Chapter 512

Chapter 512

Mmhmm... Yea, right there wifey.

Like this?

Harder please.

Are you sure?

Dont worry, I can handle it.

Okay hubby. Hows this?

Perfect. Youre the best.

Cheeks burning and eyes averted, Luo-Luo stood at the sides and wrung her hands while doing her best not to stare at the immoral couple, yet she was unable to tear her eyes away. Lost in their own little world, Lord Husband and Lin-Lin carried on with their display without a care in the world and paid no mind to the audience around them. More surprising was how no one else seemed to care, not Li-Li sitting beside them cradling Sarankho in her arms, nor the Abbot who stood with back turned chanting Sutras for all to hear. The Divine Turtle watching from above did nothing to dissuade them, and Luo-Luos handmaidens didnt even bat an eye before offering their services, but thankfully Lord Husband wasnt so callous as to accept, not while Luo-Luo herself had yet to partake.

Was she overthinking things? No, impossible. How could all these people here not understand? There Lord Husband lay soaking in his smooth-stone tub, basking beneath the afternoon sun while he and Lin-Lin engaged in the most erotic and sensual act a woman could perform for her man without batting an eye. Her sleeves rolled up past the elbows and cheeks flushed from the heat of the water, Lin-Lin stood there lathering Lord Husbands hair and rigorously massaged his scalp, her expert touch eliciting muted groans of pleasure while he lay naked and half asleep.

Back in the Academy, Luo-Luos teachers had taught her all manner of ways in which to entice and pamper her future Patron, but those techniques paled in comparison to Lin-Lins prowess. On the surface, there was nothing lewd or obscene taking place, no naked breasts pressed against the back of his neck or smooth legs wrapped around his waist. Instead, Lin-Lin stood behind Lord Husband and at an appropriate distance from the tub, not quite arms lengths but with a clear, deliberate space between them so her clothes wouldnt get wet. Had Luo-Luo been in her place, she wouldve gladly stripped bare, sat facing Lord Husband on his lap, and flaunted her body for Lord Husband to appreciate, but her actions wouldve been for naught. Eyes closed and body limp, he lay there naked as the day he was born save for a cloth floating in the water which more or less kept him modest, utterly relaxed and wholly defenceless while his darling wifey worked her magic.

Which surprisingly enough, didnt look all that different from how she would pet the animals, from the grasping motions she made with her fingers right down to the same silly expression on the receiver's face.

Eyeing sweet Aurie sitting obediently to one side, Luo-Luo choked on her laughter as she pictured Lord Husbands face superimposed over the docile wildcats, but her mirth died quickly as reality reared its ugly head. Though blissfully enjoying Lin-Lins ministrations, Lord Husbands condition was no laughing matter. His emaciated frame was only scratching the surface, but the earlier meeting with the Army Healers would go a long ways towards remedying this. Hot baths and hot food were a luxury here on the front lines, one which might see Lord Husband castigated in the court of public opinion, but there was no helping it. Hed only been away from the citadel for a single week, ten measly days of eating nothing but travel rations, and already hed lost most of his mediocre reserves of body fat. Worse, his heroics on the wall last night had taxed him greatly, leaving a smattering of ugly purple and yellow bruises across his body, the worst of which were situated around his left shoulder which he almost tore and dislocated dragging soldier Tarsov to safety.

Her poor, heroic Lord Husband, weak as a day-old kitten yet still possessing the courage of a lion. He and his people suffered greatly during the fierce battle last night, and while none had died, many of his soldiers now lay grievously injured in the medical tent. Ironically, Tarsov was better off than most, up and about while his benefactor Saida lay unconscious in her cot, easily the worst off of the bunch after taking multiple wounds to hold back the Defiled so Lord Husband could bring the fallen Tarsov away. Luo-Luo had overheard the soldiers say the Healers almost failed to save the heroines life and her status was still touch and go, but having seen the aftermath of the heroines actions when she visited the tents earlier, Luo-Luo wholeheartedly believed them.

It made for a touching tale, one of a warrior woman standing guard over her fallen lover and courageous superior, but apparently, Saida and Tarsov could barely stand one another. Even then, such was the depths of their camaraderie that she didnt even think twice about risking her life without knowing if he was dead or alive...

A gross oversimplification of course, with more than a little romanticizing on Luo-Luos part. Had Saida not stepped up to guard Tarsovs fallen form, then the Defiled wouldve gained a foothold on the battlements and soon overwhelmed the rest of Lord Husbands tired defenders. Even with Saidas valiant efforts, Lord Husbands people might have been overrun regardless if not for the intervention from one Hondou Masahige, a lowly Lieutenant whose family was tightly linked to the Mitsues. A direct subordinate of Sinujis commander, Masahige was obviously Mitsue Watanabes puppet and sacrificial lamb, a mouthpiece through which to relay his orders and absolve him of all culpability. A tricky matter, dealing with Lord Husband while his true status had yet to be revealed, for their enemies still had to respect Shen ZhenWu standing behind him, but so long as Masahige died before any Imperial inquiry, then Watanabe could claim his subordinate acted on his own, a simple truth Lord Husband didnt wholly appreciate.

