Martial Teyvat Chapter 74

The sounds of soft footfalls on thick carpet rang out as a seductive beauty strode across the massive room that had a long series of windows that stretched up to the high ceiling that let in plenty of natural light for the massive room.

The room was entirely designed with one word in mind. Comfort, every surface from the floor to the pits in the floor that became beds, lounges, and even the walls were very well padded and covered in soft spirit beast furs that were enchanted with cleaning array's.

"You are staring at that gem in the distance again ufufu." The Joyou Union matriarch spoke with a cruel giggle as she leaned on the railing past her 'husband' and the so-called Patriarch of the Sect.

The Patriarch gave a sniff, and with a somehow even more feminine voice he spoke coldly. "Of course, I stare longingly at such a treasure trove that is a constant slap to my face each day."

"That little boy built a factory to carry someone to immortality to the very east of my mountains windows. Every morning as the sun rises... I have to imagine that boy swimming through and wasting countless pills and elixers!"

The Matriach giggled with a seductive sway to her hips as she gave a hip bump to the man who had castrated himself of his loins so that he could duel cultivate even better with both women... And men with her, saying teasingly.

"O,h it's not just the elixers that vexes you so... It's Jake Bariss himself you want. The Yang Returning Body, the Dragon Spilling Immortal Body. It has several names, but for you... Ufufu it has so much more value, doesn't it haha!"

The Patriarch gave her a cold look before he said with a cold smile. "You laugh so much... Yet you also know I could just replace you with him. He would be so much more controllable, and with his pure yang infusion, I could leap over the Dragon's Gate and become a true immortal and shed my half man and half woman state." 

There was a moment of silence before the Matriach said calmly as she took out her favorite heavily curved crimson dagger that made the Patriach's face pinch at the sight of the blade that made him lose his testes.

"Oh? I am not so worried about you. More than half of the Joyous Union Sect is made of women who I have trained... Very well in fact. And you? This half-man, half-woman thing. Even if you become a true woman, I think it's more likely for Cloud Retainer or Song Cleaver to cut you down for the monster you are." 

The Patriarch snorted and said with cruel amusement. "Regardless of your little orphanage of whores you took in and 'raised' so well. I don't think either of them would go after me. If I report directly to Lord Morax with my power of divinity and help hold the gates of the Abyss for a century or two." 

The Matriarch had no cutting reply for that... Merely a cold snort before she said coldly. "So you say. But if you believe the news that Jake Bariss has cut ties with Lord Morax and Liyue Harbor, be the fool who tests the waters. My bet is Lord Morax himself is just waiting to crush whoever tries to touch his golden goose with a mountain."

The Patriarch merely smiled and with another snort the Matriarch strode away with a seductive sway to her hips. Though the Patriarch paid no attention to the witch's movements as he knew all too well that her 'sweetness' was just poison.

After the Matriarch left, he looked back towards the east. Towards Jake Bariss's alchemy factory. Which could be the solution to the Joyous Union's weak individual strength. Granted, alchemy and pill-enhanced cultivation also had it's issues.

It could also aid in dual cultivation itself. Not only could it allow its cultivators to use pills to turn the mortal slaves they captured from outside of Liyue into some cultivation to aid in the disciples' growth.

But it would also, most importantly, help firm up their foundations!

There remained the issue. "Those damned elders tried to rob that damned factory!" He muttered in slight annoyance at the reminder of those dead elder's who had gotta too complacent with their hollow strength and challenged Cloud Retainer's disciples, which drew that particular mother bird from her nest.

"Lord Morax and Cloud Retainer have both invaded the Abyss to push it back for the next few weeks. So if I am to do a big move... It would need to be done now before any other sects decide to test Jake and make him either move back into the arms of Liyue Harbor or another sect." The Patriarch mused as his peak Nascent Soul cultivation stirred.