I found my wife in an empty corner of my courtyard within the Dragon Palace. It wasn’t furnished. No lamps or lanterns illuminated this area, shrouding it all in darkness. It was quiet here, even though we should have been close enough to hear the others. All this, combined with the winter cold, gave this part of the courtyard a desolate and lifeless atmosphere. Ellen stood in the center staring up at the sky.

  “Leave me alone, Darian,” she said, “I don’t want to see you right now.”

  I ignored her and walked over, before wrapping my arms around her. Ellen struggled to free herself from my grip, but she didn’t put her heart into it. After a while, she gave up.

  “So,” she said in a biting tone, “You’re just going to disregard everything I say from now on? Is that how it’s going to be?”

  I tightened my hold on her.

  “I’m sorry.” I said.

  Ellen scoffed.

  “Do you even know why I’m angry?” She asked. “Or are you saying sorry because I’m angry and you think that’s the fastest way to appease me?”

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, I found this side of Ellen appealing. Not because I enjoyed seeing her angry, though I did find it cute, but because it showed how much she cared for me. If she felt nothing for me, she wouldn’t be angry with me in the first place. How could I not love her in return?

  “I’m sorry for throwing myself into danger even though you asked me not to,” I said, “And I’m sorry that I can’t promise you that I won’t do it again.”

  Ellen stiffened and didn’t respond for several long moments.

  “Why?” She asked in a trembling voice. “Why did you do it? I’m not angry that you risked your life. I’m angry that you risked your life to save those people. They were strangers, the dregs of society. No one would care if they all died. You had no reason to endanger yourself for them. Even if Mistress Nova… Even if Mother-In-Law saved you, she might not have arrived in time. Just… Why?” She shook her head. “Are you going to do this every time you see someone in danger? Are you that much of a bleeding heart?”

  I took a moment to articulate my thoughts and put them in order.

  “I was responsible for what happened.” I said. “If it weren’t for me, those people wouldn’t have been endangered in the first place. I could have ignored them, but the guilt would have plagued me afterwards.”

  “Lucille Wind Dance was the one who wanted to kill,” Ellen said, “She would have been at fault. Not you.”

  “I know I wasn’t at fault,” I said, “But I was still responsible for creating that situation in the first place. That’s why I took action to rectify my mistake.” I paused. “As for your second and third questions, the answer is yes, depending on the circumstances. If I saw someone in danger, and I had the ability to help them, I would. That’s part of who I am.”

  Ellen let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and sigh of resignation.

  “You’ll never achieve immortality with that sort of attitude.” She said. “At best, you’ll die a foolish death while trying to save people who may not even deserve it. A cultivator needs a certain amount of coldheartedness.”

  “Perhaps.” I said. “But if a cultivator becomes too coldhearted, then they may end up losing the ability to feel emotions altogether.” I buried my head in her shoulder and breathed in her scent. “I love you, and I would rather die than lose that.”

  Ellen reached up to caress my face.

  “My biggest fear is losing you.” She said. “You make me so happy that sometimes I feel like my heart is going to burst. With you, every day is full of warmth and vitality. Losing you would be akin to dying for me. I would move and breathe, but I would be dead inside, like a puppet.”

  I thought of Ellen moving around like a puppet, her eyes empty and listless, and my heart twinged with pain. I could never let that happen.

  “In that case, I’ll become stronger so that you’ll never have to worry about me dying again.” I said.

  Ellen pinched my cheek.

  “I’m being serious, Darian.” She said.

  I gave her a brief squeeze.

  “So am I.” I said. “In the meantime, I can promise to be more careful. I won’t go around saving everyone. I’m not that much of a bleeding heart. I’ll be smart about it. If I find myself in a situation where I’m powerless to do anything, I won’t interfere. If I get dragged into it anyway, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure my own survival.”

  Ellen didn’t respond right away. She remained silent for several long moments. I waited, giving her the time she needed to sort through her thoughts.

  “Very well,” Ellen said, “I don’t like it, but I can accept it.” She sighed. “Besides, as you said, this is a part of who you are. You accepted me, despite the things I’ve done. I won’t be a hypocrite and ask you to betray yourself, nor do I want to.”

  I sighed with relief.

  “Thank you.” I said.

  “In return,” Ellen said, “Can you do me a favor?”

  I nodded.

  “Anything.” I said.

  “Will you hold me?” She asked. “In my true form that is.”

  I paused at that. Ellen was a snake spirit beast. However, in all the time we’ve known each other, I’ve never seen her true form. I’ve only ever seen her in her human form.

  “Of course,” I said, “You don’t need to ask me a favor for something like this.”

