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“With all due respect, Ling Wen, you’re just not qualified for this.”
Once everyone had scattered from the meeting hall, the heavenly emperor answered the question before Ling Wen asked it.
“My lord, that is not fair. I qualify for every other requirement for this mission. Sending General Pei is not only dangerous but also negligent—!”
Jun Wu stopped at the steps of his palace and turned around slowly, making Ling Wen almost crash into him. Standing on the stairs made him cast a shadow over her smaller frame.
“I apologize.” She lowered her head. “I spoke harshly. My lord’s decisions are never negligent.”
A gentle smile appeared on Jun Wu’s lips.
“I’m afraid sending you would be both negligent and dangerous. It’s true your cunning and expertise would have been a great asset in this mission, but General Ming Guang’s experience in matters of the flesh is nothing short of impressive, and for this mission I’m afraid that simply holds more weight.”
“What do I lack that he has? My lord, it can’t be that difficult! Give me an evening and I’ll double whatever experience he has.”
Jun Wu looked at her for one long moment, looking like he was on the verge of laughing, but he controlled himself, simply breathing through his nose and closing his eyes.
“It’s not something you should rush into,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Go have fun if you want, you have the rest of the day off. In the meantime, I’m calling Ming Guang to leave effective immediately. That is final.”
Jun Wu disappeared through the doors of his palace. Ling Wen was left outside, contemplating the golden patterns mocking her with their indifference. She could already hear the gossip that would come from this. All the heavenly officials would quickly figure out why she’d been taken off the mission to the Ghost City and replaced with General Pei.
At Shi Wudu’s palace, the anger had not dissipated even after a few drinks. Her friend seemed to find it amusing, not seeing what the big deal was.
“I have been working on this mission for a long time. My lord picked me for it because he knew I could do it. Why does this change anything?”
“Well, they didn’t know this ghost hid in the brothel. You don’t know what kinds of things happen there. You can’t stand out in an undercover mission.”
“I just need to prove to him I can do this.”
“I don’t think he’s giving it back to you.”
“Fuck this mission. But I won’t let him doubt my ability to handle the missions he assigns to me anymore. I studied and worked for all the things I do, I can put in the work for this as well.”
“Seems reasonable. How do you plan to start?”
She ran her tongue along her teeth, tasting the wine still in her saliva, filling the crevices of her mouth. Her mind was fuzzy, but her brain was used to working on solutions. She could do equations in her sleep. This would be a walk in the park.
“It’s good to start with some theory before jumping into the action. Tell me, what is Qingxuan like, in bed?”
Shi Wudu choked on his drink. She waited patiently as the coughing echoed on the walls of the palace. She was growing more determined by the minute. How hard could it be?
Once Shi Wudu finished, he was red in the face and refusing to look at her, hiding behind his fan.
“Should I ask Lord Wind Master myself?”
“Ask me what?” Shi Qingxuan burst through her palace doors nonchalantly, fan swaying gently in front of her face. “Ge, what's the holdup?”
“Lady Wind Master, I have a question to ask you.”
“No, you don’t! Qingxuan, let’s go.”
“Wait, I want to hear this,” she said, comfortably dropping onto the seat that was usually reserved for Pei Ming, then thinking better about it and scooting closer to her brother. Ling Wen explained her plan.
“Oh!! Yes!! This is so exciting!!” Shi Qingxuan said, grabbing her hands. “You’ll love it! Do you already have someone in mind? I’m sure I have a friend or two I can introduce you to. Don’t worry, they bathe regularly! Oh!! What do you want to know? I’ve learned so much with Ge over the last few centuries, so don’t rush it! Do you have a list of things you want to try?”
She understood now why asking her was a bad idea. Shi Wudu was glaring "I told you so"s from behind his sister, but Ling Wen couldn’t back down now.
“Isn’t all sex the same?”
Shi Qingxuan’s face froze. She looked at her brother, as if wanting to ask if she was serious. Shi Wudu snickered behind his fan.
“Oh, sweet Ling Wen. Looks like you need some guidance!” She got up and found an empty scroll and a brush, then made a list.
As Shi Wudu and Ling Wen watched her work, their faces turned pale.
“Qingxuan, we haven’t even done some of these things.”
