# Chapter 16: The Fox and The Empress
### Guest Manor - Five Days After the Reunion
Five days had passed since the mother-daughter reconciliation, and Spirit Hall had subtly shifted. The change was imperceptible to most, but those close to the Pope noticed—Bibi Dong smiled more. Her cold perfection had softened into something approaching warmth. She even laughed occasionally during council meetings.
The Elders didn't understand the transformation, but they weren't foolish enough to question it.
In the guest manor, Hu Liena had become a permanent fixture. She'd essentially moved into the adjacent servant quarters, claiming she needed to be available to attend to "Senior's needs" at all times. No one dared object—not when the terrifying being who'd commanded a god seemed perfectly content with her constant presence.
It was late evening when Hu Liena entered Luo Yan's chambers carrying a tray of tea and medicinal supplements. She wore a silk robe of deep crimson that clung to her developing curves, her fox-like eyes bright with barely contained emotion.
"Senior," she said softly, setting the tray on the low table. "I've prepared your evening tea. The herbs are supposed to enhance spiritual clarity."
"Thank you, Nana," Luo Yan replied, setting aside the cultivation manual he'd been reviewing. "Though I suspect spiritual clarity isn't what you came here to discuss."
Hu Liena's breath caught. Even after days of constant interaction, he could still read her so easily it was almost frightening. "I... wanted to talk to you about something."
"Sit," Luo Yan invited, patting the cushion beside him.
She settled close to him—closer than strictly necessary, drawn to his warmth like a moth to flame. For a moment, she couldn't find the words, so she simply poured the tea with trembling hands.
"Nana," Luo Yan said gently. "What's troubling you?"
"Nothing's troubling me," she replied quickly. "Everything is wonderful. Teacher is happy for the first time in years. The Crown Prince—I mean, Miss Qian Renxue—has her mother back. You're here. Everything is perfect."
"Then why do you look so conflicted?"
Hu Liena set down the teapot and turned to face him fully. "Because I'm terrified you'll leave. That you'll go back to your world or travel to another universe, and I'll never see you again. And the thought of that..." Her voice broke slightly. "It's unbearable."
Luo Yan studied her carefully. The sixteen-year-old Holy Maiden who'd been trained to seduce and manipulate now wore her heart on her sleeve, vulnerable in ways she'd never allowed herself to be with anyone else.
"I told you I'd find reasons to visit regularly," he reminded her.
"But visiting isn't the same as staying," Hu Liena said desperately. "I want—" She stopped, biting her lip, clearly struggling with how much to reveal.
"Tell me what you want," Luo Yan commanded softly. "Honestly."
"I want to belong to you completely," she burst out. "Not just as someone devoted to you or serving you, but... entirely. Body, mind, and soul. The way Miss Qian Renxue belongs to you. I want that bond. That certainty. That connection where you'd never leave me behind because I'm *yours*."
**[HU LIENA - EMOTIONAL BREAKTHROUGH DETECTED]**
**[CURRENT FAVORABILITY: 52 → 63]**
Luo Yan reached out and cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing across her cheek. "You're sixteen years old, Nana. Are you absolutely certain you understand what you're asking for?"
"I'm the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall," she replied fiercely. "I've killed, manipulated, and survived things most people never experience. Don't dismiss me because of my age. I know what I want. I want *you*."
"Even knowing I already have Qian Renxue? That you'd be sharing me?"
"I don't care," Hu Liena said immediately. "Miss Qian Renxue is wonderful. She's Teacher's daughter. If anything, knowing you already belong to someone I respect makes it better. I'm not asking to replace her. I'm asking to join her. To be one of the people who belongs to you."
The possessive devotion in her voice sent heat through him. This wasn't the trained seductress speaking—this was raw, genuine need.
"Come here," Luo Yan said, pulling her onto his lap so she straddled him, their faces inches apart.
Hu Liena gasped at the sudden intimacy, her hands instinctively gripping his shoulders for balance. This close, she could feel the overwhelming presence he usually suppressed, the godlike power that made her body hum with both fear and desire.
