"How are you feeling today?" Huan Ping asked me.

Liu Feng sat on a cushion playing on a flute made of Spirit Jade. The flute was a deep blue and had wave patterns on the flute. She was playing a melody that was supposed to help settle my Qi. The blade's the Fai soldiers used were poisoned. The pill Li Hua gave me had prevented the worst of the poison from doing irreparable harm. I hadn't really paid much attention to my father's lessons about the spiritual aspects of martial arts. It was reckless of me to ignore that aspect of cultivation.

Honestly, if I was being honest with myself, I hardly gave cultivation any thought. Focusing on the managerial aspects of my new life. However, I changed that right quick. With help from Liu Feng and Li Hua, I was learning how to cycle my inner Qi through my meridians.

I'd been in the sect for another week after the battle. I picked up the lessons quickly, and I was now cleansing the last of the poison from my body. The stink that followed its expulsion disgusted me. Liu Feng was an angel. She didn't make a fuss or call me out on my stink. Instead, she brought me a washcloth and a bowl of water laced with salt.

Huan Ping on the other hand. "Heaven's mercy, that's rank."

I rolled my eyes and began wiping myself off. Liu Feng hit him on the arm with her flute. Huan ping yelped and rubbed at his arm.

"You're a bold one. Striking an elder in his own home."

She sniffed contemptuously. "You're being rude to an honored guest."

He sighed and bowed contritely to me. "I'm sorry, master Ivory. I did not mean to be rude."

I patted him on the shoulder. "It's alright it is rank. Liu Feng, would you be so kind as to draw me a bath? I'll be right there."

"Of course, master Ivory." She curtsied and walked toward my room.

"When you're done with your bath, the sect leader would like to see you." Huan Ping informed me.

I nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I'm done," I promised and walked toward my room. When I walked into the room, I heard the running water filling up the bronze tub.

"I hope you don't mind, master, but I've chosen Lotus oil and dried bean powder. Is that alright?" Liu Feng asked.

"That sounds fine. Thank you again, Liu Feng."

Walking behind the screen, I stripped off my robes. Slipping into the hot bath, the potent scent of roses enveloped me. I turned to grab a washcloth only to see a naked Liu Feng. I had a sudden case of déjà vu. Well, she wasn't totally naked. Her breasts were covered by a blue diamond-shaped silk cloth. A little blue silk triangle tied with thin strings covered her sex.

She was blushing from my gaze. "Please look away."

I turn away on reflex. I heard her get into the water. Moments later, she was washing my back and shoulders. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you in the bath with me?"

"A reasonable question. You're going to be leaving soon. I wanted to thank you. I've never been a powerful fighter. If you hadn't ordered us to retreat, I know I would have died." Her words were soft but clear.

"I see." Kind of. I'd had more sex in this world than on earth. But then again, I had been carrier oriented and Stella, my ex, hadn't been very enthusiastic during sex. I figured I was a crap lover and stopped having sex with her. But I loved her so I didn't dally with anyone on the side.

Not here. If you like a woman who wasn't your wife. Make her your concubine. Not that I didn't like my wives. My attention was brought back to the present when Liu Feng turned me to face her. She scrubbed my chest, her cheeks seeming to be permanently stained red. I placed my hands on her waist. She was thin and her skin was soft. "Are you only going to wash my body?"

She wouldn't meet my eyes, and her voice grew fainter. "I've never been with a man."

My eyebrows went up. "Then this is new for you." She nodded her head. Well, if she hadn't been with anyone before, then I'd let her set the pace. After all, I was a gentleman at my core.

She blushed and wouldn't meet my eyes. She'd already scrubbed every inch of me and, still blushing, quickly pulled herself out of the tub and all but ran away. I was still hard as a rock and was about to get out when a familiar naked body loomed over me. Stood hands on her naked hips. "To think I've been replaced." She said with mock heartbreak. "Oh, woe is me."

"Can't replace a force of nature," I smirked and held out my arms to her.

She grinned and lowered herself into the tub.

"I'm not much of a seducer. I'd rather our relationship come about organically. Besides, I have you and my wives. It's not like I'm starved for company."

An hour later, thoroughly clean and sexually satisfied, I walked past the entrance of the sect's main compound and walled towards Ting Ai hall. I finally got an answer to that riddle. The symbols used for the name of the hall were modern, so whatever magic translated their language into English and vice versa also translated their modern written language. But ancient writing is like above the entrance and the main gate. I even found that if I just wrote on the page and didn't think about the individual letters, I could write in their language.