“I’m just giving her options! She doesn’t even know what she’s into!”
Ling Wen’s cheeks became warm. It wasn’t something she’d thought about before. She figured that at some point she’d find someone and it would unlock a desire to… do something about it, she guessed. Ol’ Pei talked about sex like just a fun week time activity, like training. Most others she knew didn’t really talk about it.
She figured it came naturally to people and she didn't need to worry about it if it hadn't happened yet.
She read through the list. Although it was daunting, she calmed down after seeing it all laid out into tasks that she could cross out. Yes, this was more familiar.
“I’ll get it done by the end of the week.”
The Shi siblings looked at her dumbfounded. “It’s not paperwork,” Shi Qingxuan said.
“That’s ridiculous, everything is paperwork.” With that, she got up and walked towards the exit. She had things to prepare.
“Yeah, just real quick, are you aware most people in heaven work for you?”
“Well, then I have to find someone who can separate work from personal matters.”
Ling Wen knew what she didn’t want: someone who’d shown any actual interest in her. This was purely scientific, and anyone who couldn’t separate their feelings from their actions was not worth a call. She gathered all the romantic propositions she’d gotten over the years and discarded them. Additionally, she discarded the more graphic kinds of invites too. Whoever she ended up going to the sheets with had to have a modicum of respect.
Of the remaining possibilities, she figured someone had to be of use. Looking through the list, she found most of the eligible ones were the past year’s top ten heavenly officials during the Mid Autumn Festival’s Lantern contest.
Jun Wu was, of course, not an option. She crossed him out.
She scratched out Qi Ying. His demeanor reminded her too much of someone and she didn’t want to deal with whatever that could mean for her if she got entangled. Also, she was pretty sure sex was the last thing on his mind.
She scratched out the Wind and Water masters. She knew enough not to get involved in a married couple's affairs, especially if the affairs were as jealous and possessive as theirs.
Lord Earth Master… She scratched him out preemptively. Even just asking him would be uncomfortable, she feared.
From the ones left… She eyed the list that Shi Qingxuan made. Imagining any of them subjecting her genitals to… whatever felching was... made uncertainty crawl inside her stomach once more. If she wasn’t so proud, she probably would be running away already.
She decided to give the theory a try for tonight, making her way to the shelves of scrolls to first get an idea of what she was getting into. Her anatomy studies didn’t cover any of the words Shi Qingxuan had written. Thankfully, Jun Wu kept more than enough manuals and encyclopedias on every topic that anyone had taken the time to write about.
The candle light was dim, and it was late. However, she was too hopeful in thinking no one would come at this time.
“Hi, sorry I’m late. Here are the reports of the last mission… Ling Wen?” General Nan Yang's voice filled the empty office.
“Thank you, general. Leave them on my desk.”
“Sorry for the trouble… Should I cross myself out on this list?”
"What?"
"WHAT. THE FUCK."
Oh no.
She ran out, dropping the scrolls she was carrying.
“Leave that!”
“WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?? WHAT KIND OF DEPRAVED PERVERT PUT TOGETHER THIS LIST"
“I did, General. Will you please—”
“YOU?!”
Nan Yang looked like he’d seen a ghost. He hadn’t even registered that Ling Wen was still in her original form.
“Please calm down.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can explain."
She sighed. She shouldn’t have been so careless. But then she thought better about it. Feng Xin was on her list of potential suitors, so maybe it was actually a blessing that he’d seen it.
“As you know, the mission to the Ghost City brothel has been reassigned to General Pei because of a… lack of experience, on my part. Currently, I’m trying to correct this gap in my knowledge, and I was putting together a list of heavenly officials that would be… sensible, and not reveal any personal information. Now, if you wish, I can strike you out of this list and we may never speak about this again, but if you are willing, you should know you would not be receiving any merits from this or work related considerations.”
She could feel her soul leaving her body as Feng Xin listened to her speech, growing more shocked by the second and looking like he wanted to run away screaming. When she was done, the silence rang in her ears like a gong.
"WHAT THE FUCK. I DON'T WANNA FUCKING KNOW ABOUT THAT."
She remained expressionless, unmoving, as he stomped out of the palace, cursing.
A few minutes later, he came back.
