CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40 - SEXUAL FRUSTRATION?

The guard’s panicked retreat sent a jolt through my mind that had nothing to do with the inherited powers.

Three years was a long time, but some faces stuck in memory like scars—especially when they belonged to the bastards who’d helped tear your family apart.

Guard Captain Liu Wei. I remembered him now. Mid-rank cultivator, Foundation Establishment peak, stationed at the palace during Chen’s escape.

He’d been one of Wuji’s loyalists, probably fed information about the rescue attempt. And now here he was, wearing Immortal Sect robes like he belonged.

"Something wrong?" Lin Yue’s voice was barely a whisper, but her archer’s instincts had picked up on my sudden tension.

"Maybe," I replied quietly, filing the information away. No point in chasing him now—too many witnesses, too much risk of exposure.

But Liu Wei’s presence here meant the Sect had deeper connections to my son’s coup than I’d suspected.

Elder Song led us through winding corridors toward the guest quarters, the jade tokens around our necks growing warm as they interfaced with the sect’s security formations.

The building we entered was modest by Immortal Sect standards—only three stories, with simple but comfortable rooms overlooking one of the outer courtyards.

"Three rooms," Elder Song announced, gesturing to adjacent doorways. "Meals are served in the refectory at designated hours. Curfew is at the second night watch. Any questions?"

Jian Wei, who’d been following at a respectful distance, stepped forward with that familiar smirk. "Elder Song, if I may... given their uncertain status, perhaps closer supervision would be appropriate? I could assign some of my junior brothers to—"

"That won’t be necessary," Elder Song cut him off smoothly. "Elder Feng has made her requirements clear. Standard guest protocols will suffice."

The dismissal was polite but final. Jian Wei’s jaw tightened, but he bowed and retreated with his cronies, shooting me one last poisonous glare.

As soon as we were alone, I activated my enhanced senses, checking for surveillance formations.

The walls hummed with monitoring arrays—nothing invasive, but enough to track major qi disturbances or obvious rule violations.

The windows faced the courtyard, giving us a view of the disciplined chaos of sect life but also making us visible to anyone below.

"Well," Lin Yue said, settling onto one of the simple wooden chairs, "this is cozy. Nothing says ’honored guests’ like constant supervision and threatening bureaucrats."

Mei Ling moved to the window, her cultivation-enhanced vision taking in the sprawling complex below. "It’s so large... how will we ever find my brother in a place like this?"

That was the million-spirit-stone question.

The Immortal Sect was vast, and if Chen and Xiao were being held here, they could be anywhere—from the highest peaks where the inner elders resided to the deepest dungeons carved into the mountain’s roots.

But Liu Wei might have answers.

I pulled both of them closer, voice dropping to barely audible levels.

The monitoring formations would pick up loud conversations, but whispered words in the local dialect might slip through.

"Listen carefully. I saw someone I recognized—a guard from the old palace. He was present during Chen’s escape, possibly involved in the betrayal. If he’s here, he might know where they took my grandson and Xiao."

Lin Yue’s eyes sharpened. "You want to interrogate him?"

"Eventually. But carefully. We’re in their territory now, surrounded by enemies. One wrong move and we’ll find ourselves in chains... or worse somewhere dead."

Mei Ling turned from the window, worry creasing her features. "What do we do? Just wait?"

"We adapt. Learn the rhythms of this place. Figure out who has power, who holds grudges, and where the information flows." I moved to my assigned room, gesturing for them to follow. "First lesson in sect politics—everything is about hierarchy and face. We’re outsiders, which means we start at the bottom. But that also means we’re underestimated."

The room was spartan but functional—a simple bed, writing desk, storage chest, and a small altar for daily cultivation practice.

More importantly, it had a connecting door to the adjacent chamber, currently locked but easily bypassed with the right application of qi.

"For now, we maintain the facade. I’m the reformed emperor seeking enlightenment. You’re my loyal companions. We attend meals, observe protocols, and blend into the background while we gather intelligence."

A soft chime echoed through the building—dinner call, apparently.

"Time for our debut," I said, straightening my robes. The black fabric with golden dragon embroidery would mark me as someone with imperial pretensions, which was both a risk and an opportunity. "Remember, we’re harmless refugees. Broken, grateful, and completely non-threatening."

The refectory was a massive hall that could easily seat a thousand, though only a fraction of the tables were occupied during the evening meal.

Guest diners sat in a designated section, separated from the sect disciples by both physical barriers and rigid social hierarchy.

