We prepared in silence as the ship drifted closer to the river bandits' stronghold.
The night was thick, humid, heavy with the scent of stale wine and river mud. Lanterns burned lazily along the wooden docks ahead, their flames swaying with the current. From a distance, the place looked less like a fortress and more like a drunken celebration that had forgotten to end.
Through my Perception Eyes, the truth unfolded layer by layer.
Most of the bandits were asleep.
Some had collapsed against crates and pillars, wine jars still clutched in their hands. Others lay sprawled across the docks, armor loosened, weapons carelessly set aside. The few who remained "on watch" were barely upright, heads nodding forward, eyelids drooping, breaths thick with alcohol.
Pathetic.
The tension on our deck sharpened.
Guiniang stood at my left, tall and poised, her hand resting lightly on her blade. Hongli flexed her fingers once, twice, sleeves brushing against the railing as she adjusted her stance. Zerou's eyes gleamed softly under the lantern glow, calm but ready.
Langyan remained by the helm, steady as stone.
I withdrew several sleeping talismans from my sleeve. Their inked patterns shimmered faintly, spiritual lines coiling like restrained serpents. At the same time, I activated additional puppets stored within my ring. Wooden joints locked into place. Eyes carved from spirit-crystal flickered alive.
We drifted within striking distance.
"Now," I said quietly.
Guiniang, Hongli, and Zerou moved without hesitation.
We burst forward in a controlled surge of qi.
The air snapped around us as we leapt from the deck, crossing the distance between ship and dock in a single silent arc. At the same moment, my puppets sprang into motion, launching from hidden positions along the hull and shoreline.
We landed without a whisper of impact, our feet kissing the dock as lightly as drifting ash, and before the nearest guard could even finish a blink, two sleeping talismans had already slipped from my fingers, gliding through the night like violet leaves carried by an unseen breeze; they brushed against foreheads with a faint shimmer of spiritual light, and in the next breath the men's bodies softened, weapons loosening from their grasp as they crumpled silently to the wood, breathing deep and even, swallowed whole by enforced slumber.
To my right, Guiniang moved like flowing silk, one precise strike to the neck, another to the ribs. Not fatal, just enough to shatter resistance. Hongli's movements were sharper, efficient, her palm striking pressure points with surgical control. Zerou spun low, sweeping a blade hilt into a bandit's ankle before knocking him unconscious with the butt of her weapon.
My land-based puppets surged in from the rear road, striking with blunt efficiency. Wooden limbs swung, disabling, restraining. A few bandits panicked, shouting, fumbling for blades. Those who struggled too violently were silenced permanently.
Most were simply overwhelmed, crushed beneath the sudden precision of our assault. Resistance flickered briefly, then vanished, swallowed by disciplined strikes and silent takedowns.
The docks fell within moments, and we did not pause to savor it. Ahead, the stronghold's main compound loomed in the dim lantern light, thick timber walls bound with iron brackets, crude river-emblem banners swaying lazily from the eaves like relics of a kingdom already conquered.
I murmured, "The twins and their lieutenants are probably inside this last building." Jiangyuan and Jiangluan, the twin fangs of this river den. And behind them, Beixue and Heying, their sharp and loyal shadows. Four pillars holding up this nest of thieves.
At my silent command, a handful of puppets slipped into formation behind us, wooden frames steady and obedient, while the rest began dragging the unconscious bandits toward the center courtyard. Ropes were looped with efficient precision, wrists bound tight, ankles secured without mercy, the once-rowdy stronghold reduced to a quiet field of captives awaiting judgment.
We reached the main building as faint laughter drifted through the wooden doors, thick with wine and arrogance. A few guards were still awake, slumped around a low table cluttered with jars and scraps of meat, cheeks flushed, armor loosened, swords carelessly discarded at their sides.
They did not notice us until it was far too late. I flicked my wrist, and three puppets surged forward, wine shattered, wood splintered, one man lifted and slammed flat before his shout could fully form.
Another lunged for his blade, only for Guiniang's elbow to crush his jaw, Hongli's fingers to seal a pressure point, and Zerou's boot to sweep the last from his chair. Silence swallowed the room as quickly as the violence had erupted.
We stepped inside without pause.
The air carried the scent of incense mingled with spiced liquor, warmer and more intimate than the crude docks outside. Polished wooden floors gleamed under hanging lantern light, and silk drapes cascaded along the stairwell, revealing that beneath their bandit brutality, the leaders of this stronghold had cultivated a taste for comfort.
As we ascended to the second floor, our footsteps light against the polished wood, we noticed two rooms at the far back of the corridor. The air there felt different, denser, sharper. Through my Perception Eyes, their qi signatures stood out immediately.
Alert. Controlled. Stronger than the drunken rabble below. The twins and their lieutenants were inside.
I gave a single nod. Guiniang flowed to my side before the left door, while Hongli and Zerou positioned themselves at the right. We moved at the same instant, the doors exploded inward under our force, and my puppets surged through first, wooden bodies flooding the rooms and overwhelming the occupants before they could fully react.