“Wait, do you really have no experience of any kind?”
She was gathering the scrolls she was going to take home and read alone for the rest of the night, pretending not to see him.
“Not even with Pei Ming?”
She glared at him.
“Why not ask him?”
“As I mentioned before, General Ming Guang is on a mission at the moment.”
“So, are you going to ask someone else now?”
“Yes, General, that is the idea. If you’ll excuse me…” She brushed past him on the way to the door.
“Wait, I’ll do it.”
Ling Wen stopped. A small smile was drawn on her face, which Nan Yang couldn’t see. By the time she turned around, it was hidden under the frost of her expression.
“What’s the reason for this sudden change of heart?”
He didn’t seem to want to look directly at Ling Wen.
“Heaven is full of perverts. It wouldn’t be right for your first time to be with someone… like that.”
Ling Wen raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t going to pretend to understand how Nan Yang’s mind worked, but at least it sounded like her first attempt wasn't going to be a complete failure. That being said, she wasn't entirely happy with the way he'd rejected her earlier.
“So thoughtful of you, Nan Yang, but I already asked General Xuan Zhen," she lied.
"WHAT?? That idiot?? And he said yes??"
"Something wrong?"
“Listen. I wasn’t being myself earlier. I think it’s a very admirable thing what you’re doing, and I… want to help.”
Ling Wen found herself on General Nan Yang’s bed, doing more waiting than anything, unsure why she thought this was a good idea when he didn’t even want to look at her.
“Would it be easier if I was in my male form?”
After a long pause where he seemed to be willing his eyes to stare at her for longer than a few seconds, he said, “Yeah, maybe…”
Ling Wen changed before his eyes. This at least made him relax.
"What do you uh…"
He eyed the list taunting him from the bedside table, and became pale.
Ling Wen sighed, dropping to his knees in front of Nan Yang and began pulling out his dick.
“What are you doing?”
“We don’t have all night, General. I thought you wanted to do this.”
“I…”
“Don’t think about it being me, just tell me how to do this,” he said, beginning to rub his length.
“Ah— yes.”
He stopped. “Do you have anything that uh… I read that it’s easier with some oil.”
Nan Yang gave him some. It did make things much easier. With some guidance, he saw the progress of his work in the way Nan Yang’s length had grown in size considerably. Ling Wen watched intently, taking mental notes of every change in what she could see, smell and hear: the wet sounds filling the room, labored breaths and soft commands, the slightly salty and lactic smell rolling down and mixing with the oil.
“The legends don’t lie,” he said mindlessly, thinking of how unlucky one might be to be on the receiving end of something that he couldn’t even wrap his whole hand around, but he didn’t have much time to think about it because something shot out of the tip and towards his face.
Ling Wen jumped back, but couldn’t avoid some drops making their way to the front of his robes. He watched them drip down while General Nan Yang tried to catch his breath.
As she exited the palace of Nan Yang, she crossed out “hand jobs” from her list.
A few days passed and she still hadn’t made a move to ask anyone else. The list was taunting her from underneath a pile of papers on her desk that she kept an anxious eye on whenever someone approached to take some work from her.
Today, thankfully, she had been left alone once again for the day, and her work was almost done. Her hand began to play with the edge of the list, thinking about pulling it out. At that moment, someone burst through the door, making her jump. It was general Xuan Zhen.
“Hey.”
She returned the greeting with a nod of her head.
“Feng Xin… General Nan Yang said you wanted to ask me something.”
She blinked, her heart still pounding. "Did he say what it was?"
The way that he avoided her eyes was confirmation enough that he had not kept quiet after all. Although she mostly had herself to blame. If she hadn't mentioned asking Xuan Zhen he probably wouldn't have thought it was fair game to ask him about it.
"He didn't give me any details of what you two did."
She wanted to bury herself under the floorboards.
“Well, if you don’t need me anymore forget it, I just thought I’d come and ask—” He was already turning around to leave. The voice inside herself that had pushed her to go through with this plan yelled at her to do something.
“General Xuan Zhen,” she called. He stopped. “I do have something to ask you.”
An incense stick later they were at his palace. Xuan Zhen read through the list that Shi Qingxuan made. He gave her an incredulous look.