  Ellen squirmed in my grip.

  “I know.” She said in a quiet voice. “It’s just… I’m a little nervous.”

  I blinked, before a smile stretched across my face.

  “Are you feeling shy, Ellen?” I asked, trying not to laugh. “What happened to the seductress who convinced me to fool around with her in public?”

  “That’s different!” Ellen exclaimed.

  I couldn’t see her face, but I imagined that her cheeks were bright red at the moment.

  “Well?” I asked. “What are you waiting for?”

  “Promise me that you won’t laugh.” Ellen said.

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  I resisted the urge to chuckle. I found it cute to witness Ellen, of all people, acting shy.

  “I promise.” I said.

  With that, Ellen took off her clothes before she shrank and shifted into a snake. She was only a few feet long, which surprised me. I thought she would be bigger. She had a stocky body with a short tail and a triangular head, similar to a viper. Her scales were a blue-green mix, though the ones for her belly were white. Strange black markings formed a pattern on her back.

  They were actually naturally occurring runes, a trait unique to special kinds of spirit beasts, such as Divine Vitality Serpents. That was why Ellen and her family spent most of their time in their human forms, to avoid being hunted down. As Divine Vitality Serpents, their body parts were key components in certain pills that extended one’s lifespan. Even the weakest of these pills would sell for thousands of spirit stones.

  Ellen wrapped herself around my neck, taking care not to squeeze too hard. Her scales felt strange against my skin. Strange, but nice. I rather liked the sensation. After she secured herself, she flicked her tongue out and licked my cheek.

  “What do you think?” She asked in a shy tone.

  As a spirit beast who achieved human form, she could speak out loud even when she was in her true form.

  “You’re beautiful.” I said, before giving her a kiss on the nose.

  Ellen squeaked and hid her face against my neck.

  “It’s cute to see you act shy for once.” I said.

  Ellen lifted her head and glared at me, or attempted to at least. She didn’t have eyelids, which lessened the effect.

  “Silence!” She hissed. “Or I’ll bite you. My poison is far more potent in this form.”

  I smirked, but I held my tongue. Ellen often bit me when we made love, but she always made sure to reduce the potency of her poison. I didn’t want to experience a more powerful version of it, at least not right now.

  I headed to my bedroom, taking care not to run into anyone else so they wouldn’t see the markings on Ellen’s back. While I trusted everyone here, her family’s secret was not mine to share. She also used some kind of technique similar to my Cloak of Dusk innate ability, which made it difficult to notice her with spirit sense.

  After we reached my bedroom, Ellen unwrapped herself from my neck and the two of us went to bed together. We laid there for several minutes, until the day’s events caught up to me and I fell asleep with Ellen curled up against my chest.

  It felt like I had just closed my eyes when I heard my mother’s voice in my head, waking me up.

  ‘It’s time to get up, Darian.’ She said, sounding amused.

  I felt a little groggy. Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I still needed a certain amount of sleep, especially after fighting a Golden Core cultivator and exhausting all of my internal qi. Ellen was back in her human form. She was naked, with her back pressed against me.

  ‘How long have we slept?’ I asked, sounding tired even through telepathy.

  ‘Two hours.’ my mother said.

  That wasn’t nearly long enough for me to get a restful sleep. However, I assumed she woke me up for a reason.

  ‘Your uncle is here.’ My mother said, confirming my suspicions. ‘He brought along quite the merry band with him. They’ve been trying to get inside Divine Beast Palace for the past half hour, but Sect Leader Twinheart and I have kept them at bay. We can hold them off for another half hour before things start getting ugly.” For some reason, she sounded as if she wanted that to happen. ‘That should be more than enough time for you and the others to prepare yourselves. Meet us in Qilin Palace when you’re ready.’

  I nodded, before I shook Ellen awake. It took her a while, but she woke up in the end. Together, the two of us cleaned up as best we could and prepared ourselves to meet with my uncle. When we left my bedroom, we found Willow and Harlow emerging from their own rooms. They looked as tired as we felt.

  “Good morning.” Willow said, before yawning.

  “There’s nothing good about this morning.” Harlow said, a cross expression on her face. “I should have never let you talk me into getting involved in this matter.”

  I gave Harlow a strange look. She was the one who insisted on joining us. I just wanted her to make an elixir for me. However, I decided against pointing that out. That would just lead to an unnecessary argument. Besides, I figured she was just grumbling because of how tired she felt.

