Gasping, I exited my cultivation, my dantian throbbing painfully from fullness.
Half of it was filled with refined Water Qi, while the other half was that black vapor, pushing and pressing against my dantian's walls.
It hurt, but the pain receded with every breath, the vapors condensing into droplets of dark, murky Water Qi.
Calming my racing heart, I glanced around as I heard "Li Yichen..." whispered on the wind, my brows furrowed as I tried to locate the speaker.
However, there was no one in sight, nor anyone nearby that I could detect with my Qi.
The voice was also one I didn't recognize; it was raspy and low, yet strangely feminine at the same time.
Youthful and melodic at times, then raspy and twisted...
Seeing me rise, Bao walked over to me, her features slightly worried as I glanced around.
"Young Miss?"
Hearing her voice, I frowned before sighing, shaking my head.
"Come..."
Turning towards the door, I cast the thought from my mind, not wishing to know who was whispering my name.
Only troubles came from things like that, and while I was curious, I was also frightened...
Walking through the long, cold halls of the Shimmering Palace, Bao and I eventually reached Gao Chen's room, with the Tigress bowing to me before returning to her own duties, as no one but Gao Chen or I could enter this room, without her permission anyways...
Slipping inside, I glanced around at the decorated room, making my way over to the shelves on the left, my eyes taking in the titles of the books and manuals, while the scrolls had plaques to describe their contents.
'The Art of Seduction'
'Mantis Stalks the Cicada'
'Steel Lotus Saber Arts'
'Wu Lu Dong, Forgotten Nirvana'
'Dragon Saint Portrait'
There were dozens more, and the variety from each work of literature made me feel giddy.
The manuals were intriguing, the books on various fantastical stories and Cultivator biographies piqued my interest, and the art scrolls likely had beautiful colors and immaculate line work...
However, even as these wondrous papers laid before me, my heart slowly wilted as the silence bore down on my mind.
Right now, Gao Chen was-
Gritting my teeth, I stormed over to the bed, grabbing the 'Tale of Hua Jieyu, the Golden Empress' and opening it to its first page.
I had cultivated for a long time today, so I needed to unwind, and the best thing for me was to lose myself to the words written down by someone more talented than myself, letting the characters filled my mind as I tried to lull myself to sleep.
And yet, as I read the romance novel in my hands, I found myself rooting for not Hua Jieyu, the Golden Empress and main character, but her maid, Du Lo.
During the beginning of the novel, its alluded to that Du Lo wishes to comfort and care for her Mistress, the Empress, when no one else does.
However, when Hua Jieyu strengthens her resolve and marries multiple women, going through trial after trial to court and wed them, Du Lo is forgotten, cast aside.
And yet, she remained beside her love, helping and serving the Golden Empress till she grew older, her beauty fading and wilting away.
The book spans millennia, but Du Lo couldn't maintain the same pace as the Golden Empress, and old age gradually catches up to her; she watched on from the side as the Golden Empress cultivated a happy, harmonious family around herself, but Hua Jieyu would confess to Du Lo that something was missing all this time.
When her faithful maid passes at the end of the novel, Hua Jieyu realizes what she was missing; the comfort that her maid provided, the counsel and advice the lower woman provided to the woman she served and loved.
Overcome with sadness at her passing, angry at herself for never rewarding and caring for her maid properly, Hua Jieyu ventures forth to the Underworld to get her back, and so ends the first novel.
Realizing that I had read through the entirety in one sitting, I stared blankly down at the pages, my heart aching.
Du Lo had been pitiful, having to watch as her love strode out and found other women, before having to watch over their children, and their children children, all while she herself remained untouched, unloved by her Mistress.
The book resonated with me, especially in this very moment.
Glancing to my side, I saw the large, luxurious bed was empty, the gray streaked hair of Gao Chen no where to be seen.
The room was filled with various items, some of which exuded a heat that kept the room warm, but I shivered as a chill swept in.
Everything around me was empty, and I was back to be alone.
My cold, dreary cage had been upgraded and improved, but it was still nothing more than a cage, a cell to keep me captive and locked away.
I was alone again.
All.
Alone.
"Li Yichen..."
Hearing something whisper my name again, I jumped, my eyes raking across the room as I tried to locate the source of the voice.
"Gao Chen?!"
My whisper filled the silent air, but nothing responded.
With a pounding heart, I looked around in fright, desperately trying to locate who whispered my name.
I checked every last corner, be it under the bed, the drawers, the shelves...
Every last inch of the room was searched, but I found nothing.
Moving back to the bed, I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my face into them, not knowing what to do.
I was scared.
I was alone.
Sobbing softly, I eventually brought the sheets over my body and head, rolling myself up in their softness as I shut my eyes, hoping that it was only my sanity slipping, and that there wasn't someone watching me.
As I drifted to sleep, I didn't hear the soft cackle that filled the room, nor did I see the vapor from my turquoise coin form a figure that stood beside me, staring down at me with an expressionless mask.