Inside the hall, Jiutian Xuan was writing at her desk. She stopped when she noticed me. I waved in greeting, then gave her a respectful bow when I was closer.

Her smile was dazzling. "I hear you've purged your body of the poison."

I nodded my head. "Yes. Thank you for being so patient while I recovered."

She shook her head, a rueful smile on her face. "Love, honor, Loyalty. You showed great honor in warning us about Deming Fai. You showed love when you sent the cultivators in your care away. And you showed loyalty when you fought and almost died for them." She bowed low. "It was no inconvenience to the house you while you recovered. In fact, I spoke with the other elders and we want you to join us as an Inner sect member."

I shook my head. "That is a great honor, but I have responsibilities back home. A pair of loving wives that have been very patient."

"The offer stands. You would be required to stay for one year, but after that, you could alternate. Especially if you built a spirit gate or let us build one for you." She told me. "I'll need to think about that. Give me a week to think it over?" I asked her. She nodded her head.

"Thank you. Also, I'm going to need a favor. If that's alright?"

She nodded again. "How can I help?"

"I'm going to kill Deming Fai. I can't just let him live to bring trouble to my family. If you can send a message to the Dragon emperor so he knows what happened and while one of his kings is dead. "

She nodded her head. "Yes, I've already written him. He asked that I send someone to kill Deming Fai. His replacement is on the way. If you kill him, you'd be doing us the favor."

I chuckled. "Then it all works out. Until next time, sect leader." I bowed and excused myself.

Huan Ping packed a back of meat buns and other food for the journey. He also gifted me something amazing. It was called a storage ring. Like something from a game, the ring could hold items. But only enough to fill up a footlocker. The Divine sword and the armor that had been made for me were already in there.

I urged Lian to full speed. The landscape passed us by in a blur. By mid-day, we arrived back at the Valley. I took an hour to spend with Jiao and Min before I had to leave again. I promised to return soon. Lian and I set off by ourselves to Deming Fais palace. The sun had already set, and the moon shone down on the palace. Despite her size, Lian could be as silent as a cat.

She used her keen scent to find Deming Fai. His room was towards the back of the palace, but it was high up with its own private terrace.

The terrace was large enough for Lian to stand on. The furniture was tacky and made for its aesthetics rather than comfort. Deming Fai's bed-chamber was the same as the terrace. The furniture was colored in deep reds and accented with gold. Along the wall were several paintings of naked women and a corner of the room had the medieval equivalent of BDSM equipment. Horrible taste in furniture and into beating on women. I looked disdainfully at the array of whips. Many of which had dried blood on them.

The rat-faced bastard was lying naked in bed with several naked women in his bed with him. Chained at the foot of his bed was his latest victim. She had been a pretty girl. Smooth skin, auburn hair, perky tits, and a great ass. Her skin was now marked with yellow and black bruises. Red bleeding stripes crisscrossed her ass and back, forcing her to sleep on her stomach. Her nipples were pierced with gold rings that were attached to chains. The chains were connected to a wooden crane device. I didn't want to imagine how he tortured her with that.

Rage boiled through me as I approached him. With a single yank, I grabbed his foot and sent him flying into his torture equipment. I walked slowly towards him as he floundered about, eyes wide in panic. When his eyes landed on me, those beady little eyes rounded into saucers. The fucker had the good sense to piss himself. He scrambled back, whimpering and spluttering.

He tried to form words, but his terror was evidently leaving him tongue-tied. His women, who hadn't moved from the bed, watch on with barely restrained glee. Only one woman had moved, and that was to unchain the poor girl at the foot of the bed.

Seeing the victimized girl again, I felt my rage renewed. I stalked closer till the bastard bumped against the wall and had nowhere else to go. My hand shot out and grasped his scrawny fucking throat. I lifted him up and slowly applied pressure. He kicked and struggled, but I wasn't letting go. His eyes bugged out of his head.

His tongue was turning purple, and he was desperately scratching at my hand and arm. I gritted my teeth and continued to slowly apply pressure until he finally stopped moving. I carried the rat-faced corpse to the window and let it fall to the cobblestone floor below.

I turned to the Deming Fai victim and took out a pill Li Hua gave me just in case I ran into trouble. She parted her trembling lips and took the pill. She winced and whimpered, but didn't scream or cry as her bruises faded and her stripes closed.

She shed silent tears as she ran her hands over her own body. The women watched me in silent awe. I raised a single finger to my lips and walked out to the terrace where I mounted Lian and the two of us disapered into the night, leaving the awe-struck women to spread wild tales of the Dragon. Savior.