Heaven, Earth, Me

After going inside, they followed Lord Gu for a while and arrived at a very large room with a table that could probably fit two hundred people. Lord Gu gestured at the left side of the table and smiled. "Sit there, Yasenia and company. I feel like being face to face when speaking is best in these situations."

Yasenia followed his arrangements and sat on the middle chair. Valeria and Kali sat on either of her sides while the maids stood in an orderly manner behind Yasenia, fully geared for combat and ready for any situation.

Lord Gu sat in front of Yasenia and gazed at the maids. "You all can sit as well if you want."

Alaia bowed elegantly and answered with grace. "Lord Gu's offer is tempting. However, as Young Miss's maids, we have her security as our priority before any decorum. Therefore, we ask forgiveness while being rude and keeping our standing positions."

Gu Chen smiled. "Educated servants are the best to see! Apologies accepted. You can allow the ladies to come in."

Once he said that a man in servant robes bowed and then walked toward the door room, opening it. "Welcoming the Ladies. Lord Gu Chen has allowed you to enter the room."

Shortly after he finished speaking, several women entered the area. The Nineteenth Lady was between them as well. In total, thirty-seven women entered.

Yasenia looked as they sat around with elegance and order as if they had practiced before, and she asked. "Lord Gu's family is large and beautiful. Are they all your wives?"

Gu Chen smiled widely. "Being praised by a beauty without equal like you is their blessing! Yes, they are all my wives." He sighed a bit, taking a cup that was soon filled with a strong wine and taking a sip. "Sadly, having children has become practically impossible because of my strength." He sighed again. "I've even gone to many places and bought nights with escorts, which is something I am not proud to share. Still, no children in sight even after several centuries of trying and trying."

Yasenia couldn't help but sympathize a little. She asked, curious. "I've heard that there is a female Undying Monarch Cultivator that calls herself the Death Queen or something like that. Have you tried it with her?"

Gu Chen laughed aloud. "While she is indeed a woman, she is completely crazy. She considers Undead to be her children, so if I ask her to make children with me, she will try to turn me into one!"

Yasenia laughed, her beautiful expression not entirely hidden by her veil. "I see. She is one of those necromancers." She shook her head. "Controlling Death energy is very taxing for the mind, so almost all Death cultivators have peculiar personalities."

Gu Chen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? It feels that you speak from experience."

Yasenia revealed. "Well, my mother is a Death Cultivator, so let's say that I have plenty of experience."

Gu Chen exclaimed, incredulous. "Really? Why do I not feel any death energy coming from you? You feel more like… The firmament, the cosmos? As if you are made of stardust. Nothing in you reveals a hint of Death Energy."

The dragoness was slightly surprised. 'Transcendent Cultivator's senses are so sharp! He managed to feel my Celestial Energy even when I was trying to hide as much as I could.'

After thinking for a few seconds, Yasenia spoke. "Well, I am a bit peculiar, as I have not inherited any of my mother's attributes. I am not even of the same species; she is something close to a human, after all."

"Close to a human?" Gu Chen asked, intrigued. "That's a very strange way to say it. You, if I remember correctly, are a pure Dragon beast, right?"

Yasenia flapped her wings twice and swished her long dragon tail with a faint smile that reached her eyes. "I am indeed a Dragon."

The women around Gu Chen couldn't help but throw some frowning glances at Yasenia's hidden face.

Gu Chen rubbed his chin and asked. "Do you think I can buy your scales? I am sorry to say, but they are so beautiful that I would love to create a necklace for each of my wives with them."

Yasenia frowned. "That's a bit difficult…" Yasenia saw Gu Chen frown and explained. "Lord Gu, a Dragon's energy is very… particular. Because of our bodies, there are plenty of Dragon Hunters that are able to track us down. While I do trust that you will take care of my scales and not sell them to random people, I can't say the same for the rest of your lovers."

The thirty seven women all frowned collectively, looking at Yasenia with scowls. They already didn't like that such a beautiful dragon woman was speaking with their husband, and now, she was looking down on them. Some of them would've lashed out if Gu Chen hadn't been here.

Gu Chen tapped the table with his finger, thoughtful. "You seem quite wary of them? May I ask why?"

Yasenia looked at the woman around and nodded. "I am very keen at discerning emotions."

Gu Chen nodded. "I heard dragons can even smell fear and other emotions."

The dragoness nodded. "If the emotions are very clear, that's indeed the truth. The dragon bloodline's purity must also be high, Lord Gu. Beyond smelling, seeing and perceiving them is also relatively easy." Yasenia added. "Take my words with a hint of skepticism, if you will. However, your wives have been looking at me with jealousy, disdain, and outright hatred. Therefore, I wouldn't trust them with my scales even if you gave me this entire city."

Gu Chen sighed. "You are not lying, I can tell. Well, it's their loss. Having a necklace made of your scales would look like having a piece of night sky hanging on their necks."

Lady Nineteenth snorted. "Why not get them either way? She is just a dragon that Lord Husband can make disappear with a snap of your esteemed fingers."

The maids behind Yasenia squinted their eyes, but Yasenia raised her hand to stop them. Meanwhile, Gu Chen leaned on his hand and sighed with a mutter. "Here it comes…"

Yasenia blinked, catching the mutter. 'What does he mean?'