We joined the queue, accepting simple wooden bowls and basic fare—rice, vegetables, and what might charitably be called meat. The food was adequate but deliberately plain, a reminder of our status.

As we found seats at an empty table, I noticed the stares. Whispered conversations followed us across the room, disciples pointing and speculating about the newcomers.

Some looked curious, others hostile, and a few seemed merely bored by the distraction.

"Popular already," Lin Yue muttered, spooning rice with mechanical efficiency.

"Fame has its drawbacks," I agreed, scanning the room for familiar faces.

That’s when I spotted him—Liu Wei, sitting with a group of inner disciples at a table near the far wall.

He was trying very hard not to look in our direction, but his shoulders were tense, his movements careful and controlled. The man was clearly fighting every instinct to bolt from the room.

More interesting were his companions. The inner disciples around him wore the silver-trimmed robes of advanced cultivators, their auras suggesting Core Formation realm at minimum.

One in particular caught my attention—a woman with sharp features and calculating eyes, her posture suggesting authority despite her relatively young appearance.

System windows flickered at the edge of my vision:

[Target Identified: Inner Disciple Zhang Mei]

[Cultivation: Late Core Formation]

[Influence Level: High - Information Broker]

[Corruption Potential: B-Rank]

An information broker. Exactly what I needed.

"The woman at Liu Wei’s table," I murmured to my companions. "Silver trim, sharp eyes. She might be useful."

Lin Yue followed my gaze with subtle glances. "Looks like she’s already sizing us up."

Indeed, Zhang Mei was studying us with professional interest, her conversation with the other disciples clearly focused on our group.

When our eyes met across the crowded hall, she smiled—polite, calculating, and distinctly predatory.

After dinner, as we made our way back to our quarters, a sect messenger intercepted us. Young, nervous, probably an outer disciple tasked with grunt work.

"Honored guests," he stammered, offering a small scroll sealed with silver wax. "Inner Disciple Zhang Mei requests the pleasure of your company tomorrow at the morning tea ceremony. Dawn hour, Jade Pavilion."

I accepted the invitation with appropriate gravity. "Please convey our gratitude to Inner Disciple Zhang."

Back in our quarters, I broke the seal and scanned the elegant calligraphy within.

The invitation was formal but held subtle implications—Zhang Mei was curious about us, wanted to assess our value, and was confident enough in her position to make the first move.

"Tea ceremony?" Mei Ling asked, reading over my shoulder.

"Information exchange," I corrected. "She wants to know who we are, what we want, and how we might be useful to her given we three are under favour of Feng. In exchange, she’ll drop hints about sect politics and current events."

"And Liu Wei?"

"Will have to wait. One step at a time."

As my companions settled in for the night, I activated the pleasure palace in my room, expanding it just enough to create a private workspace.

The dimensional space masked qi fluctuations, giving me freedom to plan without surveillance.

The system provided helpful updates as I reviewed our situation:

[Mission Update: Infiltrate Immortal Sect - Progress 15%]

[Objectives Identified:]

- [Gather intelligence on Chen and Xiao’s location]

- [Build influence within sect hierarchy]

- [Neutralize or convert potential threats]

- [Maintain cover identity while advancing goals]

[New Opportunities Detected:]

- [Information Broker Zhang Mei - High Value Target]

- [Compromised Guard Liu Wei - Blackmail Potential]

- [Elder Feng - Ongoing Seduction Mission]

[Warning: Hostile Faction Identified - Jian Wei’s Group]

Three potential allies, one confirmed enemy, and thousands of unknowns. The math wasn’t encouraging, but I’d worked with worse odds.

Tomorrow would bring the tea ceremony and our first real test of sect diplomacy.

Zhang Mei would probe for weaknesses while offering carefully measured information in return. Liu Wei would continue avoiding me, at least until I cornered him privately.

Time to see what the Immortal Sect was really about.

As I dismissed the palace and settled onto the simple bed, a final thought occurred to me. Elder Feng had been unusually quiet during our arrival and processing.

For someone supposedly in charge of our supervision, she’d been remarkably hands-off.

Either she was playing a deeper game than I’d anticipated, or she was dealing with her own complications from our earlier encounter.

The memory of her pale eyes widening as she experienced her first climax, the way her body had trembled and leaked...

[System Alert: Arousal Detection - Remote Target]

[Elder Feng’s current state: Elevated stress, possible sexual frustration]

[Pleasure Echo ability available for activation]

’Sexual frustration? Haha, the old wife is really suffering, isn’t she?’I couldn’t help but chuckle before my fingers moved as I used the pleasure echo ability. ’I will just send you a help, wife to be.’