Morning after

I woke up with a clear head and even more clear understanding that I fucked-up. Lady Feng ... she was too dangerous. I've always thought, that stories about 'disastrous beauty' (such as Helen of Troy) causing wars were just tales. I was wrong, 10 minutes of talking with this woman were enough to entrance me, leading down the path of the stupid acts of bravery and discovery.

She said that master Shuo forbade her from leaving his house and that it caused her stagnation, despite all the pills and elixirs she was receiving. I told her that it was just a matter of perspective. It led to some inspired and mad rumbling about form and essence, limits, ascension, time and space, colors and canvas. In the end, I refined my own soul force by dividing essence and form and fusing them together into a new stronger whole, to prove my point.

Nearly crippled myself with the stunt. Yet it brought me up into silver rank. Then I gave stunned woman pointers on how to turn her own shadow into a projection and a second body to wander the world while staying home. That is when I run out of steam and barely reached the bed, prepared for me, before falling asleep.

When I came out, servants were already hard at work, master Shuo was in the dungeon interrogating his prisoners. As I was told, the operation was a disaster. There were kidnapped, drugged, noble girls, suspiciously unremarkable carriages (one of which even exploded), multiple black-gold rank experts fighting each-other, naked courtesans running around, broken jars of wine, epic Jackie-Chan-style confrontation on the stairs and even running fight on the roofs.

The more the story was told, the grander it was to the point where 'Jade Dragon' brothel turned into a secret underground castle (of the Dark Guild) guarded by a number of enslaved jade dragons. That courtesans were an entire secret assassination cult (within the Guild). That big sis had actual 'you shall not pass' moment against brother Fei, which led to an earthshaking fight with a couple of mid-fight power-ups and ended up with Fei thoroughly trashed.

By the time Zi Yun brought Yue'er for a breakfast at 'uncle Shuo' place, the story has grown into an epic of final fantasy scale with a small party of brave heroes assaulting the flying castle to save princesses of cardinal directions. On one hand, it would have been interesting to see, on the other, it would have been too scary. As far as I could tell, big sis was fine, abducted girls too and brother Fei was arrested and sent to Saint Judgement Hall.

Lady Feng confirmed that master Shuo was fine, Ye Zi Yun was worried about Sacred Family reaction, Xiao Yue was blushing. Breakfast was hearty and I even received two bentos: one from the girls, another from Feng Ruo.