A woman to the right of Gu Chen answered, sipping a bit of tea. "You are as braindead as always. Do you just suggest killing our guest?"

A woman to the left responded back with a sneer. "So what if Sister Nineteenth did? It's not like Lord Gu doesn't have the power to do so."

A different woman on the right answered, sighing. "Did your respect go down the drain after you climbed onto Lord Husband's bed? You are making him look bad in front of the guests."

Yasenia and her group began looking from side to side as if they were watching a ping pong match. Kali, who was angry at first, almost pitied Lord Gu. 'This… I wonder why he allows them to behave like this. Aren't they being rude to you and also humiliating Gu Chen?'

Yasenia answered. 'Lord Gu is one of the strongest people in this place. Everyone else except those people, other beings in the sixth realm, mean nothing to him. These women, trusting that they have his protection, will act out as they please because no one will dare retaliate. In short, Lord Gu has spoiled them in a bad way.'

Yasenia sent a mental message to Gu Chen; her voice tinged with amusement. 'Are they always like this?'

Lord Gu rolled his eyes. 'Always. Those to my left are quite arrogant, but they have good hearts. Even the woman who stopped you, believe it or not, is quite generous when she is not busy being jealous or bratty. Then, those to my right are more well-behaved, having high class and a sense of politics and decorum. However, they are too ruthless sometimes and also disdain those to my left.'

Yasenia laughed a bit because, while Gu Chen sounded annoyed, his complaints actually had a pampering tone. The arguing women heard her laughter, and they all looked at her. Nineteenth complained, slamming the table. "What are you laughing at!? You dare act this way when you killed one of my guards?!"

A right-seated woman sighed. "Lady Yasenia, please excuse our sister. She is usually very gentle, but when she gets emotional, she becomes extremely… Well, like you've seen."

"What does that even mean!?" Nineteenth shouted with a high-pitched voice.

Yasenia smiled, amused. "Don't worry. If she were not Lord Gu Chen's woman, I would've killed her long ago. However, I won't harm any of you unless Lord Gu Chen gives me permission."

The discussing women froze and looked at the dragoness with bewildered eyes. Lord Gu blinked and asked, surprised. "Really?"

Yasenia tilted her head. "Hm? I definitely would've done so at the entrance. I am someone who is respected and someone who doesn't like to be ordered around as if I am a slave. I don't mind being told things if the tone is right. However, your wife acted in a very offensive manner."

The wives around Lord Gu were stunned. Who tells another person that they would've killed his wives if he was not there?

However, Lord Gu took it differently. This was a show of respect while also a warning to his wives to behave. The right amount of hard and soft allowed the room to become silent and gave Lord Gu the entire authority over the conversation once more.

Lord Gu squinted and smirked. "That's dangerous. You are trusting my intelligence to triumph over my emotional side."

Yasenia raised her eyebrow. "If someone in the sixth realm isn't sharp enough to even catch that, even they can fall to ants."

Lord Gu laughed and clapped once. "Great! Let's move to the serious matters. I have three requests to ask you. I had two, but after our conversation, I've changed it to three."

The dragoness sat up and paid attention. The wives couldn't help but look down at the hidden pair of mountains. Even when the dragoness's robes were somewhat baggy, they couldn't hide the impressive volume once she straightened.

Even Lord Gu got distracted for a second. "Ahem. The first thing I wanted to ask you about is your purpose in this city."

The dragoness answered simply. "I came to get an item. I got it not long ago, which has allowed me to make the breakthrough I spoke about." Yasenia smiled. "I am probably going to leave this place soon."

Lord Gu expected such an answer; a breakthrough like the one Yasenia had could not appear from nowhere. "Perfect. My second question is… What's your cultivation realm? There is a strange mix of auras in you that I can't completely discern, and it is too tempting not to investigate further."

Yasenia laughed. "This was the main theme you wanted to speak about before whatever change you did now, right?"

Lord Gu was not afraid to admit it. "That's right."

Yasenia explained honestly. "Lord Gu, under the Heavens, there is not just a single cultivation path. Each creature has different paths that lead us and help us comprehend the Dao. Between those many cultivation paths, you are walking the Body Cultivation Path."

Lord Gu listened attentively. "Body Cultivation…"

"That's right." Yasenia smiled. "Body Cultivation is the art of the flesh. You refine your body like a weapon to extremes where just a punch can destroy mountains and sink islands. I am also practicing the Body Path, having reached the middle-level Epoch Core Realm. However, thanks to several fortuitous encounters, I am also practicing two other paths."

Lord Gu blinked twice as so much information was thrown at him. "Two more? Wait. You are a middle-level Epoch Core cultivator!? You feel like a peak-level one!"

Yasenia acknowledged with a faint smile. "You heard correctly. Also, these two extra paths are the Beast and Spiritual Paths. Thanks to the combination of strength those three paths give me, I can fight well above my cultivation realm."

Lord Gu leaned back and crossed his arms, thoughtful. He laughed a bit, shaking his head. "It seems that our conversation will have a few new points of interest added, Lady Yasenia."

The dragoness smiled. "I already predicted so."