I sat in Bai An’s room. I looked down at her and her heavily bruised throat. Even I could barely swallow after the throttling I had endured while getting fucked. The haunting discordant melody he ripped from me filled my ears. It was horrifying and I imagined all the discarded women he had practiced on. I had hoped it was merely a good fingering that induced moans, not a nearly deadly encounter for a second realm cultivator.
I slipped from the bed and headed towards the door. I pulled on one of her robes and looked outside the door. Thankfully I was able to snag a walking servant that was supposed to cater to our needs. I looked into her eyes and tried to speak. It was harsh, raspy, like I had gargled stones and gss, “Tea and gruel. Summon mistress.”
The young girl nodded at me as I closed the door and moved towards the pillows around the table. Slowly I lowered myself and looked at the room. I pulled out the bronze polished disc she used to look at herself and brought it up to look at myself.
My neck, from bottom to top and fully around was covered in a deep purple bruise. The pain in my throat matched that look. The bones and muscles in my neck felt like they had been pushed beyond their limits and I could barely turn my head without searing pain shooting up and down my spine. Taking a deep breath I put the disc down and slowly moved to meditate.
My key was vibrant, strong, and thrummed like musical strings through my body. The musical qi I had diluted and absorbed changed the way it all felt while it transitioned towards sexual qi. The desire to speed up that process warred inside me. One I was so far from aroused that it would be forced, on the other the feeling of that man’s qi inside me turned my stomach.
Deciding it would be ruder to force Bai An awake and use her for my cultivation I instead moved the qi around my body, the new channels in my body were rger and harder than before. My body felt stronger, tougher. I used the ancient techniques I had learned to morph my body with qi to instead force myself to heal at a much faster rate than before. I don’t know how long passed when I was gently pulled from my reverie by the gentle voice of a servant.
I turned looking over my shoulder at the young girl, her arms full of a set of tea and two steaming bowls of soupy rice and shredded chicken. She shuffled over to me and set it down next to me. She poured me a cup of tea and bowed deeply, “The mistress will come over tonight. So please be patient and recover. There is already word amongst the women of what had happened with that Master Cultivator.”
I nodded while picking up the tea cup and sipped from it. It was like liquid fire going down my throat with the pain of swallowing. I closed my eyes ignoring the discomfort as much as possible. It would be an insult not to savor something so lovingly made. Ever so gently I stood and approached Bai An. I looked at her beautiful body, spread over the bed and breathing slowly and gently.
Was this how the Mistress saw me? Something beautiful and delightful? I came down to one hip looking at her as my hair tumbled down off my shoulder and reached for the bed. I stroked her cheek gently with the back of my hand as I waited for her to waken from the touch. Her eyes fluttered open and looked at me. She went to smile before her eyes nded on my neck and she frowned.
Slowly she sat up and wrapped me in her arms. Bai An and I embraced for a time after out shared near death experience. I let her sit in that moment before I pulled her along with me. Our robes were closed and attitudes grim. I motioned towards the gruel as she spoke, “I don’t know if I can swallow. Even just my spit hurts.”
In stead of arguing I picked up my gruel and took a spoonful. Slowly, deliberately I chewed a soft bite and with closed tearful eyes I swallowed the food. She watched me and frowned. She took her own spoon up and we quietly ate the meal. Every moment was painful but I needed it to heal. The bnd, nearly fvorless meal did its best to fill the stomach. Soon enough I set the bowl down and sighed.
Bai An moved over to me and y her head on my shoulder. Her hand y in my p as we sat in silence. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to hear music the same way Xaiomeimei. It was horrid, the men were so fascinated. I could feel their desperation to ring my neck the way that man did to you. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to help.” I felt her tears on my shoulder as I sat there. Even my ten years of training hadn’t been enough to prepare me for exactly what had happened. Even the roughest the Mistress had been paled in comparison to what I had experienced.
I scoffed, look at me. The wounded bird in the cage. Instead of all this I should be plotting my revenge. Standing up I grabbed my lover and pulled her to our feet. Holding her hand I looked into her eyes, “Get strong get revenge.”
She looked sad as she locked eyes with me, “He is so far above us. I’m merely a first realm cultivator, you were what, second. How could we conquer that?”
Standing up straight I picked her up with a single arm. My qi powered body made her feel like a feather in my palm. She squealed in surprise as I set her down and she looked shocked. I held up three fingers and nodded to her. “Grow strong. Easy.”
She colpsed into my arms. I held onto her with ease as I felt the healing already working. There was a small knock on the door so we separated and as a guest I took a seat and waited. Bai An walked over demurely and opened the door for the older mistress of the house. She walked inside and found a pillow to sit upon. Bai An served her tea as we waited for her to start speaking.
Her wise voice echoed out, “It has been decided that he will not be banned from the premises.”
“WHAT?! After what he did to Xaiomeimei? To me?” Bai An sounded furious but I just swallowed, it was a chance that I needed to stay close to him and rob him of his ability to cultivate.
“I know this may come as a shock to the two of you. We have made him swear to be on better behavior and not get so carried away in demonstrating his… unorthodox method of music. He has promised that he will only use approved instruments.” The older woman sipped at her tea as if it was nothing that the two of us almost died.
Bai An looked at me, I looked at her and frowned. I reached out and gripped her hand on the table. She had it clenched and was shaking heavily. I croaked out a request, one that was key to my revenge. “Only me. No other. Service him.”
Bai An and the mistress looked at me with shock in their eyes. Bai An immediately stood shaking her head hard. “No, he shouldn’t even be seen.”
“Though I disagree, I don’t know if that is the wisest idea Xaiomeimei.” She reached out patting my hand but I shook my head as well.
“Survive, no one else. Need a third realm. He gets carried away.” It was so painful to talk I coughed up a little blood onto the back of my hand and I swallowed my pride. “Others will die.”
Bai An threw herself on me and tucked her head into my neck, “He swore he wouldn’t just let this one go. You don’t need to martyr yourself.” I held onto her. I had only been here a week and our daily sessions of cuddling and lovemaking was obviously making her attached to me.
“As I said, he will not py instruments that we do not approve of. There is no reason that we will worry about losing women. He isn’t so powerful that he will forget his pce.” The mistress went to stand but I reached out and stopped her gently but insistently.
“He won’t. Artist soul. Too much pride.” I locked disobedient eyes on the mistress. It was a risk. I could lose my job and my ability to get my vengeance. But I needed to insist on this. “No risk, I survive.”
The mistress looked down at me. She pulled her hand away and nodded, “I will give him an option. If he chooses you I will not stop him. I will have him prosecuted to the highest extent of the city’s ws if he sys one of our women.”
I frowned at her. I hoped that he would choose me on his next visit. As a third realm cultivator I could absorb much more of his qi next time. Once I pulled him into the third realm with me I could cripple him properly.