It was maddening. Usually, Lord Husbands paranoia bordered on the extreme, yet he was still willing to give Masahige the benefit of a doubt. Not because he thought the man genuinely wanted to help him, no, Lord Husband believed the Lieutenant was a warrior first, one whod been moved to action by Dastans exemplary heroics, as if a man like Masahige would ever admire a slave. Luo-Luo had seen his type a thousand times before, an ambitious underling who delighted in carrying out his patrons dirty work. Status was everything to people like him, because his loyalty hinged upon the ability to use his patrons status against others, so in Masahiges eyes, a slave would always be a slave, no matter how valiant or heroic.

Of course, it occurred to her that Masahige might not have been moved to action on the wall by Dastans heroics, but by Lord Husbands. From the way he told it, Masahige only sprung into action after Lord Husband attacked a Defiled tribesman and dragged a fallen soldier away, all at great risk to himself, but he dismissed her theory as ridiculous. When a mouse attacks a cat, no one thinks, brave mouse, hed said, flashing that hateful, knowing smile which meant there was no chance of changing his mind without irrefutable proof, and even then it would be difficult.

Sadly, he wasnt wrong as all her contacts reported that few cared to speak of Lord Husbands heroics except to dismiss them as sheer madness. In this, his intelligence worked against him, being a stubborn, opinionated man who bucked and kicked every time Luo-Luo tried to take the reins, but what else was she to do? This was a complicated matter which required a soft touch, and Lord Husbands actions were akin to a sparrow playing the part of a bull. Courageous as he might be, no one would be awed or intimidated by his actions, not while he remained crippled and without hope, but even now, with his soldiers injured and death hanging over his head, he still refused to try a different approach and continued going about as if his full recovery was only a matter of time.

An issue of support, in Luo-Luos opinion, for the Bekhai offered him too much. A strange thing to complain about considering how noble and benevolent their actions were considering most other factions wouldve thrown Lord Husband to the wolves, but with his peoples backing, he had yet to accept the cold, hard truth: there was no recovering from this, no coming back from a shattered Core, not without long decades of struggles and hardships. Not even four months had passed since his fall in Sinuji, yet here he was behaving as if his recovery would soon be finished when in truth, he had yet to even begin. Granted, Lord Husband was an outlier in many ways, including his Heaven-Blessed Talent to absorb the Fathers incorporeal minions which Luo-Luo had thought were things of myth and superstition. Spectres, Lord Husband called them, and everyone else adopted the moniker as well, but Luo-Luo couldnt stop thinking about the bedtime stories her teachers had told them whilst she was still but a child, of how the first Demons were avatars of anger and hatred without form or substance, creatures which poisoned the hearts of humanity and turned them against the Mother.

Was that not what Spectres were? Demons yet to take form? If so, then didnt that mean Lord Husband had a veritable horde of would-be Demons clinging to his eternal soul? Was Lord Husband a Chosen Son of the Mother, here to save them from the Enemy, or was he the Fathers secret weapon hiding in plain sight, a vessel with which He could infiltrate the highest echelons of Imperial Society, and perhaps even turn the Emperor of humanity himself?

Of course, Sister-in-Law Alsantset replied, her words thick with disdain. The difference between cooking for one and cooking for ten is negligible, and twenty only requires a modicum of more effort.

But... the rules...

Bah. Waving a hand in dismissal, the fierce tigress scowled and gestured at the other camps around them. You find me an Officer in Sinuji who claims he ate a cold lunch, and I will show you a liar. If the Disciplinary Corps wants to make an issue of this, they will turn themselves into a laughing stock amongst the nobility, though they wont be laughing for long after I demand they step up and swear they followed protocol to the letter or be punished alongside little Rain.

You know, that raises a good point. Speaking around a mouthful of dough fritter, Lord Husband used the remaining piece to point at Sister-in-Law Alsantset. Ive been going about this all wrong. The Disciplinary Corps accused me of nepotism, so I figured my best bet was to be humble and obedient, but whats the point? It wont change a thing about the political climate and it gives off the impression that Ive submitted to their judgment. Fuck that. Im going to model myself after the average officer and take all the liberties they do. If the Justicars take issue with my actions, then I can just point out all the other violations going on and claim theyre targeting me unjustly.

A terrible idea in Luo-Luos opinion, but before she could voice it, Sister-in-Law Alsantset all but shoved a bowl of hot congee into Luo-Luos hand and fixed her with a feral grin. Eat now girl, before it gets cold, and when your belly is full, you will show everyone how far you have come along the Martial Path. You are one of the Bekhai, and the Bekhai have no useless Martial Warriors.

