle for resting a hand on her knee, the bathroom too small for her to escape from my reach. And nothing will ever be more important than my wives. A statement which elicits a tiny wince, one which fades as soon as it appears, but not before I catch it in plain view. I had to be honest and say wives rather than you, and it pains me to see her hurt by the admission. Though Mila loves Yan and Lin-Lin like sisters, Im sure she would love to have me all to herself, because who in their right mind wants to share their beloved husband with another woman, much less two to four others? I am a horrible, lustful man, and unrepentant to boot, because even though I know it hurts Mila to have to share me, I still intend to chase after other women. My beloved deserves better, but I cannot bear to abandon my love for Lin-Lin, Li-Li, or even the possibility of love with Luo-Luo, nor can I bear the thought of setting Mila free to find someone else who will love her and her alone.
You are an idiot. Splashing me with the bathwater to drive her statement home, Mila leans over for a quick kiss as she fills her basin to rinse off with. Your thoughts flit about from one mood to the next like an indecisive bee in a field of flowers. I cant imagine how exhausting it must be keeping up with all those conflicting emotions. Another reminder that I need to get my Aura in check, but most of the sting of her harsh statement is mitigated by the sight of water running down her naked body, and I forget how to breathe for the next few seconds. Noticing my distraction earns me another splash, but she makes no move to hide or turn away as she rinses off a second time. Then a third, which is when I finally realize shes teasing me, but my efforts to entice her into another round fall woefully short. Wash up and get dressed, she says, slipping just out of reach to towel off in a provocative fashion, knowing full well what shes doing is driving me mad and enjoying every second of it. Weve been in here long enough for people to talk, and Ill not be the one to explain it.
That being said, she makes no move to leave after throwing on her bathrobe and simply stands there waiting and watching, her smirk out in full force as she intends to ogle as good as she got. Honestly, when it comes to leering, Mila is almost as bad as Yan now, though thankfully not as vocal about her appreciation in public, and I feel my cheeks heat up as I try to feign nonchalance and recline back in the bath to hide my shame. I dont have much to do, really, I explain, still wanting to spend more time in her arms rather than go out and face dreadful reality. I mean, Luo-Luo, Liu Xuande, the Marshals, and the Colonel Generals are all working on a plan, so until they have something concrete for me to go over, theres no point showing up. Ill just slow things down with my stupid questions while they struggle to give face, so its best to stay away until they have all their ducks in a row.
Have you given any thought to laying down to rest? Your injuries are not few. Gently running her fingers alongside my stitched wounds and fresh bruises, the question is there in Milas eyes but she doesnt want to press me for too much, wondering why I dont just Heal my injuries like I always do, but worried it touches upon some secret I cannot share, whether be because telling her might affect her Dao or because I myself am not sure and the doubt would be my undoing.
This is nothing, I tell her, as her eyes linger on some fresh bruises resulting from her passionate embrace. Ive had much worse, so dont you worry, beloved. Gesturing at the injuries, I switch to Sending for the sake of privacy, even though I already have a Sound Barrier in place. The reason Im not Healing myself is because its simply not worth it.
Its clear from her expression that my beloved Mila doesnt believe me, given the extent of my injuries. The vast catalogue begins with the bruise on my cheek, courtesy of Gerels teachings, and includes a whole host of scrapes, cuts, and bruises which arent worth mentioning, many of which are courtesy of my enthusiastic beloved wife. I also have a pulled shoulder and sprained ankle courtesy of the opening exchange with Gongsun Qi, as well as hairline fractures along both forearms from the subsequent trades. My back hurts from carrying Lin-Lin and Ping Ping the entire way back from the monastery, and Ive got a tiny bit of internal bleeding along my left abdomen, where I bruised a few ribs while fighting Half-Demonic Warriors. All in all, fairly insignificant injuries considering I went toe-to-toe with a Colonel General in the prime of health, and all easily Healed if not for the minor, thus far insignificant fact that I refined my entire body into a Spiritual Heart.
Earlier when I first tried to Heal the Abbot, he told me, Damage done during a battle between Divinities is not limited to mere flesh and bone. Suffice it to say, my injuries go beyond the physical, and even your unique Healing method is not enough to save me. I thought he meant Divinities had access to some powerful, non-physical attacks, but the truth is a little more complicated than that. In order to mend the divide between my body, mind, and soul, I refined my body into a Spiritual Heart by melding the physical and the metaphysical together as one. I am a human made of blood, bones, organs, and tissue, but I am also more than just what you would see if you cut me open and looked around. I have a Core to store my Chi and a circulatory system to distribute it throughout my physique, and while I lack the ability to quantify those metaphysical systems, I merged them with my physical being with help from the Energy of the Heavens.