“And you’re willing to do anything on this list?”
“Yes,” she said, trying to sound like she knew what everything on it was or how it would feel.
Mu Qing looked at it again, then lifted it in front of her face. “This. Are you willing?”
She looked at where his finger was pointing, feeling a little warm. “Yes.”
“Is this good?”
“Mhm.”
Ling Wen breathed, stilling herself. She held Xuan Zhen’s dick in her hand as her other hand slid the sound into his urethra. A little bit of oil gathered on the tip, glistening.
“Ah.”
This time, she watched his face closely. With Feng Xin, she’d been so preoccupied with technique that she had no idea what kind of reaction she was eliciting. With the sound inserted, her eyes began to wander up Xuan Zhen’s muscular body, the torso rising and falling in fast succession. One of his hands gripped the sheets so forcefully she feared he might rip them.
His other arm was covering his face, so she couldn’t see much more than his mouth hanging open, letting out hot breaths. The atmosphere was more alluring than the last experience she had. Maybe this was one of the things she’d learn she was into.
The tip of her finger traced the round silver head of the sound, which caused his whole body to twitch and a sound she’d never heard before reached her ears.
“Are you in pain?”
“No! Fuck.”
Her heart beat faster. She wondered what would happen if…
She spilled some more oil on her hand and grabbed his penis like he’d done with Nan Yang. She wasn’t expecting the noise that followed. Even more captivating than the last, like it exited with great difficulty through his labored breathing.
General Xuan Zhen’s back all but arched off the bed. She thought her hand was pulsing, but when her eyes returned to it she saw it was the thing in her hand, twitching.
Underneath, the skin of Xuan Zhen’s balls was stretched. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she explored some of that stretchy skin with her hand.
“Fuck, fuck."
Moans spilled, overflowed, out of him. The arm over his face dropped. On the way down, it caught on a shelf with a vase, which fell and shattered on the floor. He seemed no more concerned about it than if a fly had entered his room. "FUCK. Ling Wen, please, please, please take it out, please. AH! Slowslowslowslow aa-ah!”
Cum rushed out of the tip as soon as it was free, flowing down the length of General Xuan Zhen’s dick. This time, she decided to catch it with her hand, surprising herself with how warm it was.
The next day she received a gift from Xuan Zhen’s palace. A weird hairy beast he’d found on one of his missions. The note said to grill it for best results.
“So how are things going without me?” Pei Ming asked through their private communication array.
Ling Wen leaned on the wall casually. “A little hectic. I have several people wanting to hear all the sordid details of your sexcapades.”
“Oh, come on. It's nothing like that.” He laughed. “And I've heard you're getting more action than me over there.”
Her body warmed up. “Who told you?”
“A little fishy. So, how's it going?”
“I'm learning a lot. Does it ever get less embarrassing to ask people for sex?"
“Ask? Ling Wen, you're not supposed to actually ask! You make it clear you want it with your words and actions and the other person responds in kind if they're interested."
"Yes, that is what asking is."
"Noble Jie, I think I have some things to teach you when I get there."
"I'll reserve an item or two on the list.”
“You will?" Pei Ming seemed just as surprised to hear it as she was after saying it. "I better hurry up on this mission then.”
After saying good-bye, Ling Wen tried really hard to focus on her tasks, but it wasn't working. Unfortunately, she'd found that the mission she had given herself was taking up more of her brain space than she had anticipated. Her thoughts now filled with possibilities, even eagerness.
She pulled out one of the books Shi Qingxuan had let her borrow: The art of rope tying. She wondered how this could even help with sex. So far it just seemed like inefficient ways of restraining someone. All the knots seemed like they would take a long time. One would have to find a willing participant to…
Ah.
So sex was just like battle, she thought, with the conqueror and the conquered agreed upon beforehand. It was no wonder General Pei was so skilled at it, then. In terms of strategy and attack, if Pei Ming was number two, there'd be no number one. Were all martial officials similarly skilled?
A voice in her head startled her out of her thoughts. "Ling Wen."
She tucked the book away under her lapels despite him not being able to see what she was looking at. "Yes, my lord!"
"I've just gotten word that Qi Ying has caused trouble again."
"I'll send after him right away."
