Chapter 15

"You see, I awakened an inheritance when I was young," Rowan explained, his voice carrying a weight of both nostalgia and revelation. "With this inheritance came a power far beyond my understanding at the time. Once just a normal kid with dreams of being admired by everyone, I stumbled upon an ancient technique buried deep within my inheritance. Naive and foolish back then, I've come to appreciate how it transformed me into what I am today."

Rowan paused, reflecting on the journey that brought him to this moment. His gaze locked onto Lady Serenity, who watched him with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

"One of its remarkable effects is that no woman can ever harm me now," Rowan continued, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity. "No matter how hard they try, even after countless attempts spanning ages."

As Rowan stood up from his seat, the air in the room seemed to thicken with a sense of inevitability. Lady Serenity, sensing the shift in dynamics, prepared herself instinctively. Yet, she knew deep down that fighting against someone empowered by forces beyond her comprehension was not just futile but potentially perilous.

"Bang!" A sudden sound echoed through the room, though it wasn't a physical impact but a realization. Lady Serenity's expression hardened as she recognized the futility of direct confrontation. She decided to retreat, to seek another opportunity or perhaps a different approach.

But before she could take a step, she was met with a barrier unlike any she had encountered. A solid, shimmering wall materialized around her, sealing off all possible exits with intricate runes of power. They glowed with a subtle intensity, their ancient script pulsating with unseen energy.

Lady Serenity surveyed her surroundings, her mind racing with options. The room had become a labyrinth of power, a testament to Rowan's inherited abilities and his mastery over them. There was no place to hide, no avenue for escape that these runes did not guard against.

Rowan watched her calmly, his demeanor a stark contrast to the tension that filled the air. 

"You know the complex ways of binding formations? Where are you getting all this power from?" Serenity's voice trembled with disbelief as she studied Rowan, her eyes searching for any hint of the immense power he had just demonstrated. To her, he appeared as nothing more than an ordinary mortal, dressed in simple farmer's attire with no outward signs of cultivation prowess.

Rowan met her gaze calmly, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He understood her skepticism, for he too had once been ignorant of the depths of his inherited abilities.

"Oh, that's an easy question to answer," Rowan replied softly, his voice carrying a weight of hidden knowledge.

With a deliberate motion, Rowan unleashed his full cultivation base, allowing Serenity to feel its overwhelming presence firsthand.

"Boom!" The air crackled with an intense surge of spiritual pressure that filled the room. Rowan's long raven hair floated around him like a dark halo, while a dense, suffocating black aura enveloped his entire being. Despite his humble appearance, he exuded an aura of absolute dominance, akin to a sovereign who could bend the elements to his will.

"Nascent Soul Realm!" Serenity gasped, her voice betraying both awe and disbelief at the raw power that radiated from Rowan. She was no stranger to this realm, having trained alongside elders of the Eternal Flame Sect who had attained similar heights of cultivation. Yet, feeling it firsthand from Rowan was a revelation that shook her to the core.

In that moment, she realized the vast chasm that separated them in terms of power. The techniques and cultivation she had honed over years now seemed feeble and insignificant in comparison to Rowan's mastery.

Rowan stood before her, his expression serene yet resolute. He had revealed his true strength not out of pride or arrogance, but to convey a simple truth – he was no longer the naive youth she might have perceived him to be.

As the echoes of his display slowly dissipated, the room remained cloaked in a palpable tension. Serenity, grappling with the implications of what she had just witnessed, considered her next steps with newfound caution and respect for the formidable opponent standing before her.

"This small one is willing to be your cow and horse, young master Rowan. Just please spare my life," Lady Serenity pleaded desperately, her voice quivering as she knelt on the cold, hard floors. It was her last resort, the only avenue left for her survival.

"I only trust those that are completely under my control, Lady Serenity. So please bear with it for a while longer. This might hurt just a little bit," Rowan said coolly, his voice carrying an unsettling calmness as he raised his hand. With a swift movement, he seized Serenity by her fragile neck, his grip firm and commanding.

Before Serenity could even squeak in protest, a sudden, searing force intruded deep inside her soul. It felt as though fiery tendrils were tearing through her very being, inflicting the most agonizing torture imaginable. She writhed in pain, her scream echoing through the barren landscape, but alas, there was no one nearby to aid in her capture or hear her cries.

The air around them seemed to thicken with tension as Rowan maintained his grasp, his gaze fixed on Serenity with an eerie intensity. The once serene surroundings now felt charged with an unsettling energy, a testament to the power wielded by the young master and the depths of despair faced by his unfortunate victim.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of torment, Rowan released his hold on Serenity. She collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, her entire body trembling from the ordeal she had endured. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she lay there, broken and defeated, yet still clinging to the fragile hope that somehow, against all odds, she might yet find a way to escape her cruel fate at the hands of young master Rowan.

Unfortunately for her, there was already a dark mark etched upon her soul, signifying Rowan's absolute and irrevocable control over her life from that moment onward.

"It's hard to remain virtuous in such a cruel world," Rowan muttered to himself, his voice tinged with a mix of resignation and contemplation. Despite the temptation to dispose of Serenity and mold her into a puppet under his command, he hesitated. She had been a woman of justice, having lived a life guided by righteousness. It was this lingering sense of her moral fiber that stayed his hand from plunging fully into the depths of moral decay.

"Back to my former existence," Rowan sighed wearily, the weight of recent events bearing down upon him. He yearned to return to the tranquility of his farm, to retreat from the unsettling events that had unfolded. The resolution of Luna's death investigation today marked the end of a tumultuous chapter, one he hoped would soon fade into memory.