Essentially I am the Core, and the Core is me. Thus, any damage to me, in turn will damage my Core, which as Ive long since established is either a part of or made up of my Soul. All of this means that every scrape, bruise, fracture, or puncture will also damage my Core and my Soul, the ramifications of which I have yet to wholly explore or understand, because I only just figured it out last night and havent had a chance to speak with any Divinities. Taddy and Monk Bones have been busy Healing Imperial soldiers all night, while the Abbot has yet to wake from his coma and recuperating in the monastery, though he should be back on his feet soon enough. I thought about looking for Guard Leader to bounce my questions off of, but given her... err, aversion to critical thinking, I figured asking her for guidance would be barking up the wrong tree. All I really know is that even though I am stronger and tougher than before, Im far from invulnerable or impervious to attacks. A dagger will still cut me and a mace still concuss me, though it takes a little more effort to do so than before. The downside is that it now takes an inordinate amount of Chi to Heal my wounds through Panacea, and I dont even know where to begin Healing using traditional methods, because my body is more than just the physical now. While I lack any ability to accurately measure my expenditure, it feels like Im using anywhere from five to fifty times the Chi depending on the severity of the injury when Healing with Panacea, which I suppose gives me a general idea of how much more complex my body has become. Even though I have the ability to Devour Chi and have access to as much as I need, refining my body into a Spiritual Heart has not made me immune to the side effects of using too much Chi either, hence my throbbing migraine and minor bout with insomnia, as well as my decision to leave my injuries to Heal on their own, albeit at an accelerated rate compared to your average Martial Warrior.
Sharing all of this with Mila in as much detail as I dare, I hold back on any practical details as I would hate for her to try and replicate my success with what might well be flawed or incomplete information. I have no idea how I succeeded in refining a Spiritual Heart, and I suspect I would have failed if I didnt have access to usable Heavenly Energy, which I no longer have. Im not even sure if Human Divinities or Ancestral Beasts even have Spiritual Hearts, but I assume they do and it has something to do with Shattering the Void. All this means I need to rethink my approach to close combat, I Send, pursing my lips with a sigh as I reluctantly exit the hot water and come face to face with the searing hot blaze hidden behind Milas expressive and appreciative eyes. Which sucks, considering how Gerel just proved how outmatched I am against a readied opponent. Give flesh and break bone was like, my whole shtick, so now I gotta come up with something new, fresh, and exciting.
Idiot. Rolling her eyes at my statement, Mila sits me down on the stool and proceeds to lather my back, a service I would enjoy much more if she would remove her robes again. Just learn to fight properly and avoid injuries like everyone else. Is that so difficult?
Well... yes. Making the most of this rare indulgence, I bask in my beloved wifes ministrations while Sending my thoughts as they come to me. Killing unsuspecting foes in the chaos of battle is one thing, but going toe to toe with a Peak Expert is an entirely different kettle of fish, and its clear Im sorely lacking in both foundation and experience. Being a prime target means Ill be facing stronger and stronger opponents, which becomes problematic if I cant protect myself, especially now that I need Pong Pong to keep tabs on Rakshasa and cant count on his Turtley intervention to save my ass. Sure, I survived a clash with Gongsun Qi, but our exchange lasted for less than a full second before your mother arrived to save me, which means I still have a long way to go before I can call myself a Peak Expert.
While Pong Pong has made it clear that all floofs are friends, if Rakky takes a bite out of Georgie, Im not sure Im even allowed to be mad. At some point, you just gotta chalk it up to Darwinism and accept that sweet, stupid George was not meant for this cruel, merciless world.
Planting myself between the bears, I settle in to comfort my pets while wondering how to fix the epidemic of doom and gloom plaguing the Citadel. I genuinely do not understand the mentality of the average Martial Warrior. We won a stunning victory yesterday, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to some quick thinking from Akanai to send the Peak Experts ahead alongside the Tyrants Runic Cannons. However, because there was no epic final fight to culminate the long-fought siege, the soldiers of Central feel like theyve been robbed of their victory and allowed a golden opportunity to slip through their fingers. Never mind the fact that even though the bulk of the Enemy army got away, the Runic Cannons still caused significant casualties during the retreat, or how chasing after them with a tired army of soldiers and an overabundance of Peak Experts would have resulted in too many casualties within both groups. No, those facts are unimportant, because G.I Joe didnt get to stab his fleeing foes in the back, and that makes him sad.
At least, thats what the Colonel Generals told me, and I have no idea where to go from here, which is why I left it for them to decide our next steps. Whether it be a banquet, speech, parade or whatnot, Ill do whatever is necessary to raise morale, even though I feel like theyre all pouting over nothing.
The downside of being so good at delegating my work is that there are times when I have nothing to contribute, hence why I sought out Mila for lunch and company. Everyone else is either busy with work or catching up on some much needed rest, which I probably should do as well considering the fact that my throbbing migraine has yet to subside. Add to this the fact that I feel restless and unable to sleep, and its clear Im suffering from a mild case of Chi over-consumption. Overuse? Overexertion? Whatever. Side effects can include depression, psychosis, and development of multiple personalities, so I decided to take this seriously. Alas, theres no real cure except time and rest, meaning I cant use Chi for anything unless its an emergency, or you know... indulging my beloved wife. It sucks, especially considering theres so much I want to test and try out, especially after seeing and hearing about so many different Peak Experts and how they fought. I even broke the rules a little to spar with Gerel and throw up a Sound Barrier for fun times with Mila, though I refrained from doing anything too overt and flashy besides my inadvertent Aural leakage. Now that theres no one to keep me company and Ive been left to my own devices however, I have no idea what to do with all my free time.
