Cultivating Chaos 5 -CH 3- (Patreon)

As far as Ash could see in every direction, the Hall had expanded.

He’d known for a while that as the treasure repaired itself, more and more services, ability to assist Locke, and himself, as well as the skills and abilities available, grew.

Additionally, the land kept expanding outward. Ever increasing it’s landmass in every direction.

The edge of which Ash had never really explored.

Whenever he’d come to the Hall, he’d had goals and needs to meet. Things to do or something he wanted to take care of.

Exploration really hadn’t been something he had done.

Now it seemed that was an error on his part.

He could see other buildings besides the primary library that he had always used. A number of outbuildings, in fact.

“This is… the Hall,” Siu whispered as Hui began walking off to one side. She looked very excited.

Siu let her head slowly turn around as she looked about. Her left hand came up and gently pressed to Ash’s lower back.

He instantly felt his libido drain once more. Hui and her closeness made him very aware of her.

Brides quickly pulled of their Weimao’s, all of them looking to Mei, Ash, and Siu.

“Do whatever it is you need to do,” Ash said, looking to the other two. He smiled at them. “While this isn’t their Bridal Manse, this is certainly something similar. I leave it to you two to decide how to handle this.

“I trust you both, do what you feel is best. No need to ask me. I’m going to go run down Locke. I need to see what her abilities are now that the Hall is fully restored.”

“Of course,” Mei murmured and smiled, looking to Siu. “I’ll provide the tour. Do you want to go set up those buildings?”

Siu nodded her head to that, her hand lingering on Ash’s back.

Smiling, Ash left it at that and moved away. The lingering warmth of Siu’s hand left him feeling a bit fuzzy though only for a moment.

Heading into the main building, Ash quickly went to the stairs that would lead up to the third floor.

On that floor there was a private area. It was often where he had taken Moira to bed as well as Locke.

“Ah, I’m excited to be heading back here,” remarked Moira as if she heard his very thoughts.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the black and white haired Owl.

Her eyes were incredibly large and Yellow.

She graced him with a warm smile as their eyes met.

Beside her was Tala, the beautifully black haired, rabbit-eared, warrior woman. Her bright green eyes were crinkled at the corners and she looked to be enjoying herself.

“Oh, yes, we could do that three-way thing again. I enjoyed it last time. It felt more like a two-vs-one though than a three-way. The naming sounds wrong,” Tala argued, her smile turnign into an odd frown as she looked to Moira. “My Elegant Self is quite eager to experience it again though, despite the poor name.”

“Only because we did it wrong I suppose. Neither of us are romantically interested in each other,” explained Moira. “We’re comrades only.”

“Oh… oh! Ahhh, my Elegant Self now understands,” Tala exclaimed. “This is more what Locke wishes for, yes?”

“Well, maybe. I’m not sure I believe her. She has an odd look similar to Yue at times,” Moira countered as they reached the third floor.

Huh.

That’s a good point.

Locke may not actually want a three-way, but is stuck somewhere between my own idle fantasies and what she thinks she wants to do based on LBA.

The “entry room” or “living room” was the same as it ever was. Several recliners, a large couch, love seat, coffee table, and book shelf. He hadn’t spent much time here but he could see himself doing that if he ever had any free time.

Doubly so since there was a kitchen and dining-room attached to it, separated by a small half wall on the far end.

Moving beyond the room he went to the hall that led away from it. This hall was lined with doors that led to individual bedrooms.

Ash looked to the chains in front of him. There were a number that seemed to be bundled into themselves and going nowhere.

Ash figured those were all the chains that went to Brides that weren’t reachable from here in the Hall.

Like Liu.

Or… or… ah… Yue?

Yue.

Yue would have a chain.

I can… yes.

As soon as were done here.

I need to go pull on Yue.

There was one chain that led to a door in this hall which would likely have Locke in it. The furthest one in the back on the left, which happened to be the one Ash had often used as well.

Which wasn’t surprising.

“We’ll wait here,” Moira remarked and sat down on the love-seat in the living room. Tala was currently at the book-case fingering the spines to see if anything stood out as interesting to her.

Moving to the end of the hall Ash opened the door.

Inside was his bed, a desk, a chair, a bedside table, and a bed-pan.

Spread out twisted in his sheets, and absolutely naked, was the beautiful woman that was Locke. Hui could compete with her at a breast size and figure, but no one else could.

On top of that, Locke had certainly made her face incredibly pretty.

At the moment, her green eyes were closed and her brown hair was spread out around her head in a wild mess.