"Thank you. Once he's subdued, could I trouble you to look after him for a while? We don't want this incident getting out."
She understood. Jun Wu didn't want others finding out that Qi Ying was beating up his own followers. It would definitely be troublesome if this became a habit.
"He should be asleep for a while, but if he tries to leave, just stall him and call me."
She agreed, and set off.
As Jun Wu had said, His Highness was unconscious. The temporary binds oh his hands and legs were undone. It made Ling Wen uneasy. Despite the instructions, she knew that if Quan Yi Zhen tried to leave, she physically couldn't do anything to stop him.
She sat down to read some more while she waited. With any luck, he would just sleep through the entire time she was supposed to keep watch. The book was thorough regarding different types of materials and positions in which one could be restrained. The illustrations were quite graphic also.
Even someone as thick skinned as herself couldn't help but blush a little. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, she told herself, this is just research.
"What are you reading?"
She startled. "Your Highness Qi Ying, you're awake."
"What are you reading?" he repeated.
"It's nothing. Just some light studying." She uncrossed her legs and got ready to call for help.
Qi Ying seemed to have lost interest in what she was doing and got up, curly hair tussled by the pillow fell over his handsome face. It took a moment for her to tear her eyes from his. His expression really was familiar. Her heart softened.
His Highness paced the room, feeling for the reinforcement array to prevent him breaking out. Despite this, he seemed determined, kicking walls and banging on windows. If he kept at it, the spell wouldn't hold.
"Your Highness!" She leapt out of her seat without knowing what was going to come out of her mouth. "Could I try a battle tactic with you?"
He stopped, surprised. "Battle?"
"Yes, I… The book I'm reading has some interesting ways of restraining your enemies. This one is not a martial god, physical strength is not on my side, but I thought this could be a good defense, if you'll let me practice on you."
He seemed to perk up at the suggestion. Ling Wen felt really guilty about doing this, but she didn't want to disturb Jun Wu right now.
"Teach me."
A shiver ran down her spine. "You have to promise me you won't tell anyone about this."
"Why?"
"Because otherwise I won't teach you."
Qi Ying's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. The gears in his mind turned as he considered it.
"Will His Highness Qi Ying be good?" She pressed.
"Yes!"
She produced a long white ribbon that was sturdy enough and imbued with enough spiritual power to restrain a heavenly official. "Come here."
Qi Ying obeyed. This was one of the things she had been studying more thoroughly lately, as it required technical skill. To her surprise, Qi Ying went quiet as soon as she started tightening the rope around his body.
He wasn't entirely limp, he went where she pulled, which was satisfying. Once she had him tied up, she used some more spiritual power to suspend him from the ceiling. He really looked like a prize in display, his head limply hanging back, mouth slack. To her surprise, Qi Ying's face showed no trace of discomfort or even confusion. He was as peaceful as if he was sleeping.
"Uh, your Highness?"
He made a sound as a response. She was surprised. The rope should only restrain, not cause one's mind to fog like this. Could it be that the pressure points the knots were stimulating really had an effect similar to a paralyzing spell? She went back to her book and read some more. In the meantime, Qi Ying's breath was similar to that of a romantic entanglement.
As she read, she realized there was more to this lesson than just tying someone up properly. She walked up to Qi Ying.
"I need you to do something for me."
His eyes opened wide as if he'd just been woken up. His pupils were deep and dark voids. Her face burned. She felt powerful, in charge in a way she didn't usually feel.
"This… Don't use this on anyone else. It would cause trouble."
"Why?"
"Are you feeling good right now?"
He nodded vigorously.
"It's not a very effective technique against enemies then, you see? It's best if you don't use it."
He considered it and nodded again. It caused her chest to swell with a sense of power. She had a lot of notes to make. Without thinking too hard about it, she got out her paintbrush and a scroll to jot down the things she had learned.
First, sex gave you a sense of power over someone that other activities didn't.
Second, martial gods might be more suited to sex than others (to be determined).
Third, sex might make someone stupid.
As she was writing, she heard Qi Ying begin to struggle against the binds. She shook her head, getting out of her trance. Who knew how long it had been?
"Sorry, do you want to get down now?"
He nodded.
"…Need to pee…" said Qi Ying, trying to close his legs.