Pet some rabbits and make friends with a tiger I suppose. Not the worst use of my time, but certainly not the best.
One thing Id like to test out is if using too much Heavenly Energy has the same side-effects as using too much Chi, as that would be a great workaround to my limits. Oddly enough however, the Central Citadel is completely and utterly devoid of any and all free-floating Spectres, leaving me with no way to replenish my drained reserves of usable Heavenly Energy. The dearth of angry ghosties is odd considering the staggering number of casualties sustained during four days of nonstop battle, which leads me to believe Zhen Shi has taken steps to limit my abilities as much as possible. As soon as I arrived, he withdrew every last Demon from the battlefront, even carrying away their corpses for no reason except to deny me access to Ichor, so I suppose he summoned the Spectres away in the same manner. The half-Demon Warriors stayed to fight, but during my first exchange with those amalgamated foes, I discovered I could not absorb the Demonic Ichor even after killing the human host. Why? No idea, though my best guess would be that it has something to do with the fact that the hosts are still technically human. With Demons, the Spectres are wholly in control while the host is relegated to prisoner and bystander, leaving me to believe the Ichor is a physical manifestation of the Spectres metaphysical existence, the same way my Spiritual Heart is a combination of my physical and metaphysical existence. With half-Demonic Warriors however, their Ichor might somehow be integrated with the hosts physical and metaphysical being as well, and thus protected by the inviolability of their still whole-and-human souls, protection which remains in place even after death.
A lot of this is just guesswork, because I still dont know enough about souls to do anything more, but it feels right, and Ive learned to trust my gut. Besides, while it would be nice to know why I cant Devour Ichor from half-Demonic Warriors so I can maybe devise a workaround to those limitations, its not the most pressing issue I have at hand. No, the important thing is that I can no longer afford to sit back and give Zhen Shi the initiative, because as time goes on, his forces only continue to grow in strength. He revealed thousands of half-Demonic Warriors during the siege of the Central Citadel, and who knows how many more he has tucked away, not to mention how more Demons, Defiled, and Chosen are being turned with every passing day. Given enough time, he could muster three armies equal to the one we just defeated, and if he were to send them all at different targets, the outer provinces would stand no chance against them. Right now however, we have a golden opportunity to strike back using our Runic Cannons before our foe can rally more troops and devise countermeasures to deal with these new weapons of war, and I would be a fool to let this chance slip by.
With nothing better to do, I bring the floofs out to see the Citadel and show my face to the crowd, offering condolences and commiserations which mean little to those in mourning. The Ryo and Ishin families are particularly torn up, both having lost their influential patriarchs in the last twenty four hours, and I can tell my sympathies fall on empty ears as their political woes come home to rest. This is all more Luo-Luos wheelhouse, but I try to do what I can and publicly offer my support to anyone and everyone who might need it, including Ryo Dain and Ishin Ken-Shibu who are now the respective heads of their families and wholly out of their depth.
Poor Ken-Shibu is not only mourning the loss of his father, but his younger brother as well, both dying in valiant defence of the Empire and already forgotten by the vast majority while the powers that be pick away at the still-living body of the Ishin family, opportunistic vultures one and all.
The outer provinces will be long in mending from their wounds taken in war, but the sooner we put an end to the threat, the sooner we can start rebuilding. Hence my rush to take the fight to the Enemy, but not with a mere million soldiers as I implied earlier. No, those million soldiers will merely make up my vanguard, the heroes who will spearhead our invasion Western Province and establish a foothold deep within Enemy territory, but there are a number of pressing issues we have to deal with first, one of which is general morale. The mood is dark and dour, but given the lack of Spectres, I can only chalk it up to a difference of outlook, because I have no idea how to explain the general mood of hopelessness and despair following our unexpected and frankly spectacular victory against the Enemy.
As the hours wear on and the gloomy atmosphere persists, I develop a sneaking suspicion that all is not well in the Central Citadel. Ive seen more than my fair share of grief and bereavement, but this is on a whole other level, even to someone as self-deprecating as myself. Odd to think that the entire Citadel could be in such a foul mood, with few people talking about our victory and everyone focused on our imminent defeat, and were it not for the obvious lack of Spectres, I would think this Zhen Shis work. In fact, even without them, Im almost ready to blame our foe for this sorry state of affairs. Im not sure if hes actually responsible or how he might be doing it, but I can almost smell his foul influence in the air, a subtle wrongness hiding behind the acrid smoke and scent of charred flesh. Its possible Zhen Shi has unleashed yet another weapon against us, one I cannot even identify, but soon I am convinced there is some foul magic at work when I notice Rakkys hackles and Aural defences are still up no matter where we go in the Citadel. A quick query to Pong Pong further proves my theory, as he shares with me an Aura of uneasy discomfort, one that comes across as swimming through an inky, impenetrable sludge that tastes of death and decay.
The little guy is getting really good at sharing his thoughts through Aura, though it still takes a bit of artistic liberty to understand.