She’s sleeping, sleeping.

Not just resting her body here, but sleeping.

Locke grunted, snorted, then rolled over to her side.

The door hanging in his hand, Ash suddenly realized that this wasn’t what he wanted after all. Waking Locke up would just be the wrong step given how deeply she was sleeping.

With a groan, Locke lifted her head up from the bed and looked right at him.

Her eyes focused on him but not really seeing him either. As if she knew he was there, was looking at him, but wasn’t proccesing it.

“My Chosen One,” she slurred in a way that sounded like her tongue wasn’t moving.

Then she held her arms out to him, her hands opening and closing.

Grinning, Ash realized Locke had likely sensed his presence.

“Your Chosen One is here. You wake enough to take a message for later?” he asked, coming over to stand at the head of the bed.

Locke grunted, her arms falling back into the bed. Then she squirmed her way to the side closest to him and grabbed his pant leg.

“Maybe,” she mumbled.

“When you wake up, my beloved Locke Sheng, seek me out. I want to talk about the Hall, what all changed, you, and what I’ve discovered. Okay?” he asked, reaching down to lightly run his fingers through Locke’s hair.

He hadn’t really shown much in the way of physical affection like this.

“Mmm. Nnkay,” moaned Locke.

Standing there, Ash just ran his fingers through her hair.

He knew everyone would want to run around and look at the Hall. He could spend some time just standing here and showing Locke physical care.

A minute after he started, Locke opened her eyes and peered up at him. Watching him and quite fully awake now.

“I love you,” she whispered in a squeak.

“I know. And I love you, my warm and fuzzy little house-wife. You did so well in clearing all the obstacles I kept complaining about,” answered Ash. “Now… go back to sleep. Rest. We’ll have lots of work to do. I’ll leave since it seems like I’m keeping you up.”

“You… could put me to bed,” offered Locke in a tone he knew well. “Then you could go back to the others… I’d sleep better.”

Grinning, Ash decided to do just that.

***

He found Jia, Mei, Na, Rou, Hui, Siu, Moira, Hui, and even Tala all together in the living room. Spread out on the couches, chairs, love seat, and even in Tala’s case, laid out on the rug.

Now all it needs is my pretty white-eyed Sorc—

Chunhua practically appeared from thin air next to him, wrapped him up in a hug, and kissed him. The beautiful and similarily figured to Mei Qi magician had clearly been experimenting with Qi-Elements.

To the point that she’d figured out how to hide in a similar way to Elder Li-Yong.

The beautiful soceress had her tongue in his mouth before he had even realized he was being kissed, in fact.

He certainly didn’t fight her, however.

Instead he stepped forward and pushed Chunhua’s back up against a wall and kissed her in return. His hands remained stuck to her hips but he desperately wanted to paw at her openly.

“Oh me, oh my,” whispered Siu. “He most certainly wasn’t doing anything with Locke.”

“He was not?” Jia asked in a surprised tone.

Holding Chunhua up for several seconds like that Ash finally released her.

He smiled at her as the kiss broke and peered at her face.

“Feeling better?” he asked, his eyes searching her face.

She’d been rather deeply wounded by their unknown adversary from the wilds. To the point that even with Rou’s Qi-healing she was still in need of rest.

“Not really,” Chunhua admitted with a half-choked breath. She was staring at him in a way that she hadn’t before. “I’m still on bed rest.”

“What a waste of a perfect opportunity,” mused Tala. “If it were my Elegant Self, I would have stated, ‘I’m still on bed rest, don’t you want to come rest in my bed?’ but I suppose… perhaps that’s a bit much for some people.”

Chunhua’s face had turned a deep scarlet at Tala’s words though she didn’t look away from Ash.

Smiling, he gave Chunhua a kiss, then moved over to where everyone was in the living room. He needed to break away from her or he would most certainly end up giving into his sudden boiling temptations.

The simple reality was that he was now living his live in a forward and active way. He wasn’t content to just be passive and let things happen.

Now, he acted on things.

Even his libido, in fact.

“Hui… your weapon… ah… I…? I… that—” Hui’s voice trailed off from where she had been sat down next to the bookcase. “I want to kiss you.”

The suddenness of her unexpected statement left Ash at a loss.

“Ah… Hui, dear weapon of Master Sheng, would you mind if we talked about directions, plans, and strategies first?” Jia asked with a kind tone. “Once we figure some things out, and you act as our brilliant strategist, then I think we could easily change gears to your own place in the family.

“Like kissing Ashley or other such things. Would you mind at all?”