Ling Wen now understood why the manual called for having a sharp blade within reach. She unsheathed Qi Ying's sword and pulled the rope. It took quite a bit of force to snap the spiritual rope, and it required more pulling and tightening than she anticipated.
As she reached the bottom half of the restrains, Qi Ying made a noise. A few seconds passed and she saw a wet stain appear on the front of his pants
Ling Wen wanted to slap herself a hundred times, and while apologizing in her mind, sapped the rest of the spiritual power from the rope and tore it apart as quickly as she could. He didn't look at her, and she couldn't look at him either.
"Um, I will send a basin to your highness' palace right away. Please excuse—"
Before she could fully stand up to leave, Qi Ying grabbed her wrist. Cold terror gripped her body as she mouthed the password to Jun Wu's private communication array, but before she finished, Qi Ying threw her on the bed and lay on top of her.
The password connected.
"Ling Wen, is everything all right?"
His Highness was already snoring on top of her.
"Yes, my lord. This one just made a mistake."
A few days later, Jun Wu called her to his palace, alone. When she arrived, all the officials hanging around Jun Wu were sent out. The doors were locked, trapping a thick silence that licked up her spine, making her stand up perfectly straight as she awaited instructions, or judgment, she didn't know which. The pit in her stomach grew.
“I visited Qi Ying this morning and found something curious." He pulled out the broken rope, still held together by a few knots. "Even more curious was when I asked Qi Ying, and he said he was training with you. What is happening?”
She was impassive, and if she wanted to show her unwavering commitment, she had to choose honesty. “Experience, my lord. I want to prove I have what it takes to go on the next mission to the Ghost City’s brothel.”
Jun Wu smiled and gently shook his head.
"I believe I told you not to rush into things."
"I would never disobey, my lord. This is what Ling Wen wants."
His eyes bore into her for a long moment, maybe considering her words, then he pulled away his gaze with that air of amusement that he'd had the day he told her to drop the matter. If he was upset, it didn't show.
“Ling Wen, have you ever had an orgasm?”
The question was a basin of cold water thrown over her. She didn't have to reply for Jun Wu to understand completely.
“I’m afraid you’re still quite inexperienced in the ways of the world. Tell me, have you been paying attention to you body while you’ve been researching?”
“That’s not—”
“What? Not part of your list? You can’t be an expert on the ways of pleasure if you don’t even know what feels good for you.”
Ling Wen lowered her gaze.
“Consider it your new task for the day. Strike out whatever you have going on next and do it.
Silence.
“You do know how, don’t you?”
More silence.
A sigh. “Come here.”
She obeyed.
"Show me the list you have."
Her face was burning. Suddenly the list felt like a silly idea. She took it out from her sleeve and handed it over like someone who was passing notes in class.
Jun Wu eyed it with an amused expression.
"I see you've made some progress."
Compared to how many items were on the list, she really hadn't scratched the surface.
"Ling Wen, did you think crossing out all of these could make up for your lack of knowledge? That you'd be an expert like Ming Guang when you were done?"
"No, my lord."
"I see a sizable omission on this list. Although orgasm denial is only one item on the list, it seems to me you have been practicing it since you started. Am I correct?"
Teasing from The Heavenly Emperor himself was something not many had had the pleasure of experiencing. Ling Wen's head was spinning.
He walked to the back of his palace, beckoning her.
"Thankfully, I have somewhat of an interest in all manners of physical experiences. Pain and pleasure are, as you note down here, intertwined sometimes, especially for martial gods. Perhaps I can aid you on your mission."
"My lord…"
"Don't worry, I wouldn't do anything inappropriate to you. This is merely informative. Are you willing?"
"Ling Wen thanks you for your guidance."
"Good girl."
With a hand gesture, a wall on the back end of the room turned to reveal floor to ceiling shelves piled with what looked to be spiritual trinkets.
"These are just some of the treasures I've collected over the years. All of these share a peculiar quality. They retain a small amount of spiritual energy, but they cannot cause any harm. Here, hold this."
He gave her a round sort of bracelet. She looked at it. As it warmed up in her hands, it began vibrating. She looked at Jun Wu, puzzled.
"There's a limit on how much spiritual energy it can hold, that's why it's safe to use even on your most delicate parts."
