Serene Lotus Pavilion.

—

After hearing her master's reasoning, Yelena still suggested, "It's okay, master. Even though you don't have time to pursue her, Yelena and Yue can do it on your behalf. After all, as concubines, we want to handle the long and tedious process that you dislike. This way, you can focus on breakthroughs in areas like Soul cultivation, which master want to focus on."

Thinking for a moment, Tian Xing saw the merit in Yelena's words. Allowing them some freedom in selecting future concubines would save him the time of finding new candidates himself. However, he also recognized that this freedom could create divisions and hierarchy among them later, as they might choose candidates based on usefulness. Additionally, this might lead them to love each other instead of him, fostering master-servant relationships among the concubines rather than devotion to him.

Tian Xing understood that both choices had their drawbacks. If he searched for candidates himself, it would require a great deal of luck, likely yielding only a few in terms of both quantity and quality. The advantage would be having truly loyal concubines who loved him rather than each other.

On the other hand, allowing his concubines to search for candidates would speed up the process due to the collective luck of the group, resulting in more candidates and a steady influx of quality, but it could lead to hierarchy and division among them, which might undermine their loyalty toward him.

Shaking his head, Tian Xing realized he would face this dilemma sooner or later. By imposing control through maintaining a harem, he was essentially creating a hidden danger for himself, as the natural inclination of someone who feels shackled is to seek freedom. Having a harem essentially forces them to love only one person, causing their subconscious minds to do whatever it takes to escape this constraint.

He understood that while their conscious minds might suggest finding candidates for his benefit, their subconscious minds could have entirely different motivations. This is what worried him the most—what he referred to as a hidden danger. No matter how powerful his Tian Ming Dao was, it would be useless against a clash with even one person's subconscious mind that can think infinitely, regardless of the circumstances.

Contemplating Yelena's suggestion deeply, Tian Xing finally decided to find a middle ground that would satisfy their subconscious minds without inviting disaster. He needed to avoid a fate similar to Radovid and Mannimarco, whose lives were now filled with misery due to the retribution that came from their actions and the collective subconscious condemnation of many people, causing them to suffer an agonizing butterfly effect.

However, he also considered his preference for having concubines who genuinely loved him. At the end of the day, his primary motivation for pursuing this was a simple, selfish reason: he wanted to collect many beautiful women for himself.

That's why he decided there would be two types within his harem: one group that had a personal connection with him—limited in number and bound by many restrictions—and another that only had knowledge of him, admired him, and faced fewer restrictions.

Considering these restrictions, Tian Xing modified the rules again to ensure they benefited him the most while only slightly bruising his ego for the sake of the bigger picture. After adjusting the rules—allowing his personal concubines to have romantic interactions with their servants but not with other personal concubines—Tian Xing nodded in satisfaction. He felt this would please his ego while also ensuring he would not suffer the consequences of their subconscious butterfly effect desires.

Turning to Yelena, Tian Xing said, "True, Yelena, your idea has some merit. How about this: I will grant you two the freedom to pursue other candidates, but this time you must make sure these candidates love you and are committed to you. In other words, you are allowed to establish your own master-servant relationships and possibly even your own harems. Whether they become my personal concubines will depend on our fate and the karma that connects us in the future. Essentially, this harem can be structured like a pyramid, with me and the master's wife at the top."

Looking at her master strangely, wondering why he was suggesting this when he usually disliked it, especially since she had sensed a connection with sister Yelena earlier in the cave, Ying Yue noticed that Yelena also seemed puzzled by their master's sudden change of heart. After a few moments of silent contemplation, Ying Yue asked, "Master, why must these future candidates we choose love us? Wouldn't it be better for them to be committed to you instead?"

Shaking his head, Tian Xing replied, "Don't be naive, my sweetheart. If they haven't met me personally, there won't be true devotion. It might only be strong admiration, nothing more. Although admiration can grow into something deeper, it requires a significant amount of fate and karma. That's why, for now, they will be yours until we share a destiny and they can become my personal concubines."

Nodding in understanding, Ying Yue said, "Okay then, if that is what you wish, Yue can only comply. But I will still try to make my candidates love you, master. Yue does not want them to forget who the true master is within these segments of the harem."

Pausing, Ying Yue then asked, "Oh, master, what should we call this force of yours? 'Harem multiple segments' is just too lengthy and awkward."

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Tian Xing answered, "How about we create a sect instead? A sect where all the members are part of my and the master wife's harem. As for the name, how about 'Serene Lotus Pavilion'?"

Contemplating for a moment while adjusting her master's banana, Ying Yue liked the idea because it implied that this was becoming an organization, not just her master's personal property but a collective belonging to the members within it, with her master and the master's wife at the top. However, she was puzzled that this could also breed ambition among the concubines, as there would be significant competition at the lower levels. Finally, Ying Yue grasped the reasoning behind her master's suggestion from Yelena's exclamation.

"That's a good name and a good idea, master. But let Yelena handle the concubines' subconscious ambitions later to ensure they see you as the true master of the Serene Lotus Pavilion."

Nodding, Tian Xing replied, "Thanks, I'll be counting on you, my hidden dagger."

Shaking his head, he resumed the previous conversation. "Anyway, let's follow Yelena's suggestion for our background. Let's pose as alchemists practitioner and loose cultivators seeking a place in the Saintess Elixir territory in Yunfeng Province, escaping the calamity in the Huang Xian Continent."

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