As soon as I bring my suspicions to Monk Happy, his brow furrows in palpable uncertainty. Not the reassurance I was hoping to get, but he merely says he will look into it and leaves to do just that. With dinner time fast approaching, I head home with a belly full of worry and back bent with unseen burdens, wondering if I should rethink my plans to take the fight to our foe. Maybe it would be better to stick to tried and true tactics, to gather my strength and wait for the Enemy to come fight on our terms where we hold the advantage. Am I in too much of a rush? What if our offensive fails? Then the outer provinces will be doomed and I will be forever known as the man who lost an Empire. Is that how I want to be remembered? A legacy of folly and defeat? Falling Rain, the man who led the Azure Empire to their ultimate defeat, that is how the history books will remember me.
...
I cant tell if these are my own doubts, or ones whispered into my ears by Zhen Shi, but as I return home to find Yan and Lin-Lin waiting to greet me, my worries melt away in their warm embrace, for the moment at least. I made my choice, but if the plans put forth by the Colonel Generals are not up to snuff, then theres no harm in rethinking my position. No man is an island, so Ill rely on my allies and take things one step at a time, advice Mila would no doubt share with me if she were here at my side. Glancing at the bathroom as if I could see through those walls, I idly wonder how my beloved wife is faring only to notice a powerful convergence of Chi gathering within those closed walls. Still deep in the throes of Insight, Mila channels the Energy of the Heavens on a scale unlike anything shes ever managed before, and the entire family stops to watch as her presence is made known to their senses. Not one of the five major senses, but to our Spiritual Sense, an intangible impression that emanates from our very souls, one that warns me and everyone else to take shelter mere microseconds before the roof of my borrowed bathroom explodes in a burst of splinters and shards.
A beam of concentrated light shoots up into the heavens themselves, illuminating the dark clouds hanging overhead and piercing through to reveal a small patch of clear skies. Disappearing in the blink of an eye, the radiating pillar leaves behind an afterimage of light, one that is seared into my retinas for the next few seconds as I rush over to check on Mila. Unable to move too quickly due to my inability to see clearly, I arrive long after the Peak Experts and arrive to find my wife staring up at the destruction she has wrought while her parents escort her out of the now unsafe structure, her mouth opened wide in bewildered amazement as if she were not the one who destroyed it.
What happened? Are you alright?
At the sound of my voice, Milas gaze snaps onto me, her wide eyes filled with excited confusion. How did you do that? she whispers, stroking the edge of her shield as she tries to put her thoughts into words. We were sitting there talking, and then you fell silent, but I could... see your thoughts almost, perceive what you perceived, and then... Idly gesturing at the roof, she rapidly blinks as she finally comes out of her fugue state and sags into her fathers arms, drained and exhausted like Ive never seen her before, leaving me to ponder the implications of what she just said.
Did I really share my thoughts with her and teach her how to fire a laser? How? Can I use this to my advantage?
...I sense many migraines and sleepless nights ahead, because I simply cannot wait to test this out.
Chapter Meme
Chapter 708Love is magical.There is a power to love, an imperceptible, immeasurable, ineffable quality which mere words cannot express, but the power is undeniably there. I feel it now, flowing through me with a warmth that has nothing to do with the heat of Milas body pressed against mine or the burning flames keeping our tiny bronze bathtub comfortably hot. With her in my arms, I feel like I can Cloud-Step a thousand miles and run ten-thousand more without breaking sweat, a task I would do a hundred-thousand times over just to keep her by my side. Love is renewing and refreshing, an invigorating nectar that cleanses my mind, energizes my body, and nourishes my soul in ways which can only be described as enlivening, giving me more of everything I need to forge ahead. A moments rest against her freckled shoulder is better than a full nights sleep, and a taste of her pouty lips more delicious than a full-course, five-star meal, and having her here and now trapped within my embrace reminds me of how Ive been sleepless and starved for far too long.My lust and hunger is a stark warning of loves darker side, for it can be addicting, demanding, selfish, and controlling when we let love take control. Love is work, love is sacrifice, love is forbearance, but above all, love is necessary, because without love, life has no meaning. This is why we do awful, horrible things when love is lost or taken away, for while love brings out the best humanity has to offer, it can also give rise to the worst. I and many others would go to great lengths to reclaim what has been lost, or mete out justice when recovery proves impossible. Love is beautiful, but it can turn ugly all too easily, whether it be a love denied, lost, or unrequited, love is a power which can be abused or misused like any other. Thus we must strike a careful Balance with love, as we must in all other things.Its said it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, but Im not entirely convinced. What would I do if my love was lost? How would I live without Mila in my life? Without Yan, Lin-Lin, Li-Li, or even Luo-Luo? Without my parents, my sister, my niece and nephew, my brother-in-law, my best friend, my rival, or my floofs? Not well, that much I can say, and I would do anything to get them back. I would kill, rend, and torture to recover the people I love, accept any allies or powers which might be of assistance, even if in the end it costs me more than I lost, because without love, there is no reasoning.All of which means I must cherish the love I have while I still have it, and though the body is bruised and weak, the mind and spirit are more than willing. My roaming hands make their way slowly across Milas bare skin, touching, stroking, and exploring whatever they come across, her body a