She felt a warm rush between her legs.
"There are, of course, all kinds of designs. Some that can be inserted, some are purely for external stimulation. You might not know. Some women experience pleasure from penetration. Others prefer to focus on the sweet spot above the entrance."
Ling Wen felt like she was gaining forbidden knowledge, her ears buzzing. "My lord?"
Jun Wu laughed softly. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Why don't you go discover for yourself? Give it a try. And do call me if there's anything you can't figure out."
Ling Wen returned to her palace, eyeing the gift Jun Wu had given her. Was it really okay to put something like this near her genitals? She didn't sense any evil coming from it, and without feeding it spiritual energy, the bracelet's hum remained softer than a bee's buzz.
Once she had locked the doors to her bedchambers, a message appeared in her communication array.
"Ling Wen."
"My lord?"
"I forgot to tell you, even though it won't harm you, you should start with just a small amount of spiritual energy. The assignment is not to get there the fastest."
Get where?, she wondered. Curiosity was too great, in the end, so she lay on the bed and pressed the precious jade between her legs. At first, she didn't feel anything more than a slight pressure. The robes muffled the vibrations.
She delivered another message to her private line with Jun Wu.
"Why don't you move it around a little? See if you find any spots that feel good."
She followed his instructions, and risked a bit more spiritual energy than he had advised. Oh. Now the vibrations made sense. The lips of her pussy tingled pleasantly.
"How is it?"
"It's good."
"Keep moving the trinket. It has that shape for you to hang onto as you grind down."
She obeyed, finding that there was a spot where the pleasure concentrated more. She breathed out, not realizing her voice was also transmitted through the array.
"It sounds like you're feeling good. Keep going."
"M-my lord, may I take off my clothes and… p-press it directly on my skin?"
"You…" a low voice at the end of the line laughed. "I forgot I had to be quite literal with Ling Wen. Yes, you're supposed to use it on your skin."
She quickly got rid of the layers separating her from that wonderful, rhythmic pressure. When the cold made contact, her breath hitched. Polished cold met warm and wet. Her discomfort was evident through the line.
"You might find direct stimulation too overbearing for your first time. Why don't you move the bracelet just above that spot you're touching."
She did. The pleasant feeling continued. More spiritual energy bled into the bracelet, making the vibrations grow in intensity. Her voice reflected it too.
"Wait, Ling Wen." Jun Wu sounded out of breath, but she had no space in her mind to focus on that. "Do you remember what I said about not rushing? If you keep going, I'm afraid you'll finish before you complete your lesson."
She reined in the threads of her unraveling, lowering the amount of spiritual energy on the device to its original setting. Frustration pulled at her consciousness.
"What should I do now, my lord?"
No answer.
"My lord?"
Jun Wu's coughing broke through the silence. "It seems General Ming Guang has returned with exciting news. We'll have to continue this another time."
The line went dead. Ling Wen blinked. Pei Ming?
The next day, she was taking inventory of heaven's returning resources after the mission. At the same time, she was counting the merits given to Ming Guang's palace. Her leg bounced under the desk.
People came, either handed her or retrieved papers from her desk, and left.
"I expected a warm welcome," said Pei Ming.
She raised her gaze at him. "Maybe once you hand me your report of the mission."
"Come on. Can't you spare a few minutes for an old pal?"
She stretched out her empty hand. "The report."
Pei Ming's smile froze at her impassiveness.
"Actually, I do have something to give you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red vial.
She turned it in her hand. "What's this?"
"It's what I was sent to retrieve."
Such a small amount of liquid, and it didn't have a lot of spiritual energy from what she could feel. She shook the vial.
"This is what became of the ghost that was striking terror in the brothels?"
"Some of it. The rest has been delivered straight to the Heavenly Emperor's palace, at his request."
"Why would you want something like this?"
"Didn't my lord tell you? The ghost creates a powerful aphrodisiac, so mind-numbing that one afflicted could fuck himself to death and still not find relief."
She raised an eyebrow, still not understanding.
"This is the subdued version. It's much milder, but anyone that has had sex under its influence and lived to tell the tale says it's an experience like no other."
Suddenly she felt like she was holding something much grander in her palm.