Luo-Luos mind blanked in panic at the familiar, yet chilling statement. Staring at the bowl of congee in her hands, she prayed it would last forever. Though she Demonstrated the Forms every single day since sister Mila first tasked her to, Luo-Luo had yet to receive any guidance or spar with another living being. Day in and day out, she practised her modified dance routines alone, yet little had changed. She was neither stronger nor more muscular than before, and in fact had seemingly lost weight since most of her clothes needed to be taken in, so she had no idea how she was supposed to show progress when there was none to be had. Fretting over the near future, Luo-Luo ate her congee one small spoonful at a time, while everyone laughed and made merry around her, an outsider sitting alone amongst friends.

When their meal all but finished, the Abbot reappeared with gourd in hand and thrust it at Lord Husbands chest. Drink this, Junior Brother.

Uh... Id rather not. Carefully taking the gourd if only to keep it away from the Abbot, Lord Husband inspected the gourd for leaks or defects and said, I dont want to waste it, because Ill probably need it to recover. I cant store Chi or Heavenly Energy in my shattered Core, but like events in Sinuji proved, I can still manipulate Heavenly Energy, or more specifically the Heavenly Energy created from purified Spectres. Since we now know I can still collect Spectres, this means that once I figure out how to access my shattered Core and work out a couple other pertinent details, I can then use this Chi Tea to start the purification process and use the resulting Heavenly Energy to keep it going until I have enough to bring myself back to full fighting strength. Seeing Luo-Luos disbelieving stare, he shrugged and explained, Its not a great plan, or even a finalized one, but its the best one Ive got. I still dont want to try until I know more, so Id rather not waste a third of the Water Chi I have left.

...No wonder hed been so confident of his recovery. Why would he not share this with Luo-Luo? Had she not proven her loyalty time and time again?

Trust in the Heavens, Junior Brother, the Abbot said, patting his chest with confidence. This monk believes everything happens for a reason, no matter how indecipherable said reason might be. This monk cannot explain the details in depth for fear of negatively affecting the outcome, but if you drink the water, you will soon understand.

It look long minutes of silent deliberation before Lord Husband made a move, and when he did, he gave no warning in advance. Uncapping the gourd, he brought it up to his lips and drank deep, greedily guzzling down what must have been stale water without letting a single drop escape. Seconds stretched into eternity before the gourd was drained dry, and Lord Husband even held it upside down and shook it over his extended tongue in case there was still some water left inside. Panting as he sat in place, there was an expectant gleam in his eye as he turned his attention turned inwards for any sign of change, and...

...

......

Nothing. Cradling the empty gourd, Lord Husbands despair was heartbreaking to behold as he gazed up at the confused Abbot. Nothing happened, and now the gourd is empty.

Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo, the Abbot replied, bowing his head in obvious contrition. Perhaps... Perhaps this monk was mistaken. Ah, such pride, such sin.

You arrogant son of a

Whether it was for the sake of his pride or Lord Husbands, the Abbot threw up a Sound Barrier which shut everyone else out, but Luo-Luos heart ached as she watched Lord Husband scream until his face turned red, the rage a mask to soothe his pain. That gourd had contained more than just Water Chi, for within it, held the hope for his recovery, and now hed squandered a third of it away on a fruitless endeavour. Oh, her poor, poor beloved, he would need someone to hold him close and soothe his anger, someones shoulder to cry on and bosom to bury in, and

Come. Pulled away from the scene by Sister-in-Law Alsantset, the woman all but stalked off towards the training grounds with Luo-Luo in tow, while Li-Li was walking ahead of them with her two guards at her sides. Little brother will vent his anger with or without us there, and if I remain, then I might do something I will sorely regret, the tigress said, growling through clenched teeth. Sweet Lin will be there to cheer him up, but there is little you or I can do to affect him. He will recover, or he will not, and all we can do is protect him and prepare for the possibility of failure. To do this, we must be strong. Looking Luo-Luo in the eye as they walked, Sister-in-Law Alsantset added, You have the blood of Imperials, which I am told is synonymous with strength. I would like to see firsthand if this is true.

Unsure how to answer, Luo-Luo simply nodded and clasped her mace tight, the weapon so natural hanging at her side that she often forgot it was even there. Perhaps it was true, but she doubted it mattered as much as others believed, for talent meant little in the long run. No, to become a Martial Warrior, one required a lifetime of dedication and training, so Luo-Luo feared shed simply started too late. Regardless of her talents, she had long since decided to devote her effort to the Martial Path, so for better or worse, she would stand at Lord Husbands side and protect him from harm, no matter who the enemy might be.

Even if the Emperor were to demand Falling Rains death, Zheng Luo would stand between them and say, No, for she was one of the Bekhai, and no Bekhai Warrior would ever surrender without a fight.

Chapter Meme