temple I wholeheartedly intend to worship before, but her steely grip clamps down on my wrists before matters progress too far as she chuckles softly in my embrace. You, she begins, punctuating the word with a soft kiss on my nape as she draws my arms around her while keeping my hands safely away, Are insatiable. Releasing my arms and wholly expecting me to keep them still, she sits up, covers up her bared breasts, and shoots me a coquettish glance, sending mixed signals as she wiggles her hips whilst still seated in my lap to get a better angle to face me. Left to you, we might never emerge from this bath ever again, not until someone comes looking and finds us in all our shame.Nothing shameful about a man and his beloved wife having an afternoon bath. Wincing as I sit up to reestablish our embrace, I kiss her deeply in quiet thanks for sparing my wounded pride. Even my refined physique turned into a Spiritual Heart isnt enough to wholly dampen the effects of Milas enthusiastic response to my amorous affections, but at least I didnt break or dislocate anything this time around, proving I am at least durable enough to eschew the need for reinforced restraints every time we want to get frisky.Though I wouldnt mind bringing those out every now and then, just for a bit of extra fun...A thought which re-ignites my smouldering passions and sets my hands to roaming once more, but while Milas lips doth protest, her actions do not match her words as she submits to desire, both hers and mine. My strong and domineering wife turns meek and compliant once the clothes are off, a stark contrast which sets my blood to boiling, and after so many weeks and months of separation, we both seem determined to make up for lost time as quickly as possible.And once we are breathless and spent, we sink back into the bath and bask in the afterglow, our lips pressed lightly together as neither one of us wants to break off. What did I ever do to deserve someone as amazing as Mila? I have no idea, but I will spend a lifetime making up for this immense karmic debt. I love you, I gasp, drunk on her taste, and her smile tells me everything I need to know in return.I love you too, she replies, leaning back to meet my gaze as she rests her head on my shoulder, savouring my touch as much as I relish hers. There we sit until my body recovers and I feel my passions mounting once again, only seconds before Mila feels my passion too. Laughing with her eyes while pursing her lips, she playfully presses her fist into my face and says, Any more and my legs will give out and youll have to carry me around for the rest of day, assuming your battered body holds out. Though reluctant to end things here, my dutiful wife slips out of my grasp and exits the tub at last, a mock scowl etched across her beautiful face as she sits on a stool and sets to soaping up once again. Besides, what will people say if you return from a leave of absence just to shirk your duties and spend time with your insignificant wife, indulging in lust and passion?Again with this argument, as if the outer provinces cant function without me. Insignificant wife? Never. Leaning over to take her hand, she slaps my fingers away, so I settle for resting a hand on her knee, the bathroom too small for her to escape from my reach. And nothing will ever be more important than my wives. A statement which elicits a tiny wince, one which fades as soon as it appears, but not before I catch it in plain view. I had to be honest and say wives rather than you, and it pains me to see her hurt by the admission. Though Mila loves Yan and Lin-Lin like sisters, Im sure she would love to have me all to herself, because who in their right mind wants to share their beloved husband with another woman, much less two to four others? I am a horrible, lustful man, and unrepentant to boot, because even though I know it hurts Mila to have to share me, I still intend to chase after other women. My beloved deserves better, but I cannot bear to abandon my love for Lin-Lin, Li-Li, or even the possibility of love with Luo-Luo, nor can I bear the thought of setting Mila free to find someone else who will love her and her alone.You are an idiot. Splashing me with the bathwater to drive her statement home, Mila leans over for a quick kiss as she fills her basin to rinse off with. Your thoughts flit about from one mood to the next like an indecisive bee in a field of flowers. I cant imagine how exhausting it must be keeping up with all those conflicting emotions. Another reminder that I need to get my Aura in check, but most of the sting of her harsh statement is mitigated by the sight of water running down her naked body, and I forget how to breathe for the next few seconds. Noticing my distraction earns me another splash, but she makes no move to hide or turn away as she rinses off a second time. Then a third, which is when I finally realize shes teasing me, but my efforts to entice her into another round fall woefully short. Wash up and get dressed, she says, slipping just out of reach to towel off in a provocative fashion, knowing full well what shes doing is driving me mad and enjoying every second of it. Weve been in here long enough for people to talk, and Ill not be the one to explain it.That being said, she makes no move to leave after throwing on her bathrobe and simply stands there waiting and watching, her smirk out in full force as she intends to ogle as good as she got. Honestly, when it comes to leering, Mila is almost as bad as Yan now, though thankfully not as vocal about her appreciation in public, and I feel my cheeks heat up as I try to feign nonchalance and recline back in the bath to hide my shame. I dont have much to do, really, I explain, still wanting to spend more time in her arms rather than go out and face dreadful reality. I mean, Luo-Luo, Liu Xuande, the Marshals, and the Colonel Generals are all working on a plan, so until they have something concrete for me to go over, theres no point showing up. Ill just slow things down with my stupid questions while they struggle to give face, so its best to stay away until they have all their ducks in a row.Have you given any thought to laying down to rest? Your injuries are not few. Gently running her fingers alongside my stitched wounds and fresh bruises, the question is there in Milas eyes but she doesnt want to press me for too