We waited for a few minutes, the silence inside the hall reaching deafening levels as each second ticked by.
Remaining motionless, I stared at the inscribed wooden door before us, reciting 'Qiang the Round Bear' in my mind over and over as time passed.
When Li Hui Ling finally arrived, we were alerted by An opening the wooden doors and letting her in, my eyes instantly landing on the figure of my sister.
She stood above even Gao Chen, easily in the mid sixes, and her height was only made more towering by the two long ears that sprouted from her head, denoting her Moon Rabbit bloodline.
Li Hui Ling was a lean woman, and her long silvery hair descended down her body in waves, shimmering in the light.
With soft features and a warm smile, my elder sister had captured and broken hundreds of hearts, from the fairest maidens to the bloodiest warriors; her Harem was a diverse place of many women, and with our Mother's blood running through her veins...
Well, I was surprised that the Family Tree wasn't spreading dozens of new branches by now.
Dressed in a spotless white robe, she strode confidently into the hall, her warm smile bringing light to the room with ease.
"Chen'er, Yi'er~! It's been so long since we last saw one another~!"
Her silky voice was gentle and pleasant, and as she drew nearer Gao Chen and I rose, bowing slightly to her.
"Li Hui Ling, thank you for coming to visit my home! Indeed, it's been over a year, no?"
Stepping forwards, Gao Chen grinned at my sister, who covered her plump lips with her silver fan, concealing her grin.
Her blueish gray eyes shone with mirth as she nodded to Gao Chen, her height forcing her to stare down at her.
However, while Gao Chen might normally hate that, she was grinning up at my sister with warmth in those orange eyes, making me shiver slightly.
"Yi'er, are you okay? It's not that cold, is it?"
Unfortunately, my sister caught even that small movement, forcing me to step forwards.
Giving her the best smile I could muster, I shook my head slightly as I said "No, just... tired."
My voice was still raw from last night, and my whisper made her stare at me for another moment.
"Sister, really, I'm fine. Come, we have a feast prepared for you. We can talk as we eat."
My slightly raspy whisper made her eyes narrow, but she was forced to turn back to Gao Chen as she said "Indeed sister in law, we have exciting news to share with you!"
That piqued my sisters curiosity, and she swiftly pushed my abnormalities from her mind, turning towards Da and Bao who stood off to the side.
"If you wish to freshen up first, you can-"
Shaking her head, my sister grinned at Gao Chen as she said "It's fine Chen'er~! I'm famished, so lets eat! Besides, you can't dangle that juicy bait in front of me and pull it away~!"
Smiling back at Li Hui Ling, Gao Chen nodded and walked beside her, leading us into the Shimmering Palace's depths.
Remaining a few steps behind, I folded my arms into my sleeves and stared straight ahead, continuing to recite my book so that I could distract myself from reality.
Reaching Gao Chen's courtyard, we were greeted by Ci as she pulled open the door, revealing three tables laden with steaming cuisine, all arranged in a circle.
Gao Chen sat first, and after I poured her a cup of tea I took my own seat, just a few feet away from her.
Li Hui Ling sat across from us, a smile on her lips as she watched my actions.
"Yi'er, you need to smile more~ You've always looked so melancholic..."
Giving her a small nod, I sat down and 'smiled' gently, pouring my own tea.
With that, she blinked a few times before looking down at her own table, her eyes scanning over each dish before she lifted up the soup bowl, taking sips from the broth.
We all started eating...
Well, they ate, and I picked at the extraordinary plates before me, unable to bring myself to eat.
Of course, that was noticed by my sister, but before she could ask why I didn't touch any food, Gao Chen excitedly said "Oh yeah, sister in law! I broke into the Void Realm around a month ago!"
That made my sister grin as she said "Really~? Chen'er, you're doing even better than I was at your age~! Impressive! We'll have to exchange pointers before I leave~!"
My fiancee nodded enthusiastically, her orange eyes shining with wonder as she stared at my sister, who was lauded as the unparalleled genius of our time.
Gao Chen might have incredible speed in her cultivation, but my sister has good speed and insanely powerful and potent Qi, which is on top of her rare bloodline.
So, of course the idea of receiving some guidance from my sister would get Gao Chen excited.
"Yi'er, have you started the Manual I've given you yet~? You're not having any trouble with it are you~?"
Smiling warmly at me, my sister stared at me, watching as I finished sipping on my tea.
Returning her smile, I shook my head, whispering "Sadly, I've yet to switch from the 'Flowing Palm' Manual to the 'Crashing Wave Technique' Manual as I have only just entered the Soul Formation Realm..."
My sister's normally flawless facade cracked for a moment, her smile stiffening as she heard my words.
"O-Oh, is that so..."
Nodding, I continued to smile at her as I added "Thank you though; when I do eventually reach the Soul Transformation Realm, I'm sure the Manual you sent will fit me perfectly, sister."
She absentmindedly nodded, still staring at me in mild shock.
I could tell what she was thinking...
'At her age I was already a Golden Sage, so she SHOULD have managed to reach Soul Transformation right?!'
Sadly for her, my sister never seemed to realize that, while I may not have her god sent talent, I didn't possess the same drive to cultivate like she did, resulting in such a slow progression...
Returning to the table before me, I decided to try and stomach at least a small amount of food, lifting my chopsticks as I picked at the grilled fish in front of me.
Eating a small bite, I nodded slightly in appreciation of its smoky flavor, taking a second bite moments later.
Silence fell over the courtyard again, and I glanced between my sister, who was still lost in her thoughts, and Gao Chen, who was also glancing between my sister and I.
Coughing gently, Gao Chen got my sisters attention as she said "Well, what we wanted to tell you was..."
Getting up, Gao Chen walked over to me and gently laid her hand on my stomach, making my skin crawl.
"Yi'er is with my child..."
Smiling lovingly down at me, Gao Chen's orange eyes hardened for a moment, before softening as I caressed her hand, already feeling like I needed to scrub it clean.
Returning to staring at my sister, I nodded at her, even as her jaw hung open.
"W-Wait..."
Blinking a few times, she alternated her eyes between our faces and my stomach, before she managed to ask "Y-You... s-she's..."
Hearing her sputtering out words, Gao Chen chuckled softly as she nodded.
"Yi'er is pregnant, and... well, you were the first to know."
My sisters bue gray eyes widened at that, before she got up and hugged me tightly, before her eyes widened further as she released me, gingerly hugging, as if worried she would harm the baby that was barely formed in my womb.
Her and Gao Chen continued talking excitedly about the child in my womb, disgusting me.
One knew that she was raping me daily, the only reason this child existed and would continue to exist being that she was simply too powerful for me to defy, unless I accepted death.
As for the other, she knew nothing of me, so even with my acting today, she would likely chalk it up to me being tired from trying for a child...
My head started to spin as they spoke, and I held my stomach before walking towards the door, excusing myself.
Neither followed behind me, Gao Chen ordering Ci to shadow me as I left the courtyard.