Hui blinked, nodded her head quickly, smiled, and then stood up.

“Yes! That would be ideal. Yes. What… how do we start? I’ve never been part of something like this,” Hui admitted, looking around the room. “Shen just… would tell us what to do, and we’d do it. There wasn’t any conversation at all. Any plan we came up with was almost immediately thrown out as wrong.”

“That’s idiotic,” Ash grumbled and then moved to where Na had jumped out of her recliner. Readily he took the seat as he knew she had vacated it for him to take.

Then he promptly grabbed Na by the wrist, jerked on it, and sent her straight into his lap with a plop.

The beautiful, and now very red faced Na, looked floored at what’d just happened.

Putting his arms around Na’s hips, Ash leaned back and got comfortable.

“Some of the best ideas we’ve had as a group have been collectively made. With input from everyone,” he continued, looking over to Hui. “One person making every choice is just asking for resentment and bad ideas.

“Even kings, presidents, or emperors, the best of them, act with information from those they trust most.

“Now… a few things… first, Locke is fine. She’s sleeping. Actually sleeping. Seems she and her soul have bonded quite firmly with her body.”

“Oh good,” Rou said with a light clap of her hands together. “I admit I was nervous for our dear Locke Sheng. She’s a naughty thing but I do like her.”

Na was now staring at her feet as they dangled off the edge of the recliner. He hands were folded in her lap and she looked at a complete loss.

“Husband,” Mei murmured with a wide grin. “Please release your Handmaiden. My dear cousin is absolutely beside herself.

“I would willingly take her place if you like, but there are those who just will never be comfortable with your views on public displays of affection.”

Oh?

Oh!

That’s a good thing then. That mean she absolutely views herself as having value.

Previously she was willing to do whatever, whenever, without a care. As if she mattered not at all.

Gently as he could, Ash eased Na off his lap, then summoned a chair from somewhere else in the Hall.

It arrived easily.

Though surprisingly, it had a Bride seated in it.

She was pretty, young, with hair so light brown in color that it was bordering on no longer being brown, but possibly blonde.

With extremely-light brown eyes as well that looked more hazel than anything, a well endowed figure, and a surprised look on her attractive face, Ash had a hard time not staring at her.

It didn’t hurt that, once again, she was built in a fun way. She wasn’t as well built as Locke, but she wasn’t far behind. More similar to Chunhua in fact or a bit better.

Closer to Mei, maybe.

Once again… my Fated One status. Ever bringing about the beautiful and talented.

“Ah?” she asked curiously. Her eyes quickly flicking through everyone there and ending on Ash. She jumped out of her seat. “Bride… Bride Xiuying reporting for… reporting… ah… to be… a Bride?”

“Oh me, oh my,” murmured Siu with a warm chuckle. “You pushed Na off your lap and summoned a Bride instead. Is she to take her place?”

Before Ash could even respond, Xiuying sat herself down in Ash’s lap without even a worse. She wormed around briefly and then went still, looking to Ash, then Siu. As if wanting someone else to give her further instructions.

“I admit this is sudden, though I’m incredibly excited to be chosen for this role,” Xiuying stated with a wide and particularly attractive smile. “Bride Siu, thank you for this opportunity. I know I was only recently promoted to your second, but I’m eager to show my abilities.”

Everyone was looking at Xiuying and Ash in equal measure.

Na, for her part, looked grateful for some reason.

She took the chair that’d been summoned, smiled from ear to ear, and then looked to Ash. As if Xiuying wasn’t an issue in any way shape or form.

“Well, you seemed to have a direction you wished to draw the conversation. What is it?” Moira asked, her head tilting to one side.

It seemed everyone had collectively dismissed Xiuying.

“I can see chains heading to the top of the prison. There is an exit there. I want to move up,” Ash said simply. There was no reason to elaborate for these people. They were all intelligent in their own ways. “I’d like to change our formations to begin defensive works as well.

“If we’re going to move up as the Qi comes down, so too will our enemies. They will attempt to take our cities by force, or by funds. There’s no reason to allow that in any way.”

“Ah, I can work at that,” murmured a rose-cheeked Chunhua. She was leaning against the couch next to Rou. “Rou and I have been experimenting a lot and she’s been helping me with my formations. I think I can handle the work if I take a Bridal Party with me.”

Siu had gotten up and sauntered over to Ash. She gently laid several fingers against Ash’s shoulder as she moved past him and to the kitchen area.

The drain of his libido was welcome. He had a hard time not focussing on Xiuying’s rear end in his lap, let alone having just kissed Chunhua as deeply as he had.

