Gao Chen PoV
Watching as Lady Ai pulled Li Yichen off towards one of the halls off to the side, I pursed my lips slightly as I was left alone in front of two King Realm women, a Dharma Realm Forgemaster, and finally...
A Half Deity, the mom of my fiancee to be, and the Matriarch of the Moonlit Orchard.
The woman leaned forwards, her piercing blue eyes fixed on me as I sat in front of her, whilst her three new concubines all glanced between her and me.
"Chen'er..."
Her voice was raspy and authoritative, and I stiffened under her strict gaze, barely managing to keep my voice steady as I responded "Yes Matriarch?!"
The three concubines stared at me, and the tanned dancer like woman chuckled, covering her plump lips as she glanced at her new wife.
"Tell me, honestly..."
Narrowing her gaze, the Matriarch's Qi pressure washed over me, and I shivered as I got the feeling that I was staring up at a giant, unwavering tree that towered well into the heavens...
Meanwhile, I was naught but an ant crawling amongst its roots.
"Do you truly love my daughter, Li Yichen?"
I gulped at her question, blinking a few times as I wondered how to word my answer.
Did I love the little bunny that squealed in my bed every night?
Was that the feeling I had whenever I held her in my arms after a long, passionate session spent entwined with one another?
I had noticed that I had been feeling... weird lately.
My heart clenched when I thought of people speaking badly of her.
I felt odd when I thought of the desolate room she had lived in all those years.
Something inside of me cracked when I saw those broken eyes.
But was it love?
Did I have the capability of love?
I knew I had the capability to lust; after all, each of my Servants were hand picked due to how I relished in defiling their bodies.
How they screamed and moaned under me whenever I got aroused.
Licking my parched lips, I took a deep breath as I stared at the woman I most respected, my choice made.
"I... I don't know. What is love? How would I know if I felt it? I feel things for Yi'er, but I don't know what it is? I'm happy that she is with my child. I want to see the baby that she bears for me, to hold them in my arms before teaching them..."
Trailing off, I bit my lip as I picked up the teacup before me, the pressure spiking slightly as I spoke.
Taking a sip, I felt sweat build on my brow as the Matriarch eyes hardened, before she sighed.
Leaning back into her chair, the Matriarch waved her hand, resulting in each of her new concubines getting up as they bowed and left, as well as her eldest daughter, Li Hui Ling leaving us alone.
"That is a question you need to seek answers for on your own. I... I am not the one to seek for those answers. I've felt little over my years of life. I still feel little. That lack of feeling was what resulted in where my family is at today. Ling'er is a healthy mix of Ai'er and I, whilst Fen'er... Fen'er is too much like me."
Getting up, the Matriarch sighed softly as she turned away, approaching one of the many trees that grew inside the Serenity Hall.
"As for Yi'er... she is like neither of us, but also too much like both of us. She is an enigma, one that I had no idea how to nurture. Ling'er and Fen'er yearned for power, for higher Cultivation, but Yi'er didn't. She never did. I hoped that maybe, just maybe, being near you would spurn her on. After all, that little girl fell for you when she first met you. She smiled so brightly when you would visit.
Sadly, those memories of hers have been locked away, sealed from herself. Now, all that remains of that bright little girl is..."
Peering over her shoulder, the Matriarch's eye shone a silvery gold, the contrasting colors merging perfectly as she whispered "Broken. I know what happened, Chen'er. Ai'er doesn't, not unless our daughter tells her about it. But I know. I know what transpired inside that Shimmering Palace of yours."
My heart leapt to my throat at her words, but I grew confused as she sighed again, turning back to the tree.
"And yet, such a thing finally reignited what little drive she had, and for the moment, Yi'er has found her purpose again. She is resuming her journey through life instead of letting it stagnate... Don't worry... I care not that you forced yourself on her. Even with how reserved she has become, I can tell that she has found happiness inside her twisted, dark heart. In fact..."
Reaching up, the Matriarch plucked a fruit from the branch of the tree, all the while my heart raced and clenched in my chest.
She knew?!
W-Why didn't she do something then?
Will she do something now?
Before my mind could think of more possibilities, my hand shot up to catch the fruit that had sailed swiftly towards my face.
Staring at the golden apple, I frowned as I glanced back up at the Matriarch.
"You might just find the answer to your questions if you spend more time with Yi'er now, Gao Chen. Something has sprouted inside her heart, and I don't think it is hatred. Talk with her, not as a lesser woman that warms your bed, but as a fiancee and a future wife. Speak with one another, discuss the future."
Plucking another fruit, she took a bite from it and nodded, the pressure radiating from her body dropping as she added "However, should you hurt her again..."
Clenching her fist, the apple in her hand exploded, before it was brought back via her Celestial Qi.
Her blue eyes grew sharp as she growled "I will pluck each and every meridian from your body before tossing you out to the Koblin Demonic Sect to be used as a crucible. Do I make myself clear?"
I trembled as that pressure returned a thousand fold, my body shaking like a leaf in a hurricane as the air in my lungs got stuck.
"Y-Y-Yes!"
I nodded as much as I could, and after another moment that dragged on for eternity, that pressure yet again vanished.
"Good. I may not feel much, but anger is something I am still entirely capable of."
My knees were weak, and I still shivered as she sat back down in her throne, her eyes taking on a lonely, tired shine as she muttered "It is all I feel."
Gulping, I collapsed into my chair, before my head turned towards the sound of a door being opened.
Walking inside was Lady Ai, a large smile on her face, whilst Li Yichen shuffled behind her, a small, beautiful smile on her lips.