CC6 -ch17-

Seventeen

Ash looked around and felt a smile immediately curl his lips.

Wahst was booming.

While no one could really leave unless they were part of the Brides and Knights, it was obvious the city had received a great number of people from around the fortress.

Because the whole of the once prison was indeed a fortress now.

This was a fallback point that couldn’t be accessed without a great deal of work by outsiders. Anyone and everyone inside would be part of that fortress even if they didn’t know it.

Doesn’t hurt that Brides have gone insane in Wahst and rebuilt… everything.

Shaking his head, Ash was still floored at that fact.

Wahst had been rebuilt from the ground up and was quite lovely.

Materials had been brought in, Brides to facilitate construction, and a great deal of effort had been put in. Transforming the city into something altogether different.

“Heights and Lake-City are also looking quite good! Lake-City is an entirely Bride city though. All the citizens from there were relocated to Heights, Wahst, and a few other places.

“It’s a gigantic garrison city where they can come and go from.

“There’s no crime there so no one really minds leaving their homes unattended to for long periods of time. Though more than a few Sheng Alliance members have been hired as house-keepers, pet watchers, gardeners and the like.

“The Knights are forming their own city in a similar way. It’s being carved into the ice beside the ice lake. Then having buildings built into the ground there. They seem to like the cold and don’t mind it.”

Mm.

And Ghast took up residence here in Ghast?

“Indeed! She’s realm lord and prefers the sect in Wahst as a central location. It’s a really good place to recruit Knights and Brides into the fold and people are always coming here.”

Starting to walk again, Ash joined the flow of people moving out of the market.

No one noticed him and he was but one more person amongst the crowd.

He had managed to talk everyone out of coming with him.

At least, everyone except Na.

She was walking along at his side in normal clothes. Her eyes moving from person to person that was near them.

As far as he could tell, Rou really had solved the plague, though through a means he still didn’t quite agree with. He was more than certain that others might have died from her treatment.

The alternative, where Na, Jia, and Mei weren’t part of his life, was that untenable to them that they’d taken the drastic action.

“Yes, Husband? I feel your eyes,” Na murmured, never looking away from the crowd.

“Just glad you’re back, Na. I missed you,” Ash said earnestly. “Dear wife, did you not realize it was just as hard on me that you were gone, as it was for you to be away?”

Na quite literally tripped over her own feet and nearly went crashing into the stones as if she were Xiuying. Only being saved by Ash’s reaction and grabbing her at the elbow.

“Goodness, are you taking Fortune’s Chosen lessons from Xiu? Do I need to hold on tight to you?” Ash teased and then firmly wrapped his arm through hers. Preventing her from pulling away.

“I’m sorry I just… ah… I’m… I’m glad to be back. I just was a bit taken aback that you truly missed me,” Na explained, her free hand coming to rest on his arm.

Grinning, Ash didn’t press her further and just walked her to the Sect.

“I’m your wife,” Na blurted out suddenly as they took the last turn before they would reach the front of the sect.

“You sure are, Na Sheng. Did that time away finally cause you to realize that?” Ash asked, glancing over at her.

“Yes. To a degree,” she answered, meeting his eyes as he turned to look at her. She had been staring at him. “Hui made me realize it. I’m your Handmaiden and wife. She is your Strategist and wife. I can be both and your recognition will not be lesser for it.”

My recognition.

More and more people refer to me as Lord Sheng and even I myself realize I am not who I once was.

Lord Sheng.

The pair of Knights and Brides standing as sentries at the front of the sect saw him and hesitated for only a moment before they all performed a salute for him. They had clearly been expecting him and that wasn’t a surprise.

Ghast knew he was coming to speak with her after all.

“I’m… I want to go see that Bridal Party that refuses to separate. They’re here and asked me to come speak to them,” Na murmured and then squeezed his arm with her hand as they walked through the entrance to the sect. Pulling away from him she looked back to him, smiled, and then started off toward one of the buildings.

