Torturer.

—

[Five months later.]

"Blergh."

Noticing Yelena vomiting beside her, Ying Yue also shivered, feeling disturbed. Her master was making the two devil cultivators eat each other's bodies, both figuratively and literally, smeared with rotten food. He used Shen energy to target their spirits, making them enjoy this gruesome act while simultaneously retaining the awareness of normal human beings. Since they no longer had any cultivation, her master didn't need to resort to tricks as before; he directly altered their souls. Slowly, both of them began to die, leaving only their upper bodies, which they used to crawl and continue eating. Ying Yue watched as her master punched the air, destroying their bodies in a shower of blood.

As her master turned around, Ying Yue couldn't help but ask, "Master, forgive me, but didn't you swear to Matriarch Margarita that you wouldn't torture the souls of victims?"

Shaking his head, he then explained, wanting to justify himself, "The soul we cultivate is very different from the true souls created by the Dao, Yue. This false soul, which can exit our body and pass through many objects, is not a true soul. A true soul cannot be seen and cannot be named, just like the true Dao that exists only as an idea. So technically, I didn't…"

Pausing and realizing that he was slowly turning into a hypocrite, Tian Xing sighed and replied, "Yes, I did say that I swore not to torture the souls of the victims, and yes, I broke that promise. There's something you need to know, Yue. I broke that promise the moment I created a psychological experiment. The psyche, Yue, is connected to the true souls. Influencing the false souls using Shen energy is the same as altering the psyche, which is tied to that quantum consciousness."

Stunned, Ying Yue asked, "Wait, Master, does that mean everyone who has social interactions is currently experimenting with the true souls that are guarded by the true Dao?"

"Yes."

"Does this mean you are torturing us by—"

"Yes."

Her eyes widened as she realized that by making her his concubine, her master was torturing her true soul, which would later impact her next life. Ying Yue chuckled and shook her head. Walking closer and hugging him, she said, "I'm glad you told me this early in my life. Now I'm even more sure that I won't betray you in the future, Tian Xing. The hidden danger that could have broken my mind has already come to light, making me ready if that hard question arises."

Looking into her sweet, honeyed eyes, Ying Yue continued, "But I think you must tell all my future sisters about this, Tian Xing. By influencing our psychology, our quantum consciousness in the next life will also be altered. You know, sweet, some of them might decide to end their lives to free themselves from this one-way commitment. No matter how kind or loving you are, endless time will eventually erase the magic, leaving only frustration and depression, even if life is good. We all know, in the end, you're not ours alone. So by telling us this, only those truly dedicated will remain with you, babe. And I'm sure I'll stay with you for a very, very long time."

Seeing the bittersweet look in her eyes, Tian Xing nodded and let out a sad breath. "Yes, I know. And I know you will also do that once the magic is gone. Was it cruel not to tell you this from the beginning?"

Nodding, Ying Yue sighed and answered, "Yes, you are cruel, Tian Xing. This is the cruelest thing you've done to me. Despite all the brutal methods you've used on those two guys, this is by far the cruelest thing you could do to my little heart that wants to keep loving you. But didn't I say that I would be yours forever? So it's okay, let me love you again and again, for every cycle of my life, until my true consciousness becomes tortured and can only think of you."

Looking at his hands, greedy for their love that he couldn't fully reciprocate, Tian Xing wanted to believe that what he was doing was right and justified—that if he kept wooing them and giving them attention, their one-sided love would be technically satisfied. But deep down, he knew Ying Yue was right. He was the torturer of this woman who was slowly becoming truly his toy and doll, despite the sweetness of his methods. As Ying Yue walked toward him and hugged him, Yelena, who wasn't yet close to him, also wanted to hug him lightly, perhaps because she knew that in the future, she too would have one-sided love for him. Tian Xing remained silent, offering them no warmth, to show them his true self—the greedy, manipulative person he was.

But when Ying Yue took his lowered arm and placed it on her back, as if telling him that even if it was fake, she still wanted to feel it, Tian Xing couldn't hold back any longer. He hugged her tightly, vowing to do whatever it took to give them a sweet, false love, even if it turned them into diabetics from the sugar overdose, as a way to repay their dedication to his greedy nature. Kissing Ying Yue on the top of her head over and over again, he then outstretched his arms to hug Yelena tightly as well, who joined in this touching scene, perhaps guided by a cultivator's instinct. Dragging them away from this gory place, since it wasn't the right setting for quality time, he said, "Come, let's walk around this forest and enjoy our time together."

Seeing that this would be her first date with a Dao Ancestor, Mei Li and her other variants who loved Tian Xing said in sync, "Yes, love."

So, just like that, her master took them for a walk around the forest, talking about all kinds of things and spending quality time without any lust whatsoever. Mei Li appreciated this because it was truly what she wanted. The love-making sessions were only good for scratching her itch, not for filling the void inside her heart. She wanted to experience moments with him that could become her motivation to remain dedicated, as these sweet memories would always live in her mind, even when endless time had removed the magic of their earlier relationship.

—