Chapter 4 Dreamweaver's Gift
941 Words
Ethan Lockwood heaved a bone-weary sigh, finally hearing the sound he'd been desperately awaiting.
After successfully consummating his marriage with Maya, he gained cultivation progress equivalent to a month and ten days of seated meditation.
No more tedious qi-channeling trances—his bedroom exploits now doubled as cultivation practice.
The system had granted him another reward too. "What exactly does this 'Divine Ingenuity in Dreams' nonsense do?" he wondered, deciding to investigate immediately.
Delving into his mind's system panel, he opened the Dreamweaver function. As the description unfolded, Ethan's eyes widened with understanding.
This was no ordinary power—it let him design dream scenarios, then plant them in chosen minds like seeds in fertile soil.
Still confused? Imagine this:
If Ethan wanted Maya to dream of their intimate moments, the ability would weave that exact fantasy as she slept.
Essentially, a psychic seduction technique! Ethan grinned at the possibilities.
How to wield this power required careful thought...
But one thing was crystal clear—this was the ultimate tool for harem expansion.
At dawn's first light, when roosters announced the new day, Maya—limp from last night's thorough ravishing—finally fluttered her eyelids open.
Ethan had been awake for hours, watching the delicate slope of her bare arm peeking from tangled sheets.
When consciousness fully returned, Maya bolted upright despite her aching muscles.
Ethan gently pressed her back down. "Maya, you were thoroughly exhausted last night. Rest a while longer this morning."
"Master! Where's my chastity cloth? Please help me retrieve it," Maya urged with visible anxiety.
"Ah." Only then did Ethan understand her concern.
As he pulled the white cloth from beneath her, Maya exhaled in relief upon seeing the telltale crimson spots marking its surface.
Blushing, she presented the cloth to him. "My lord, please examine your servant's proof of virtue."
Ethan nodded. "I've seen it. Tell me, Maya—does this truly matter so much?"
"Of course!" she exclaimed softly. "What bride wouldn't care? Though redeemed from Silk Whisper, even respectable daughters face suspicion without this token."
"At best, cast out as discarded wives. At worst? Sentenced to hanging or the pig cage drowning for supposed wantonness."
"This world shows women precious little kindness," Ethan murmured.
[whispering] "Fear not, Master," Maya reassured him. "Though I came from the pleasure house, no man touched me before you."
"I shall uphold all a woman's virtues and duties—and surely give you many children."
Ethan's eyebrows rose. "Your virginity was genuine, yet last night you demonstrated such... practiced skill. Did Silk Whisper train you?"
Crimson-cheeked, Maya leaned close to whisper secrets in his ear.
As her whispered confession ended, Ethan blinked in astonishment. "So... the jar practice? Your methods are quite..."
Before he could finish, Maya pressed her delicate fingers against his lips.
"My lord! Keep your voice down. Such private matters shouldn't be spoken so loudly..."
The following night, Ethan lay with Clara once more.
This time, the system rewarded him with another month and ten days' worth of cultivation base—but granted no additional special abilities.
In the days that followed, Ethan devoted himself to cultivation with Maya and Clara, losing all track of day and night. Between sessions, he stepped out briefly to purchase household necessities.
Meanwhile, all domestic duties—cooking, laundry, sweeping the courtyard, even assisting with their daily ablutions—rested entirely on young Lilac's slender shoulders. Astonishingly, she managed everything with flawless efficiency.
Eventually, Ethan's conscience stirred. The thought of this barely grown girl laboring like a drudge struck him as positively exploitative.
Gathering the three women, he announced, "When I'm away, Maya will manage household affairs. You'll both defer to her."
Neither Clara nor Lilac objected. Maya, the eldest and most sensible, had their respect.
Ethan continued, "A household this size is too much for Lilac alone. We should hire maidservants to ease her burden."
Maya bowed slightly. "This lowly one can handle it, Master. I'll take Clara and Lilac to the servant market."
Ethan looked surprised. "You're permitted to leave? What of feminine virtue?"
Maya seemed perplexed. "My lord, virtue isn't a prison! A wife must guard her purity—but how can she serve you if never permitted outside?"
"Being a proper wife simply means staying faithful to you, master," Maya explained. "If we couldn't leave the house, how would we manage your household affairs?"
Ethan rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Ah, my apologies. I've spent most of my time training within the Stellar Ascent Sect and know little of worldly customs."
This was true—since arriving in this world, he'd been cultivating at the sect's mountain gates, far more familiar with cultivation knowledge than everyday mortal life.
"We know you were an immortal cultivator before this!" Maya laughed.
After some thought, Ethan added firmly, "Only hire female servants—no men. Even the cook must be a woman." He paused for emphasis. "And make sure they're average-looking. No beauties."
Clara pointed out, "Master, finding pretty maids in the slave market would be difficult anyway. Establishments like Silk Whisper get first pick of attractive girls."
"Good," Ethan nodded.
These requirements stemmed from the system's reward rules he remembered from his first awakening. His cultivation advanced faster by marrying and having children with higher-quality women.
In his mind, "quality" meant three things: First, physical beauty—preferably virgins. Second, superior spiritual roots and cultivation talent. Third, exceptional skills. At least, that was his interpretation.
He had no interest in relying on numerous shallow relationships for meager gains. If quantity over quality were the goal, he'd have avoided marriage entirely and just frequented brothels like Silk Whisper nightly.
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