much, wondering why I dont just Heal my injuries like I always do, but worried it touches upon some secret I cannot share, whether be because telling her might affect her Dao or because I myself am not sure and the doubt would be my undoing.This is nothing, I tell her, as her eyes linger on some fresh bruises resulting from her passionate embrace. Ive had much worse, so dont you worry, beloved. Gesturing at the injuries, I switch to Sending for the sake of privacy, even though I already have a Sound Barrier in place. The reason Im not Healing myself is because its simply not worth it.Its clear from her expression that my beloved Mila doesnt believe me, given the extent of my injuries. The vast catalogue begins with the bruise on my cheek, courtesy of Gerels teachings, and includes a whole host of scrapes, cuts, and bruises which arent worth mentioning, many of which are courtesy of my enthusiastic beloved wife. I also have a pulled shoulder and sprained ankle courtesy of the opening exchange with Gongsun Qi, as well as hairline fractures along both forearms from the subsequent trades. My back hurts from carrying Lin-Lin and Ping Ping the entire way back from the monastery, and Ive got a tiny bit of internal bleeding along my left abdomen, where I bruised a few ribs while fighting Half-Demonic Warriors. All in all, fairly insignificant injuries considering I went toe-to-toe with a Colonel General in the prime of health, and all easily Healed if not for the minor, thus far insignificant fact that I refined my entire body into a Spiritual Heart.Earlier when I first tried to Heal the Abbot, he told me, Damage done during a battle between Divinities is not limited to mere flesh and bone. Suffice it to say, my injuries go beyond the physical, and even your unique Healing method is not enough to save me. I thought he meant Divinities had access to some powerful, non-physical attacks, but the truth is a little more complicated than that. In order to mend the divide between my body, mind, and soul, I refined my body into a Spiritual Heart by melding the physical and the metaphysical together as one. I am a human made of blood, bones, organs, and tissue, but I am also more than just what you would see if you cut me open and looked around. I have a Core to store my Chi and a circulatory system to distribute it throughout my physique, and while I lack the ability to quantify those metaphysical systems, I merged them with my physical being with help from the Energy of the Heavens.Essentially I am the Core, and the Core is me. Thus, any damage to me, in turn will damage my Core, which as Ive long since established is either a part of or made up of my Soul. All of this means that every scrape, bruise, fracture, or puncture will also damage my Core and my Soul, the ramifications of which I have yet to wholly explore or understand, because I only just figured it out last night and havent had a chance to speak with any Divinities. Taddy and Monk Bones have been busy Healing Imperial soldiers all night, while the Abbot has yet to wake from his coma and recuperating in the monastery, though he should be back on his feet soon enough. I thought about looking for Guard Leader to bounce my questions off of, but given her... err, aversion to critical thinking, I figured asking her for guidance would be barking up the wrong tree. All I really know is that even though I am stronger and tougher than before, Im far from invulnerable or impervious to attacks. A dagger will still cut me and a mace still concuss me, though it takes a little more effort to do so than before. The downside is that it now takes an inordinate amount of Chi to Heal my wounds through Panacea, and I dont even know where to begin Healing using traditional methods, because my body is more than just the physical now. While I lack any ability to accurately measure my expenditure, it feels like Im using anywhere from five to fifty times the Chi depending on the severity of the injury when Healing with Panacea, which I suppose gives me a general idea of how much more complex my body has become. Even though I have the ability to Devour Chi and have access to as much as I need, refining my body into a Spiritual Heart has not made me immune to the side effects of using too much Chi either, hence my throbbing migraine and minor bout with insomnia, as well as my decision to leave my injuries to Heal on their own, albeit at an accelerated rate compared to your average Martial Warrior.Sharing all of this with Mila in as much detail as I dare, I hold back on any practical details as I would hate for her to try and replicate my success with what might well be flawed or incomplete information. I have no idea how I succeeded in refining a Spiritual Heart, and I suspect I would have failed if I didnt have access to usable Heavenly Energy, which I no longer have. Im not even sure if Human Divinities or Ancestral Beasts even have Spiritual Hearts, but I assume they do and it has something to do with Shattering the Void. All this means I need to rethink my approach to close combat, I Send, pursing my lips with a sigh as I reluctantly exit the hot water and come face to face with the searing hot blaze hidden behind Milas expressive and appreciative eyes. Which sucks, considering how Gerel just proved how outmatched I am against a readied opponent. Give flesh and break bone was like, my whole shtick, so now I gotta come up with something new, fresh, and exciting.Idiot. Rolling her eyes at my statement, Mila sits me down on the stool and proceeds to lather my back, a service I would enjoy much more if she would remove her robes again. Just learn to fight properly and avoid injuries like everyone else. Is that so difficult?Well... yes. Making the most of this rare indulgence, I bask in my beloved wifes ministrations while Sending my thoughts as they come to me. Killing unsuspecting foes in the chaos of battle is one thing, but going toe to toe with a Peak Expert is an entirely different kettle of fish, and its clear Im sorely lacking in both foundation and experience. Being a prime target means Ill be facing stronger and stronger opponents, which becomes problematic if I cant protect myself, especially now that I need Pong Pong to keep tabs on Rakshasa and cant count on his Turtley intervention to save my ass. Sure, I survived a clash with Gongsun Qi, but our exchange lasted