  The four of us trudged to the kitchen and brewed some spirit tea for ourselves. I felt a bit peckish, but we didn’t have enough time to cook anything, to my disappointment. The fragrant spirit tea bolstered my flagging energy and helped me wake up. Good. I would need all of my wits about me when dealing with my uncle.

  My plan was simple, the new one that was. Now that things had come to this point, I didn’t see the need to try and be subtle. With Senior Lucille in our custody, we could hold her hostage and force my uncle to let me marry Willow. That way, Clan Stone Pillar wouldn’t be breaking the agreement. This, plus the benefits that came with marrying me, would be enough to convince Grandmother Ava and the elders of Clan Stone Pillar.

  This plan came with its own drawbacks, such as earning the undying ire of my uncle and the rest of Clan Wind Dance, but I was fine with that. It wasn’t as if I cared how they felt about me anyway. They had aligned themselves with the Thousand Blade Sect, and I was a divine demon of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. That alone made me their enemy, and vice versa.

  My cousin, Lucius, was the exception. However, that might change after tonight’s events. I kidnapped his mother. No relationship could survive something like that without suffering damage. While Lucius and Senior Lucille weren’t that close, as far as I remembered, they were still mother and son. If someone kidnapped my mother, assuming they were powerful enough to, I would hold a grudge against them. I just hoped Lucius would be able to forgive me when this was all over.

  I relayed my thoughts to the others. The four of us sat around the dining room table, drinking our spirit tea. Willow smirked, Harlow looked annoyed, and Ellen wore a calm expression on her face.

  “If you were going to resort to force anyway,” Harlow said, still cross. “Why didn’t you do so in the first place?”

  I shrugged.

  “My first plan would’ve allowed us to avoid a lot of trouble.” I said. “However, now that we’ve reached this point, I didn’t see the point in trying anymore.” I looked at Willow. “What do you think? This situation affects you and your clan a great deal. Your opinion matters most here.”

  Willow mulled it over.

  “I prefer it this way.” She said. “Breaking the agreement wouldn’t have reflected well on my clan, even if we made it look like Clan Wind Dance’s fault. This way, we can maintain our honor and integrity.”

  Harlow snorted.

  “Yes,” she said in a sardonic tone, “Kidnapping a woman and holding her hostage. How honorable.”

  “Exactly!” Willow said in a cheerful voice. “We might end up looking like brutish thugs, but at least we’re brutish thugs that keep our word.”

  I chuckled at that.

  “Well, from a certain point of view, I’m the villain here.” I said. “I did kidnap my… Aunt, after all, and I plan on using her to coerce my uncle into giving me what I want.”

  Willow’s expression turned solemn.

  “You stopped Senior Lucille from killing a building full of innocent people.” She said. “Even if they were the dregs of society, they didn’t deserve to be murdered like that. No matter what you might think, I will never think of you as the villain here.”

  I gave her a wry smile and shook my head.

  “My actions put those people in danger in the first place.” I said. “I just took responsibility for my mistakes.”

  Harlow placed her elbow on the dining table and rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

  “There are plenty of cultivators who would’ve washed their hands of the situation and run away.” She pointed out, a little less cross than before. “As a whole, cultivators are a greedy and selfish bunch. We have to be. There are only so many resources and opportunities to go around. Risking your life to save a bunch of strangers is admirable and righteous.” She snorted. “It also makes you look like a pushover to be taken advantage of.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion.

  “Did Ellen tell you to say that?” I asked, glancing at my first wife.

  Ellen maintained her clam expression and sipped her tea.

  “Yes,” Harlow admitted, “She promised to give me some of her poison in exchange.”

  Ellen paused, she narrowed her eyes at the younger woman.

  “What?” Harlow asked. “You never swore me to silence.”

  Ellen regarded her for several moments, before sighing.

  “Even if tonight’s events paint you as a villain, that isn’t the end of the world, Darian.” Willow said. “At the end of the day, cultivators respect strength above all else. As an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, you fought against a Golden Core cultivator and captured her alive. That’s an impressive feat.”

  “I was lucky.” I pointed out.

  If I didn’t have all those talismans that I looted off of the Golden Core cultivator that I killed back in the Howling Desert province, I wouldn’t have survived against Senior Lucille. And I only managed to kill said Golden Core cultivator because of the treasure talisman that I acquired in the Violet Desert hidden realm.

  “Luck is also part of a cultivator’s strength.” Willow pointed out.

  I sighed and decided not to respond.

  “Let us head to the Qilin Palace.” I said instead. “It’s time we put an end to this situation once and for all.”

  The others glanced at each other, before nodding. With that, the four of us headed towards Qilin Palace in order to confront my uncle.

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  This chapter was edited by Radriel7