"If I accept you," Luo Yan said seriously, "it's forever. There's no going back. You become mine completely, and I become responsible for your happiness, your safety, your future. Do you understand that?"
"Yes," Hu Liena breathed.
"And you're willing to share me with others? Because Qian Renxue won't be the only one. My ambitions are vast, Nana. There will be other women."
"I understand," she said. "As long as I have a place with you, I don't care who else does."
Luo Yan studied her for a long moment, reading the absolute sincerity in her eyes. Then he smiled—not the gentle, patient smile he usually wore, but something darker. More possessive.
"Then you're mine," he declared. "From this moment forward."
He kissed her.
The contact was electric. Hu Liena melted against him, all her training and control evaporating as she surrendered completely to the sensation. His lips moved against hers with practiced skill, drawing gasps and whimpers from her throat.
When he finally pulled back, she was breathless and flushed, her fox-like eyes glazed with desire.
"Luo Yan," she whispered. "Please. I want—I need—"
"I know what you need," he replied, standing effortlessly with her still wrapped around him. He carried her to the bed, laying her down on the silk sheets with surprising gentleness.
"Are you sure?" he asked one final time. "Once we do this, there's no pretending you're not mine."
"I've been yours since the moment you appeared in the Star Dou Forest," Hu Liena replied honestly. "Please stop making me wait."
---
### *[R-16 Intimate Scene - Hu Liena]*
Luo Yan kissed her again, deeper this time, swallowing her soft moans. His hands moved with deliberate patience, untying the sash of her crimson robe and sliding it from her shoulders.
Hu Liena shivered as cool air met her skin, suddenly hyperaware of her vulnerability. She'd been trained in seduction techniques, taught how to use her body as a weapon. But this was different. This was real. And instead of being the one in control, she was completely at his mercy.
"You're beautiful," Luo Yan murmured, his eyes tracking over her exposed skin with genuine appreciation. "Absolutely stunning."
The sincere admiration in his voice made heat flood through her. She reached for him, pulling at his robes with clumsy urgency, desperate to feel his skin against hers.
He helped her, shedding his clothing with efficient grace. When they were both bare, Hu Liena couldn't help but stare—his body was perfect, lean muscle wrapped in flawless skin, radiating power even at rest.
"Touch me," Luo Yan invited, taking her trembling hand and placing it against his chest.
She explored hesitantly at first, then with growing confidence, mapping the planes of his body with reverent fingers. Each touch sent sparks through her, the connection between them intensifying.
When his hands began their own exploration, she gasped—his touch was both gentle and possessive, claiming every inch of her as his. His lips traced patterns down her throat, across her collarbone, lower still, drawing sounds from her she'd never made before.
"Luo Yan," she whimpered, her body arching into his touch. "Please, I can't—it's too much—"
"You can take it," he murmured against her skin. "Trust me."
She did trust him. Completely. So when the pleasure built beyond what she thought she could bear, she let herself fall, crying out his name as the first climax crashed through her.
He gave her only a moment to recover before he was positioning himself above her, his eyes dark with desire but still holding concern. "This will hurt briefly. Tell me if you need me to stop."
She nodded, unable to form words.
When he entered her, the pain was sharp but brief—a moment of discomfort quickly overshadowed by the profound sense of *rightness*. They fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle finally completing each other.
Luo Yan stilled, giving her time to adjust, pressing gentle kisses to her face as she breathed through the intensity. "Okay?" he whispered.
"More than okay," Hu Liena managed. "Perfect. You're perfect. Please, move."
He did, setting a slow, deep rhythm that built pleasure in waves. Hu Liena clung to him, nails digging into his back, lost in sensation. Every thrust sent sparks through her nervous system. Every kiss felt like a brand claiming her.
"Mine," Luo Yan growled against her throat. "Say it."
"Yours," Hu Liena gasped. "Completely yours. Always."
The words seemed to snap something in him. His control shattered, replaced by passionate intensity that had her screaming his name. The pleasure built impossibly higher until it crested in a climax so powerful she saw stars.