for less than a full second before your mother arrived to save me, which means I still have a long way to go before I can call myself a Peak Expert.While Pong Pong has made it clear that all floofs are friends, if Rakky takes a bite out of Georgie, Im not sure Im even allowed to be mad. At some point, you just gotta chalk it up to Darwinism and accept that sweet, stupid George was not meant for this cruel, merciless world.Planting myself between the bears, I settle in to comfort my pets while wondering how to fix the epidemic of doom and gloom plaguing the Citadel. I genuinely do not understand the mentality of the average Martial Warrior. We won a stunning victory yesterday, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to some quick thinking from Akanai to send the Peak Experts ahead alongside the Tyrants Runic Cannons. However, because there was no epic final fight to culminate the long-fought siege, the soldiers of Central feel like theyve been robbed of their victory and allowed a golden opportunity to slip through their fingers. Never mind the fact that even though the bulk of the Enemy army got away, the Runic Cannons still caused significant casualties during the retreat, or how chasing after them with a tired army of soldiers and an overabundance of Peak Experts would have resulted in too many casualties within both groups. No, those facts are unimportant, because G.I Joe didnt get to stab his fleeing foes in the back, and that makes him sad.At least, thats what the Colonel Generals told me, and I have no idea where to go from here, which is why I left it for them to decide our next steps. Whether it be a banquet, speech, parade or whatnot, Ill do whatever is necessary to raise morale, even though I feel like theyre all pouting over nothing.The downside of being so good at delegating my work is that there are times when I have nothing to contribute, hence why I sought out Mila for lunch and company. Everyone else is either busy with work or catching up on some much needed rest, which I probably should do as well considering the fact that my throbbing migraine has yet to subside. Add to this the fact that I feel restless and unable to sleep, and its clear Im suffering from a mild case of Chi over-consumption. Overuse? Overexertion? Whatever. Side effects can include depression, psychosis, and development of multiple personalities, so I decided to take this seriously. Alas, theres no real cure except time and rest, meaning I cant use Chi for anything unless its an emergency, or you know... indulging my beloved wife. It sucks, especially considering theres so much I want to test and try out, especially after seeing and hearing about so many different Peak Experts and how they fought. I even broke the rules a little to spar with Gerel and throw up a Sound Barrier for fun times with Mila, though I refrained from doing anything too overt and flashy besides my inadvertent Aural leakage. Now that theres no one to keep me company and Ive been left to my own devices however, I have no idea what to do with all my free time.Pet some rabbits and make friends with a tiger I suppose. Not the worst use of my time, but certainly not the best.One thing Id like to test out is if using too much Heavenly Energy has the same side-effects as using too much Chi, as that would be a great workaround to my limits. Oddly enough however, the Central Citadel is completely and utterly devoid of any and all free-floating Spectres, leaving me with no way to replenish my drained reserves of usable Heavenly Energy. The dearth of angry ghosties is odd considering the staggering number of casualties sustained during four days of nonstop battle, which leads me to believe Zhen Shi has taken steps to limit my abilities as much as possible. As soon as I arrived, he withdrew every last Demon from the battlefront, even carrying away their corpses for no reason except to deny me access to Ichor, so I suppose he summoned the Spectres away in the same manner. The half-Demon Warriors stayed to fight, but during my first exchange with those amalgamated foes, I discovered I could not absorb the Demonic Ichor even after killing the human host. Why? No idea, though my best guess would be that it has something to do with the fact that the hosts are still technically human. With Demons, the Spectres are wholly in control while the host is relegated to prisoner and bystander, leaving me to believe the Ichor is a physical manifestation of the Spectres metaphysical existence, the same way my Spiritual Heart is a combination of my physical and metaphysical existence. With half-Demonic Warriors however, their Ichor might somehow be integrated with the hosts physical and metaphysical being as well, and thus protected by the inviolability of their still whole-and-human souls, protection which remains in place even after death.A lot of this is just guesswork, because I still dont know enough about souls to do anything more, but it feels right, and Ive learned to trust my gut. Besides, while it would be nice to know why I cant Devour Ichor from half-Demonic Warriors so I can maybe devise a workaround to those limitations, its not the most pressing issue I have at hand. No, the important thing is that I can no longer afford to sit back and give Zhen Shi the initiative, because as time goes on, his forces only continue to grow in strength. He revealed thousands of half-Demonic Warriors during the siege of the Central Citadel, and who knows how many more he has tucked away, not to mention how more Demons, Defiled, and Chosen are being turned with every passing day. Given enough time, he could muster three armies equal to the one we just defeated, and if he were to send them all at different targets, the outer provinces would stand no chance against them. Right now however, we have a golden opportunity to strike back using our Runic Cannons before our foe can rally more troops and devise countermeasures to deal with these new weapons of war, and I would be a fool to let this chance slip by.With nothing better to do, I bring the floofs out to see the Citadel and show my face to the crowd, offering condolences and commiserations which mean little to those in mourning. The Ryo and Ishin families are particularly torn up, both having lost their influential patriarchs in the last twenty four hours, and I can tell my sympathies fall on empty