Mentally reaching out, Ash took hold of the Bond that linked him to Ghast and began following it. He imagined she would likely be in the quarters he had been in, or around them.

There had been more than a few rooms he had set up since he had expected to remain here for a while.

Sure enough, as he began moving toward it he immediately knew that it was where he had been sleeping when he was here. A room and living area that was nearly attached to his work-room where he had fashioned the golems.

Several Brides were guarding the doors and opened them for him as he came toward them.

Entering, Ash found that the living quarters had been transformed.

It was quite womanly in it’s decoration now. Feminine and mature, yet also brightly colored.

There were also a large number of weapons, training dummies, and more than a few large dolls. Life sized dolls that were standing about on stands, free-standing, or sitting around.

“Ah, Ashley!” said a warm and bright voice, causing him to look over to the speaker.

Ren Ghast, his Bridal Realm Lord, was standing near a small table.

She was a woman who was nearly perfect in every way and every time he saw her, he always found himself wondering how she existed as a person, rather than a figment of imagination.

With a shape and form to her physical dimensions that were ideal. Her contours and curves were always eye-catching even without her clothes emphasizing it.

Today she was in a Bridal uniform that managed to bring the eye to her torso and waist and was hard to look away from.

She had facial features that existed as if they had been placed down to the milimeter. Excatly where they should be and in the perfect dimensions.

A skin tone and complexion that was pale, perfect, and free of any and all blemishes.

Clean, sharp lines for her jaw and nose that also refined her look and gave her an elegant air.

Ghast’s full lips were turned up in a smile that she often wore.

Her long pale-brown hair was pulled back behind her head, except for a set of bangs that framed her beautiful face. Brown eyes which were so light in color they were almost green.

“My lady Ghast,” Ash said, returning the smile. He was glad that she currently had her Dao off.  He hadn’t really wanted to deal with the overwhelming urge to kiss her. A problem that’d been solved by him carving controls for her Dao into her back.

“I am indeed your lady,” she said, moving over to him in a way that matched the proud, self-assured, mature woman that she was. A gait that presented herself exactly as she was.

Upon reaching him she caught him up in a hug which was quite unlike herself.

Pressing him in close and tight.

“Your lady Ghast is here for you, Lord Sheng,” she whispered, her hands pressing hard to his back as if to keep him here forever. “Here for you in whatever way you need her.

“And before you fret over it, I’m rather glad my Dao is now the most perfect Bride for Lord Sheng. I’ve already seen my figure shifting, I lost an inch of my height, and my strength and stamina have gone up considerably!

“I’m much stronger as a combatant than I ever was previously. It’s quite nice!”

Ash sighed, grinned, and shook his head.

He hugged Ghast in return and did his best not to think about the fact that he really did have a thing for mature women. Even without her Dao boring a hole through his head and libido, he didn’t want to let her go.

“Would you tell me what it is you need most of me? Of your dedicated lady Ghast? As your Bridal Realm Lord, I’ll do anything within my power to assist,” Ghast asked, unreleasing him, though she did allow the strength in her hands to diminish. Though it seemed she only did that to begin running her hands back and forth across his back.

Awkwardly, Ash let his hands slide down to Ghast’s lower back.

Having the “Most perfect Bride” in his arms was causing his brain to partially fail. His focus was dropping. Because she did seem to be the most perfect Bride already to him.

Damnit all.

Between Siu, Ghast, and you, I’ll never know peace, will I?

“No. But you’ll at least know pleasure.”

“I need you personally, Ren,” Ash mumbled. “Either your allowance and forgiveness, or your personal assistance.”

Ghast turned her head partially and her left hand came up. Her fingernails slid through his hair and she pushed ever so gently on him till his head was on her shoulder.

“The new realm that I’ll be incorporating is going to take time,” he continued, not fighting her. “Time to build up and truly begin gaining resources. We could easily take them over by force, they’re all citizens, but I don’t think it’d help us in the long term.

“I would prefer it being done slowly and over time.

