1 Conceived in Sin
A married woman named Mariel Clarke has been carrying on an affair with a merchant named Thomas Bills. Mariel's husband, Judus Clarke, is a respected cultivator and government official who has been away in seclusion for several months.
During this time, Mariel Clarke and Thomas Bills have been meeting in secret, using a small pagoda in a nearby mountain as their rendezvous point. They have been careful to avoid suspicion, but as their relationship grows more intense, they became more reckless.
One day, Judus Clarke returns home unexpectedly and discovers evidence of his wife's infidelity. He finds a love letter from Thomas hidden in her clothes and confronts her about it.
"What is this, Who is This, Explain YOURSELF" angrily shouts Judus Clarke, holding the crumpled letter in his hands with words of infatuation written on them.
"How long has it been, is that child you're carrying even mine?"
"Or does it belong to some bastard out there in the streets," says Judus Clarke
With her back against the wall and a hand on her stomach, Mariel Clarke pleads "Please my love, you are being unreasonable, I have no idea what that is, or what you are talking about it doesn't make sense"
"Take a breath, I've been faithful to you and you only, there is no one else but you my love" says, Mariel Clarke as she relaxes her posture as she notices rationality coming back to Judus's eyes
A calming air diffuses from Judus's body and his eyes sharpen, "If you say such things, you will have no problem with confirming the blood relationship between me and whatever may be growing inside you" he scoffs
With that being said a jade appears in his hand, and with a slight movement it is crushed.
"Surely you won't summon the ancestor over something so trivial, he's been in seclusion for the past three years trying to break into that realm," says Mariel with fear creeping back into her eyes
"I think knowing if the potential predecessor to our family, and the one to supersede my role as the Grand Duke itself is a matter of great importance, don't you agree?" responds Judus
With that being said and two breaths time, the faint clicking of a cane could be heard from a distance with, every tap it seemed to get closer, and a faint pressure started to build up on their bodies.
An old man followed by an old yellow hound slowly enters the threshold and with that step, the pressure multiplied tenfold, and the creaking of their bones could be heard.
An amicable old man with a short stature enters, and the pressure vanishes.
"Judus my son, why have you interrupted my cultivation, the barrier was almost shattered," says the old man with smiling eyes
Feeling like he is being pierced by a thousand needles, Judus says with great difficulty "Lord Father, I have come to trouble you with finding out if this is my legitimate heir this treacherous woman is carrying"
"Oh little Mariel, oh how have you grown to be so mischievous, so devious, so vile" says the old man while sighing
With beads of sweat appearing on her forehead Mariel is able to mutter out "Lord Ulysses, you have to understand pleas-" the words were stopped short as if she couldn't get another sound out
Ulysses gestures towards the old hound silently and it walks forward its eyes filled with arrogance and pride as if it's the ruler of the land. It approaches Mariel and gives a slight sniff, disdain starts filling its eyes as it walks after taking her scent and it remains silent.
With a heavy voice, Ulysses says "Looks like my son's worries weren't in doubt" and begins to walk forward
As Ulysses makes his approach Mariel makes a hand gesture summoning a rabbit with a Lotus growing on its head
Ulysses takes a few steps forward and stares at the white rabbit as if looking at a lesser lifeform, "The Karmic Lotus Hare has grown rather nicely in your care, a pity we have invested so many resources into its growth" says Ulysses with a calm voice as he bends down to touch the rabbits head
As the hand approaches the rabbit rears its ears back and prepares to bite but as if it's invisible the hand lands on the hare's head without warning, its eyes widen and turn milky white as its body slumps over, turning into a soulless husk.
He turns to Mariel who seems to be in extreme pain after the death of the Hare. Ulysses touches her forehead and cracking her Dao Space and essentially crippling her, and returning her back to the world of mortals.
After wiping his hand on his sons' robe and turning towards the door, Ulysses casually says "Break her bones, and sever her tendons toss her to the slums with the rest of the filth of this kingdom"