ears as their political woes come home to rest. This is all more Luo-Luos wheelhouse, but I try to do what I can and publicly offer my support to anyone and everyone who might need it, including Ryo Dain and Ishin Ken-Shibu who are now the respective heads of their families and wholly out of their depth.Poor Ken-Shibu is not only mourning the loss of his father, but his younger brother as well, both dying in valiant defence of the Empire and already forgotten by the vast majority while the powers that be pick away at the still-living body of the Ishin family, opportunistic vultures one and all.The outer provinces will be long in mending from their wounds taken in war, but the sooner we put an end to the threat, the sooner we can start rebuilding. Hence my rush to take the fight to the Enemy, but not with a mere million soldiers as I implied earlier. No, those million soldiers will merely make up my vanguard, the heroes who will spearhead our invasion Western Province and establish a foothold deep within Enemy territory, but there are a number of pressing issues we have to deal with first, one of which is general morale. The mood is dark and dour, but given the lack of Spectres, I can only chalk it up to a difference of outlook, because I have no idea how to explain the general mood of hopelessness and despair following our unexpected and frankly spectacular victory against the Enemy.As the hours wear on and the gloomy atmosphere persists, I develop a sneaking suspicion that all is not well in the Central Citadel. Ive seen more than my fair share of grief and bereavement, but this is on a whole other level, even to someone as self-deprecating as myself. Odd to think that the entire Citadel could be in such a foul mood, with few people talking about our victory and everyone focused on our imminent defeat, and were it not for the obvious lack of Spectres, I would think this Zhen Shis work. In fact, even without them, Im almost ready to blame our foe for this sorry state of affairs. Im not sure if hes actually responsible or how he might be doing it, but I can almost smell his foul influence in the air, a subtle wrongness hiding behind the acrid smoke and scent of charred flesh. Its possible Zhen Shi has unleashed yet another weapon against us, one I cannot even identify, but soon I am convinced there is some foul magic at work when I notice Rakkys hackles and Aural defences are still up no matter where we go in the Citadel. A quick query to Pong Pong further proves my theory, as he shares with me an Aura of uneasy discomfort, one that comes across as swimming through an inky, impenetrable sludge that tastes of death and decay.The little guy is getting really good at sharing his thoughts through Aura, though it still takes a bit of artistic liberty to understand.As soon as I bring my suspicions to Monk Happy, his brow furrows in palpable uncertainty. Not the reassurance I was hoping to get, but he merely says he will look into it and leaves to do just that. With dinner time fast approaching, I head home with a belly full of worry and back bent with unseen burdens, wondering if I should rethink my plans to take the fight to our foe. Maybe it would be better to stick to tried and true tactics, to gather my strength and wait for the Enemy to come fight on our terms where we hold the advantage. Am I in too much of a rush? What if our offensive fails? Then the outer provinces will be doomed and I will be forever known as the man who lost an Empire. Is that how I want to be remembered? A legacy of folly and defeat? Falling Rain, the man who led the Azure Empire to their ultimate defeat, that is how the history books will remember me....I cant tell if these are my own doubts, or ones whispered into my ears by Zhen Shi, but as I return home to find Yan and Lin-Lin waiting to greet me, my worries melt away in their warm embrace, for the moment at least. I made my choice, but if the plans put forth by the Colonel Generals are not up to snuff, then theres no harm in rethinking my position. No man is an island, so Ill rely on my allies and take things one step at a time, advice Mila would no doubt share with me if she were here at my side. Glancing at the bathroom as if I could see through those walls, I idly wonder how my beloved wife is faring only to notice a powerful convergence of Chi gathering within those closed walls. Still deep in the throes of Insight, Mila channels the Energy of the Heavens on a scale unlike anything shes ever managed before, and the entire family stops to watch as her presence is made known to their senses. Not one of the five major senses, but to our Spiritual Sense, an intangible impression that emanates from our very souls, one that warns me and everyone else to take shelter mere microseconds before the roof of my borrowed bathroom explodes in a burst of splinters and shards.A beam of concentrated light shoots up into the heavens themselves, illuminating the dark clouds hanging overhead and piercing through to reveal a small patch of clear skies. Disappearing in the blink of an eye, the radiating pillar leaves behind an afterimage of light, one that is seared into my retinas for the next few seconds as I rush over to check on Mila. Unable to move too quickly due to my inability to see clearly, I arrive long after the Peak Experts and arrive to find my wife staring up at the destruction she has wrought while her parents escort her out of the now unsafe structure, her mouth opened wide in bewildered amazement as if she were not the one who destroyed it.What happened? Are you alright?At the sound of my voice, Milas gaze snaps onto me, her wide eyes filled with excited confusion. How did you do that? she whispers, stroking the edge of her shield as she tries to put her thoughts into words. We were sitting there talking, and then you fell silent, but I could... see your thoughts almost, perceive what you perceived, and then... Idly gesturing at the roof, she rapidly blinks as she finally comes out of her fugue state and sags into her fathers arms, drained and exhausted like Ive never seen her before, leaving me to ponder the implications of what she just said.Did I really share my thoughts with her and teach her how to fire a laser? How? Can I use this to my advantage?...I sense many migraines and sleepless nights ahead, because I simply cannot wait to test this out.Chapter Meme