“With that in mind, I think I need you or… or Si’Sha. It’s a realm without Qi so I need someone who can generate it and then filter it to others, or who can receive and store great quantities of Qi, and distribute it back out”

“Oh, now I see why you would wish my allowance or forgiveness,” she said with a throaty chuckle. “You’re going to make me give up my prisoner, hm?”

“Only if you’re willing and if Si’Sha would agree,” explained Ash. “Otherwise I’d ask you to go there and put someone else in charge here. I’m not sure who but I’m sure we could find someone appropriate.”

“Well… would you be surprised to find out I talk with Si’Sha often?” Ghast asked, sounding almost thoughtful to him. “I visit the Hall and talk to her at least once a day.

“While we were enemies before hand, I find that she and I have a lot of shared problems and concerns that we didn’t realize.

“Primarily amongst them we both had the inability to have a positive relationship in our lives. No father figures, no significant other, no colleagues.

“Locke was the one to suggest it to both of us and I think we both agreed if only to say that we weren’t the argumentative one.”

“That’s true.”

“It didn’t take long for us to realize we’re awfully similar. I couldn’t date anyone because it was undermined by my position and Dao. She couldn’t date anyone because anyone in our sphere ultimately aimed for me,” Ghast remarked, her left hand idly curling through Ash’s hair. Her right still moving to and fro across his back. “That’s obviously not really an issue anymore as I’m a Bride of Sheng and she’s a prisoner.”

“So… you wouldn’t mind me attempting to recruit Si’Sha? The realm she’d been administering will be difficult,” Ash started.

“Yes. Very. I’m sure Liu and I will need to assist often. That’s quite fine, though,” Ghast interrupted. “It’s fine. I’ll speak with Si’Sha and recruit her. Leave it to me.

“There’s no need for you to talk to her till I tell you it’s time. She takes a bit to warm up to things.”

“She’s afraid you’ll make a move on Si’Sha.

“To be fair, she’s a mature woman, attractive, and aggressive.

“Which in the past you’ve had a fascination with. Tala, Hui, Mei, Myself.

“So I can’t blame her for caution. But it just won’t do, really.”

“My lady Ghast, I’ll speak with her when I’m ready to do so,” Ash chided her soothingly. “Have no fear, you’re the most perfect Bride I’ve ever met and will be. I’d also like to set up more frequent meetings. For you and I.”

“I’d very much like that,” Ghast admitted, then turned her head and kissed him.

Ash didn’t fight it.

He had gotten what he wanted out of her.

Si’Sha would be instrumental in making the modern Realm work.

She generated Qi and could partition it off to others. The very essence of “Ideal” for that realm.

There was no way he was going to make the offer without talking to Ghast first.

Then Ren opened her mouth, her tongue moved forward, and she touched his own with it. Only to retract it but keep her mouth open.

An invitation if there was one.

“Oh… just sleep with her. It’s fine. Her being a Bridal Realm Lord, which really is almost the same rank as Siu as the Bridal Commander, makes it justified.”

Even as Locke said it, he realized that meant she expected him to sleep with Liu and Si’Sha at some point.

“Let’s try missionary with Ren. She’s so pretty,” urged Locke with a growl to her words. “It’d be criminal to not be gazing down at her when we push in.”

Locke… I swear… this isn’t…

“Put your hand to her face as you do it. I love it when you do that. Right on her cheek and behind her jaw. Oh! And say her name. Her full name. Ren Sheng. Say her name as you slowly move inside her.

“Say her name, gaze into her eyes, and then kiss her once you reach the hilt.”

Okay, Locke.

Okay.

As weird as it was, as awkward as the thoughts being sent his way felt, he knew for a fact that Locke only ever steered him to becoming Lord Sheng and as powerful as he could be.

There were too many people depending on him to do any less now.

He pushed his tongue into Ren’s mouth and tightened his arms around her.

***

Meditating, Ash considered what it meant to be Lord Sheng.

For the Brides, the Knights, the Sheng Alliance, the prince-consort to Ju, and the realm as a whole.

As well as what and who the One Emperor had been.

