Gao Chen PoV
I stared down at the passed out Li Yichen with confusion, my mind attempting to understand what exactly just happened.
She pleaded for me to not only continue to have sex with her, but also to stay by her side at night, like a child.
Why?
Shouldn't this little woman hate me?
So why is she begging for me to continue to abuse her and remain by her side?
Frowning, I started stroking her black hair, going through a few possibilities as she slept fitfully.
Listening to her labored breathing, I shrugged as I could only come to a few conclusions, none of which made sense.
The first was that the woman sleeping beside me had started to love me, which I couldn't comprehend; I raped her day in and day out, and now she loves me?
Did I break her?
The next was that there was something inside this Palace that scared her more than me.
Which was undeniably false.
None of my Servants were strong, all of the excess Maids were little more then pretty flowers with frail petals, and I was the only true Cultivator inside of my Palace.
I was the apex of this Shimmering Palace, so what could have frightened her more than me?
Casting my Qi sense out into the surroundings, I scanned the entirety of the Palace, which only made my frown deepen.
I had reached a certain point in Cultivation where there were few above me, and those that were above would never resort to trickery; not inside this Sect, anyways.
Their idiotic pride and arrogance made sure of that.
Besides, I couldn't find even an ounce of foreign Qi inside my walls, and unless it was the Matriarch or Lady Ai, no one could enter and leave my Palace with no trace left behind.
Pursing my lips, I glanced back down at Li Yichen's bare body, coming to the conclusion that, while she may have aged physically, her mentality was still young.
She was likely scared of the dark, fearing for things that weren't even there.
Sighing, I stared at her, time drifting by as I thought of ways to strengthen her mind.
My little bunny would need it over the years, but especially now; any unneeded stress on her could affect my child, which I wasn't going to tolerate going forwards.
From now on I was going to treat this woman like she was made from fragile jade, giving her ample care and attention lest she shatter.
She was my ticket to true, utter power, and I wanted to capitalize on her family to the best of my abilities, to help myself reach the true pinnacle of this world.
To do so, I needed her to bear me children, and if I broke her before then, I was going to be in lots of trouble; both because of her family, maybe, but also because even if I threw myself at Li Hui Ling, I would be restricted.
We may have had a few fun nights together, but the eldest of the Li Family was still much like me; dominant and demanding of her women.
She wouldn't accept me having fun on my own, and I would need to service her, which might be fun for a few nights, but I would definitely despise doing it every night.
As for Li Fen, she was an enigma; her silent, emotionless way of carrying herself wasn't a facade like her older sister Yi'er; I didn't know what the woman felt for me, and I wasn't willing to take that risk.
So, I needed to guarantee Yi'er continued to live and consider herself 'whole', which meant treating her with care.
Sighing, I leaned against the headboard and held her close to me, taking another hit from my pipe.
The Orange Nettla Leaf was soothing to smoke, and it was one of my guilty pleasures in life.
"What am I supposed to do with you..?"
Whispering so as to not disturb her, I sighed again as I stared at Yi'er, my thoughts returning to her actions.
Maybe I have broken her; this last session might have well and truly done it.
Maybe she was already broken before, and now I am finally getting to see the damage caused by years of neglect and solitude.
A wry smile appeared on my lips as I realized that I had some grueling nights ahead of me; gentle lovemaking wasn't really my forte, nor did it fulfill me as much as rough sex did.
I would need to make sure I had Yi'er with Bao so that I could go satiate my urges with the others, before retiring for the night with the little bunny.
However, I think this break might do me some good; lessening my need for constant pleasure might benefit my cultivation, and I could do with a few months of harsh Saber training...
Nodding, I put out my pipe and closed my eyes, searching through my memory of pill recipes and Inscriptions to try and find something beneficial for Li Yichen.
Maybe a Qi Gathering Circle, or some Whirlpool Refinement Pills to speed up her Water Qi refinement.
Besides that, I should start creating some protective clothes, jewelry, and charms for her, just in case.
I doubt there would be anyone stupid enough to attempt to harm the useless daughter of the Li Family, but if there is one guarantee in life, its that a Cultivator is never to be underestimated.
Mainly their lack of rational thought, but still.
Pulling Yi'er closer to my chest, I drifted off to 'sleep', entering a meditative state as I thought up more and more ideas to keep this little bunny in my arms safe and stable over the next few years.
What I wasn't aware of was the shadowy figure crouching on Li Yichen's chest, a twisted grin on its blank, smooth face as it leaned down towards her face.
I didn't even hear it whisper "Yes, you would do well for a Regent, oh broken one..."