“That’s not a problem. I would suggest the Chrysanthemum Party,” Siu offered as she left the room for the kitchen. “Mei?”

“I would agree. That’s a good choice. They have a good blend of talents,” concurred Mei. “If… if possible, I’d like to include Knight Tan. While he’s still learning, it isn’t as if it wouldn’t do him any good to go on a mission.

“When is the Templar likely to be finished, Ashley, dear?”

Xiuying had been following the conversation as it went, looking back and forth. Now she was looking down at Ash with a wide and beaming smile.

Unexpectedly, she then picked up Ash’s hands, put them on her waist with on, and on her thighs with the other. As if she suddenly realized that was where they were supposed to be.

Ignoring her, not wanting to admit he had only wanted her chair, Ash didn’t move his hands, or address her.

“I’ll finish it tonight, I need to do some other things as well,” admitted Ash. “We’ll also need to dispatch people to Heights to begin reinforcing it.”

“Poppy Party,” Mei said without even a second of thought, her head turning as if to look to the kitchen.

“Yes!” called Siu.

Mei nodded her head and looked to Jia.

“I would also send Poppy, yes,” confirmed Jia, who then looked to Moira. “Moira, would you please accompany that group? Your gifts would be deeply appreciated in this.”

Moira immediately shook her head at that without even a thought. Then her head shake slowed and she let out a heavy sigh.

“I will go, but only because I know if I try to claim I must not leave Ashley’s side, it would just be selfish. We’ve all made sacrifices,” Moira answered with heavy finality.

“Moira, thank you. I appreciate you doing this,” Ash offered, leaning to the side to look beyond Xiuying’s chest. “I know you said you would rather die than be separated but… as a family… we must ever struggle forward.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Xiuying murmured and then leaned into Ash. Putting her breasts right up to the side of his face in the doing, and putting her arm around his shoulders.

Quite literally sprawling out across him.

Though his view was now unrestricted.

Blinking several times, Ash was confused.

Deeply confused.

This was all extraordinary to the point of it being incredulous.

Very little of this made sense to him at the moment.

“That’s better, thank you, Bride Xiuying,” Na confirmed with a dip of her head. Then she looked to Hui. “Dear weapon of Ashley Sheng, what’re your thoughts? You are also a key strategist.”

Hui looked up from the hole she had been staring into the floor.

“We must immediately strengthen Heights as well as the Outsider city,” she stated with absolute certainty. “We must move our forces to that city and claim it outright tomorrow. From there, we must take any other city that we can as well.

“We should build a formation between all of our cities so that they are linked into one… body. One organism.

“If we can begin to make them cutlivate as Wahst does, and lock in a formation, we could quite literally make this a fortress.

“Something that would drain and eliminate any unwanted personages. Just as a body would eject any toxic Qi, we would eject any unwanteds.

“That is our best defense in the long term. As we take more cities, we would expand our formations to include and encompass more.

“In the fullness of time, we could lock down all of the Sheng Sanctuary. A prison no more, but a fortress.”

“Oh yes, that’s amazing. I know that all the Brides would approve, Bride Hui,” Xiuying stated and leaned forward. Just about pushing Ash’s head into her cleavage. There was a faint clatter as if she was taking a cup and saucer into hand. “Thank you, Bride Siu. That’s very kind of you.”

“Of course, of course. You’re taking such good care of my dear Husband,” purred Siu. “Do be a dear Bride and make sure he eats some of that mind you. I know we don’t each much anymore, but he still doesn’t eat enough.”

A cleansing rush went through Ash, once more clearing him of his libido.

Which Ash had needed given Xiuying as a whole.

“— the Lake of the Fallen Bride,” Jia murmured softly. “After that, we should construct that fortress we had discussed. I think given our Husbands newest gift to us all, we could make that happen.”

“Fallen Bride?” Ash asked.

Before he could press further Xiuying turned his face up so he was staring into her rather pretty features. He hadn’t even noticed when she had moved her hands.

She was gently holding up a slice of an apple for him.

“Here, Husband. Your Bride must tend to you. Please eat for me?” Xiuying requested, giving him a wide and warm smile that showed off her teeth. The way she’d asked reminded him of somewhere between Siu and Locke.

Unable to resist, he leaned forward and took the apple slice from her.

Shaking her head with a laugh, Xiuying then caught her lower lip between her teeth. She watched him as he chewed, the next apple slice clearly ready.

Waiting for him just to feed him the next piece.

Locke?

Uhm… are you awake yet? Dear?

I think I’m being messed with.