She felt him follow her over the edge, his own release accompanied by a low groan that vibrated through her entire body.
In the aftermath, they lay tangled together, both breathing hard. Hu Liena felt tears streaming down her face—not from pain or regret, but from overwhelming emotion. She'd given herself completely, and he'd accepted her. Claimed her. Made her his.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Luo Yan pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You never have to thank me for accepting a gift freely given."
**[HU LIENA - FAVORABILITY INCREASED]**
**[CURRENT FAVORABILITY: 63 → 91]**
**[LEVEL 3 ACHIEVED: DEEP CONNECTION]**
**[REWARDS UNLOCKED:]**
**[+500 System Points]**
**[+25% Cultivation Speed Boost (Permanent, Cumulative)]**
**[Intimate Link Activated: Telepathic Communication]**
**[Heart Bind Technique: Mutual Cultivation Benefits]**
**[NEW TOTAL CULTIVATION SPEED: +85% BASE (+110% IN DOULUO DALU)]**
Through the enhanced bond, Luo Yan felt Hu Liena's emotions clearly now—overwhelming love, devotion, satisfaction, and a fierce possessiveness that promised she'd fight anyone who tried to take him from her.
*Two down in Douluo Dalu,* he thought with satisfaction. *One more to go.*
##Three Days Later - Private Meeting
Bibi Dong had requested a private meeting, away from Spirit Hall's watchful eyes. Luo Yan agreed immediately, transporting them both to the same secluded valley where he'd arranged the reunion with Qian Renxue.
The Pope—though she looked nothing like one today in her simple purple dress—walked along the stream's edge, her long hair flowing freely in the breeze. She seemed more relaxed than Luo Yan had ever seen her.
"Thank you for meeting me," she said, turning to face him. "I needed to speak with you away from Spirit Hall. Away from... everything."
"Of course," Luo Yan replied. "What's on your mind?"
Bibi Dong was quiet for a long moment, organizing her thoughts. "I've been having dreams," she finally said. "Ever since you freed me from the Rakshasa's corruption. Strange dreams about things that feel like memories, but different. Clearer."
"Your mind processing decades of suppressed trauma," Luo Yan explained. "Now that the divine interference is gone, your psyche is trying to heal itself."
"Some of the dreams are about Renxue," Bibi Dong continued. "Her childhood. Moments I was there for physically but not emotionally. I see her trying to reach for me, and I see myself pulling away. It's..." Her voice cracked. "It's torture, watching myself fail her over and over."
"The past can't be changed," Luo Yan said gently. "Only learned from."
"I know." Bibi Dong took a shaky breath. "But there are other dreams too. Older ones. About what happened before Renxue was born. About *him*."
The pronoun dripped with hatred.
"Those must be difficult," Luo Yan observed.
"They are. But they're also... clearer now. Before, with the corruption, remembering that night was like drowning in poison. Every detail amplified into torment. Now it's just... memory. Horrible, yes. Traumatic, absolutely. But not all-consuming." She looked at him with wonder. "How did you do that? How did you free me from something that's been destroying me for twenty years?"
"Because I'm from outside this universe's rules," Luo Yan replied. "The Rakshasa God is powerful here. In my reality, it's nothing. So when I commanded it, it had no choice but to obey."
Bibi Dong shook her head in amazement. "I've spent my entire adult life convinced that power was everything. That if I became strong enough, cultivated enough, reached godhood, I could somehow make the pain stop. But you just... removed it. With two words."
"Divine power isn't the answer to trauma," Luo Yan said. "Healing is. Processing. Accepting what happened without letting it define you. The Rakshasa inheritance could never give you that—it needed your pain to exist."
"And you didn't need anything from me," Bibi Dong said slowly. "You freed me not because I could offer you something, but because Renxue asked you to."
"Yes."
She studied him with those intelligent violet eyes. "You really love her, don't you? My daughter."
"Completely," Luo Yan confirmed. "She's extraordinary."
"She is," Bibi Dong agreed. A small smile touched her lips. "She's also completely infatuated with you. When we had dinner together, she couldn't stop looking at you. It was almost embarrassing how obvious she was being."
