It took a full week for my lord's deviation to heal and even now a full month later he is still in bed rest trying to stabilize his new cultivation base though he was strong enough to hold conversations, and during that time I have realized one thing, our position in the sect was more precarious than I thought. Bai Qing for her part was a formidable fighter regardless of how she acted and people respected her, not as much as the outright lusty reverence that my oblivious and self-indulgent could garner but close enough. I, however, was not so well known and the gift that caused me to stay in that dark scary place for so many years was also just as attractive to the sect members, now since all the impurities were removed and all the internal damage had healed I was an even bigger target.

The mere thought of my past made me flinch, my maiden yin had been destroyed long ago but it did not make it any easier to interact with others. Even our elder sister Bai Qing often reminded me of all those female cultivators who chewed on my nether region. This only made me hold my lower abdomen as phantom pain shot across my body. Warmth spread wrapping in a tight hug. This was one of the two people that did cause a panic attack upon contact. One was my beloved sister was still in her room sulking and the other, my master. I did not think I would ever want another man to touch me, the best I could do was not immediately faint upon contact. My master was different, I did not know why but his touch made me forget all that pain and suffering making me feel things I did not understand but craved just the same, his presence made me tingle and unlike with anyone else I liked to paw at him and he always indulged, I even managed to get him to groom my hair, something sister Bai said was only done between loved ones. While thinking of him my hands had gone past my lower abdomen and before I realized it my hand was caressing my nether lips.

I immediately stopped, my face deep red as a blush exploded on my face. I quickly looked around to see I was still the only one in this section of the treasure pavilion. I sighed a relief and took a few deep breaths to calm down my excitement, sister Bai always told me I needed to be mindful but I could not help it, I was bound to a position for many years where all I could do was think or feel horrible pain. Master understood and always made sure I was ok, I even told him how it itched when I thought of him, and like I expected he gave me a comforting answer. I guess sister Bai had a point that I relied on master too much but she did not have to be so mean about it. I puffed my chest in triumph as I too was now bound to our master and when she said it was the best thing in the world I think she did not express herself properly because I never felt happiness or pleasure that big before. It felt I was hollow before and now I am complete. Best of all, like her, I could bug master all day and he would have listened to me and could not do the 'show you a better path that is better than me' thing that he keeps pushing.

Footsteps broke me out of this second reverie, and I realized I was just standing there in the middle of the treasure pavilion, I was sent here to exchange sect tokens for some herbs on my master's behalf because sister Bai could not do this herself. I took a deep breath and tried to focus. This was the reason sister Bai and other people always thought I was slow. I could not help it, I was stuck to a bed for too long and it made me weird, at least master and Phe still loved me. Master even said it was cute.

I slapped my head, I was sinking again and I needed to get this done. Activating the rune array was as simple as placing the token and thinking of what you wanted. It would come to you as sect contribution was deducted from the token as a price.

Grabbing the herbs I quickly tried to leave realizing an old man had blocked my path his eyes leering at my body. Before he could even begin speaking I simply thought 'bring me home and the next thing I know I was on the majestic platform master had taken me on that fateful day.

Only Phe, me, and master could come here. Not even sister Bai could not come here and the master told us to keep it a secret from sister Bai before he could figure out why only the three of us had access. That stuff did not matter right now, what mattered was the beautiful herb garden I had started because master could not. I almost forgot about the shitty old man that started harassing me recently.

Master in his current state could not just tell him off, and we had to keep hidden that our master was sick because cultivators were bad people, my master being the only exception. I hated it, I did not know why but I wanted to fight the man something in me hated him with a passion because I was normally scared of people. But master said he was peak foundation, even stronger than sister Bai so I did not bite his head off and chew his bones between my teeth.

I shook my head, where did that come from.

"Sister Hope!"

Phe came running from the hut at the edge and jumped into my arms and I put it out of my head. I would simply ask Master later.