Because what Ash came to realize in all of this is that people died twice.

The first time was when their body failed.

The second was when their name ceased to be spoken.

In the case of the One Emperor, the man was well and truly dead save for perhaps a dozen people who knew he had existed. That he was well and truly gone to the point that he wasn’t even a myth.

Directing his attention to his middle Dantian Ash realized it was complete.

His thoughts of who he was and what he was was quite solid and firm. Fully formed and no longer as maleable as they had been even just a few eeks ago.

How many realms did the One Emperor have.

If we assume that the middle realm is just like the lower realm, and the higher realm is as well, then we’d need… five realm lords.

For now, Bridal Realm Lords.

Though it’s likely there will be other types of Realm Lords at some point.

Like Gen being a Realm Lord and working with the royal family.

For now I have Liu, Si’Sha, and Ghast Or… Ren, I guess. It isn’t fair to call her Ghast anymore and she doesn’t seem to like the name.

“That’s because she’s Ren Sheng, not Ren Ghast. She doesn’t like you calling her by her maiden name. No one does.”

Ren Sheng.

As if in response to his thoughts, a sudden flood of fuzzy, warm, and rather cuddly thoughts pushed at him from the silver pillar that was Ren Sheng.

She always seemed to somehow know if he was thinking abou ther.

After having spent the evening with her for both dinner and bedroom entertainment she had only become even more cognizant of him it felt like.

That and cuddly.

Extremely cuddly.

More than anyone else.

Even Xiuying or Tala wasn’t as cuddly as Ren Sheng was.

He had no doubt that if he entered the Manse or the Hall without someone, she’d run him down and cuddle him bodily until he made a move on her.

Which he knew he would.

Shaking his head, he threw his thoughts off of Ren and her rather ‘pink’ feelings she’d been pitching his way. They didn’t end, but he did manage to ignore them.

“I can’t live for me anymore,” Ash said in a final moment of clarity as he gazed out as his middle Dantian.

It looked massive now.

Massive, filled with statues, and more of them appearing all the time.

Knights simply appeared in the Dao now, rather than outside of it. Some way or another, they’d illicited a change that brought them in without any help from him.

“No,” Locke said, her voice coming from beside him.

He was sat down in the valley where he had found the One Emperors ring.

Oddly enough, it felt like where he had begun this journey was the spot to be at the current point of his adventure.

“I’m sorry, Ashley. Even though we’re not fighting the veils as I thought we would be, you’re still my Chosen One. I don’t think you coming to this realm was outside of fate,” Locke apologized, a warm pair of arms suddenly wrapping around Ash from behind. “I’m not sorry at the same time though. I’m very happy with where we are as a couple.”

Ash grinned, nodded his head, then reached up to put his hands on her hands.

“I’m Lord Sheng,” confirmed Ash. “Your Husband and Chosen One. I’m here to restore the realms to what they should be. Balanced, an equal momentum flowing through all of them, and constantly cycling. A river.

“In the fullness of t—”

There was a sudden flare in his middle Dantian from Liu.

It was distress and concern.

“Liu just came into the Hall. The signal bonfires from the east have been lit,” Locke murmured from his shoulder a second before she laid her head down on it. “Which means Hu Langye and his kingdom is being invaded. Has been invaded.

“In practice, the signal bonfires can be quick. Assuming everyone is paying attention. Even then… it’s likely the invasion occurred hours and hours ago.

“Though we have no idea what kind of invasion. That’s along a veil line.”

As he sat there, still looking into his Dantian, Ash felt his Dao stir.

An echo had washed through it that he recognized to a degree.

Fate was now calling him onward. It’s momentum and flow was altering.

His personal momentum was changing course.

“To the east we go,” he proclaimed as he felt everything shift and change. “At least my middle Dantian is done, I suppose. Though… that’s still quite weird.”

Ash turned his senses upward. Likely to where his upper Dantian was, from inside his middle Dantian.

A blue plane that looked more like an amorphous blob of cloud was still there. It was expanding and seemed to be slowly taking shape.