"What do you say? Wanna give it a try?" Pei Ming leaned over her desk, flashing her a smile full of intent.
"Ah… Ah!"
Her legs burned trying to hang onto Pei Ming's hips, holding herself tethered to them as she pushed herself up and down his length. It wasn't fast enough for what she needed, her insides molten. The sounds of sex floating freely and bouncing off the walls. Slick and wet mixed with hard breathing.
Pei Ming held her up with ease, like he was carrying a feather. She was then laid on the floor of her palace, where their clothes had been discarded. Her eyes fluttered shut as Pei Ming grabbed more leverage and slammed his hips against hers, scratching a deep itch inside her that she feared might never be sated if Pei Ming ever stopped pounding it.
"So… this is, ah, what you were doing in—ah! The Ghost City?"
Pei Ming laughed. "It was mostly spying. Fuck, Noble Jie, imagine if they had sent you out to the Ghost City, imagine if you had been hit by even the stench of this ghost."
She couldn't reply. She couldn't even think. In the next moment, Pei Ming pulled out, leaving her cold and empty. Her walls tightened around nothing, which made her whine.
Pei Ming slipped between her legs, and before she could ask what was going on, his fingers parted her lips and a tongue found a spot that wiped every thought she had ever had from her mind.
Her hands found Pei Ming's scalp and pulled him closer, causing him to respond with a low moan.
The next time her consciousness peeked in through the cloud of lust over her mind, she was in a different position, on Pei Ming's bed. Thrusts met her from behind. The force of the push making her knees dig into the bed, which creaked indecently. If it wasn't for his hands holding her hips, making her meet every thrust, she wouldn't be able to stay up in this position. For a moment, she felt really exposed.
"What are you doi-i-ing?"
Pei Ming grunted in response. It seemed his mind was also clouded by desire. He leaned over her. His dick pressed against a wonderful spot inside her and rubbed with abandon.
"Noble Jie, this poison affects men differently from women. Do you wanna try?"
Her mind came back from the depths. She mustered up enough strength to switch forms.
As his body got used to it, he understood what Ol' Pei meant. An animalistic need took over, and he pushed Pei Ming down underneath his body.
The next time his mind came to, his hips were moving on their own. Pei Ming's face was buried in the pillow, which seemed to be soaked through around his mouth from the insistence of his bite.
The effects of the poison were going down. This time, his mind was able to retain what was happening. The sensations in his body blooming as he became aware of them. The tight, burning hold around his dick. The slight twitches that pulled him in every time he pulled back. The layer of sweat that had coated both of their bodies…
"Ol' Pei should be this quiet more often," he said. "It's a good look on you."
Pei Ming moaned in response, his eyes blank. A new wave of pleasure took over his actions. It seemed he was too hopeful about the effects of the poison being over.
Her own voice pulled her out of the darkness next. She blinked several times, trying to get her eyes to focus and her body to find Pei Ming's. A jolting pleasure traveled from her chest down to her clit —Pei Ming finally told her the name of that wonderful spot—, waking her up fully.
All at once, she realized her body was lying on Pei Ming, his cock was hard still, nestled between her buttocks, and his hands—gods— were blissfully massaging her breasts, the thumb and forefinger of each hand alternating between squeezing her nipples, rolling them like beads, and using the tips of his fingers to tickle them.
How—she wanted to ask— how is it that I can feel that down between my legs too?, but she couldn't. Her fingers found their way to her clit, which demanded her attention now that she was awake, and she rubbed furiously, something inside her growing, like sea waves rolling back and back and back.
Pei Ming shifted, releasing his cock from between them to nestle it against her entrance. It had just pressed its tip to her when her whole body began convulsing. The terrible emptiness inside her walls protested the lack of Pei Ming, contracting angrily. Someone, perhaps herself, was spilling out a voice she didn't recognize.
She opened her eyes to Pei Ming feeding her water. She couldn't find her voice, even if she tried, so she didn't, simply accepting the offer fervently. Her body ached like she had just been pulled out from under a mountain.
"Close your eyes," Pei Ming said. "I've asked the Heavenly Emperor to give you a few days off."
She was glad she couldn't speak, otherwise she would have conceded she still had a lot to learn.