When I stepped inside, I saw Jiangyuan and Jiangluan already on their feet. A wine jar lay overturned on the low table between them, the scent of strong liquor lingering in the air. Their eyes were sharp, but there was still a faint flush on their cheeks, a trace of intoxication softening the edges of their movements. Even so, their hands hovered near their twin blades, instincts refusing to dull completely.
They were outnumbered.
My puppets surged in first, wooden frames crashing forward in coordinated precision. Arms locked around theirs before steel could fully clear its sheath.
Jiangyuan tried to step back, but Guiniang moved faster, one clean strike to the side of her knee forced her down without breaking bone. Jiangluan twisted violently, nearly slipping free despite the alcohol in her veins, her strength impressive, but my palm struck her shoulder meridian at just the right angle, disrupting her qi long enough for restraints to snap tight around her wrists.
Next door, the clash of movement and muffled resistance rose briefly before being cut short just as swiftly. Beixue and Heying fought hard despite the surprise, but they too were overwhelmed, forced to their knees, weapons stripped from their grasp, wrists bound tight behind their backs before their qi could fully gather.
Within minutes, all four women were secured. One by one, my puppets lifted the captives and carried them down the stairs into the courtyard, where rows of subdued bandits already knelt in defeat. The stronghold that had once ruled this stretch of river now stood silent and conquered beneath our control.
Bandits lay tied in rows beneath lantern light, groggy or unconscious, wrists bound behind them. The once-rowdy compound now felt hollow, stripped of arrogance.
I began issuing commands without raising my voice. "Move them to the ship." The puppets obeyed at once, hauling the bound bandits in controlled groups toward the dock, movements steady and efficient.
Then I turned to Guiniang, Hongli, and Zerou. "Search the storage. Take everything of value, leave nothing useful behind."
They dispersed swiftly. The looting was methodical, not chaotic. Storage rooms were opened and swept clean, and instead of piling goods openly, everything was transferred directly into storage rings. Valuables, cultivation pills, rare elixirs, refined weapons, and spirit stones of various grades, all vanished one after another.
By the time the eastern sky began to pale with the first hint of gray, the stronghold had been stripped bare. Even hidden compartments were discovered. Among the spoils, Guiniang and the others uncovered several spirit beast eggs carefully preserved in insulated chests, rare finds that promised future strength. Nothing of worth remained behind; the river nest had been hollowed completely.
Now, only the four leaders remained apart from the rest. I stood before them in the courtyard as the last of the captives were dragged away.
Jiangyuan glared up at me despite kneeling, her dark hair slightly disheveled from the struggle, a faint flush still clinging to her cheeks. Yet her spine remained straight, unbent. Beside her, Jiangluan mirrored that same posture, chin lifted, eyes steady with quiet defiance.
Beixue and Heying knelt just behind the twins, wrists bound tightly, cloth gags secured across their mouths, but their gazes were no less sharp. Even restrained, they radiated strength and pride. Four captured queens. Four fierce spirits forced into stillness beneath the lantern-lit sky.
I looked at the four of them for a long, measured breath before gesturing to my puppets. Without hesitation, the wooden figures stepped forward and lifted them, one by one, firm but not cruel. Jiangyuan struggled briefly out of pride, Jiangluan remained rigid and silent, while Beixue and Heying kept their sharp gazes fixed on me as they were carried away.
The river breeze brushed across their faces as we moved along the dock, the conquered stronghold slowly fading behind us. On deck, the other bound bandits had already been secured in the lower hold, stacked and restrained beneath guard. But these four were not taken below. I had different intentions for them.
"Take them to the inner cabin," I commanded calmly. The puppets obeyed, carrying Jiangyuan, Jiangluan, Beixue, and Heying into the largest room within the ship before the door slid shut behind them.
Inside the cabin, lantern light flickered across four bound figures seated against polished wooden walls. Their breathing appeared steady, controlled, but their eyes betrayed far more. Not fear. Not yet. Curiosity. Calculation. Anger simmering beneath proud restraint. I stepped inside and closed the door softly behind me as the ship shifted, rejoining the river's steady current. The conquest of their stronghold was complete. But this… this was only the beginning of what would follow.
As we drifted away from the ruined base, Guiniang, Hongli, Langyan, and Zerou seemed to understand my intention without needing words. One by one, they left the cabin corridor quiet, allowing me privacy with Jiangyuan, Jiangluan, Beixue, and Heying.
I activated a formation array etched subtly into the floorboards. Spiritual lines shimmered faintly before a refined purple mist began to bloom, delicate, controlled, not a crude toxin but a carefully crafted aphrodisiac vapor designed to stir the body and unsettle disciplined qi.
Slowly, the change began.
A flush crept across Jiangyuan's cheeks; Jiangluan's breathing deepened despite her effort to remain composed. Beixue shifted, thighs pressing together unconsciously, while a faint sheen of sweat gathered at Heying's collarbone.
Heat thickened the air. Their legs moved slightly, unintentionally, as the mist coiled around them, awakening sensations they could not easily suppress. I stepped closer and untied their hands one by one. Pride faltered beneath rising desire, and the tension in their eyes transformed into something rawer, need blending with defiance, as they began to ask, voices low and strained, surrendering to the consuming heat.
I gave a slow nod and take out my Thick Dao Tool.
It emerged with a low hum, ancient runes spiraling faintly along its length, radiating restrained power. Jiangyuan, Jiangluan, Beixue, and Heying crawled toward me almost unconsciously, drawn by both the mist and the resonance of the artifact. Their fingers reached out, brushing along its surface, tracing the engraved lines as if memorizing every contour.
"Slowly," I instructed, voice steady. "Inject your energy. Guide it across the surface. Do not rush."
Their qi flowed into it in trembling streams, warm, eager, tinged with lingering pride. My Thick Dao Tool pulsed brighter with each breath they fed into it, responding to their touch, their heat, their surrender.
I reached down and lifted Jiangyuan's chin, then Jiangluan's, holding their faces close. Their eyes were heavy, pupils dilated, breaths mingling with mine. I kissed them both at once, slow, claiming, deliberate. Not frantic. Not rushed. A silent declaration of dominance and invitation intertwined.
By the time I released them, my Thick Dao Tool was fully awakened.
Jiangyuan was first. I inserted my Thick Dao Tool into her meridians, pressing its heated spiritual force deep into her core, guiding every surge with slow, deliberate control. She arched against me as qi flooded her dantian, breath turning ragged, collarbone slick with sweat that gleamed under lantern light. The ship rocked with the river, our rhythm bold and shameless, heat thick and intoxicating between us. When my Thick Dao Tool pulsed at its peak, Milky Dao Seeds burst inside her center, claiming, binding, sealing her to me in fierce, undeniable devotion.
Jiangluan came next, fiercer and hotter, her qi flaring in sharp resistance before I inserted my Thick Dao Tool firmly into her meridians. She gasped as the surge drove through her core, pride cracking into raw, hungry heat while the cabin swayed with the river's rhythm.
Our bodies moved in bold cadence, breath thick, sweat gleaming under blurred lantern light as mist curled around us. I guided every thrust of energy with deliberate control until my Thick Dao Tool crested hard, releasing blazing Milky Dao Seeds deep within her dantian, searing loyalty into her very foundation. Her breathing slowed, eyes melting from defiance into devoted fire.
While I guided the dual cultivation with Jiangyuan and Jiangluan, Beixue and Heying could only watch from where they knelt, bodies flushed and breathing uneven.
The purple mist clung to their skin, making every rise of their chests more pronounced, every swallow more deliberate. Their lips parted unconsciously as they witnessed the surge of qi between us, heat reflecting in their eyes, hunger, curiosity, and barely restrained desire tightening their fingers against the floor as they waited for their turn to be drawn into the ritual.
I pulled them closer, one on each side, their heated bodies pressing against me as the air thickened with restless qi. I kissed them, deeper this time, tasting lingering wine, purple mist, and restrained hunger trembling on their tongues. Their hands clutched at my shoulders, fingers digging in as my Thick Dao Tool flared again between us.
I quickly inserted my Thick Dao Tool into Beixue, drawing her fully into the ritual while my lips still claimed Heying's in a slow, heated kiss. The three of us moved in deliberate rhythm, following the steady sway of the boat as it rode the river's waves.
Our breaths intertwined, sweat beading and sliding across flushed skin, heat blending until it felt like a single rising current shared between us. I controlled the circulation carefully, feeding her qi back into my Thick Dao Tool until it pulsed sharply and released Milky Dao Seeds inside Beixue, imprinting a deep, unbreakable loyalty bond within her core.
Finally, I turned to Heying, while Beixue rose behind me, pressing close, arms circling my waist as she assisted in channeling energy through my Thick Dao Tool. Together we guided the current forward, three streams merging into one powerful flow.
The cabin grew thick with warmth, lantern light blurring as mist gathered along the ceiling. Sweat dampened skin, breaths turning heavier as qi surged higher and higher. Then, in a sudden brilliant pulse, my Thick Dao Tool released Milky Dao Seeds deep inside Heying, sealing her devotion through shared cultivation.
But this was not the end of our cycle.
The river journey to Guiniang's base stretched long into the night, and I continued with Jiangyuan, Jiangluan, Beixue, and Heying through rounds of dual cultivation.
Each time my Thick Dao Tool pulsed and released another Milky Dao Seeds within them, the loyalty bond deepened, no longer a single imprint, but a growing network of resonance tying their cores to mine.
With every synchronized circulation of qi, their devotion strengthened, their energies blending more seamlessly with my Dao as the ship carried us steadily through the dark.