"I hadn't noticed," Luo Yan lied with perfect innocence.
Bibi Dong laughed—genuine, unforced laughter. "Liar. You notice everything."
They walked in comfortable silence for a while, following the stream as it wound through the valley. Eventually, Bibi Dong spoke again, her tone more serious.
"I need to ask you something," she said. "And I need you to be honest with me."
"Always."
"Hu Liena has been spending all her time with you." Bibi Dong stopped walking, turning to face him directly. "She barely comes to training anymore. She's moved into the guest manor's servant quarters. And yesterday, when I saw her..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "She had the look of a woman who's been thoroughly claimed. The same look Renxue gets when she thinks no one is watching."
Luo Yan met her gaze steadily. "Are you asking if I've been intimate with your student?"
"Yes," Bibi Dong said bluntly. "I am."
"I have," Luo Yan confirmed without hesitation. "She asked to belong to me completely. I accepted her offer."
Bibi Dong's expression was unreadable. "She's sixteen years old."
"She's also the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall," Luo Yan countered. "Trained as an assassin and seductress since childhood. She's experienced more violence and manipulation than most adults. Don't infantilize her by reducing her to just her age."
"That's the same thing you said to me about Renxue," Bibi Dong observed.
"Because it's true for both of them. They're young, yes. But they're not children. They're powerful women who've survived terrible things and made their own choices. Hu Liena chose me. Freely. Completely. Just like Qian Renxue did."
Bibi Dong was quiet for a long moment. "Did you seduce her? Use your power to manipulate her feelings?"
"No," Luo Yan said firmly. "I don't need to manipulate anyone. Hu Liena was drawn to me naturally—a combination of genuine attraction, my role in freeing you, and her own desire for someone who would see her as more than just a weapon Spirit Hall trained."
"And you accepted her because...?"
"Because she's lovely, loyal, and devoted. Because she makes me happy. And because having her choose me freely is worth more than any forced submission."
Bibi Dong searched his face, reading the sincerity there. Finally, she sighed. "I should be angry. You're collecting the most important women in my life like precious gems."
"Are you angry?" Luo Yan asked.
"No," Bibi Dong admitted. "That's what's strange. I should be furious. Protective. Demanding you leave them alone. But instead..." She smiled slightly. "Instead I'm almost relieved. Because I know you'll protect them. Keep them safe. Make them happy in ways I never could."
She moved closer to him, close enough that he could smell the subtle perfume she wore. "But I need to understand something. What are you building, Luo Yan? A harem? A collection of powerful women? What's your endgame?"
"Honest answer?" Luo Yan asked.
"Always."
"I'm building something unprecedented," he said. "A network of bonds across multiple universes. Women who choose to be mine, who share their strength with me, who benefit from my power in return. Yes, it's a harem. But it's also more than that. It's family. Partnership. A web of connections that transcends normal cultivation limitations."
"And you think I might become part of that?" Bibi Dong's voice was carefully neutral.
"I think you're already considering it," Luo Yan replied. "Why else would you ask to meet me alone? Why else would you be standing this close, looking at me like you're trying to decide something?"
**[BIBI DONG - FAVORABILITY INCREASED]**
**[CURRENT FAVORABILITY: 78 → 84]**
Bibi Dong's breath caught. "You're insufferably perceptive."
"It's one of my charms," Luo Yan said with a slight smile.
"I haven't been with anyone since..." Bibi Dong's voice dropped. "Since it happened. The violation. The trauma. I couldn't bear the thought of being touched, of being vulnerable like that again."
"I understand."
"But lately," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "I've been thinking about it. About what it might be like to choose intimacy instead of having it forced on me. To be with someone who..." She looked up at him, violet eyes uncertain. "Someone who I trust not to hurt me."
Luo Yan reached out slowly, giving her time to pull away, and cupped her face gently. "I would never hurt you, Bibi Dong. Never."
"I know," she whispered. "That's why this is so terrifying. Because I want it. I want you to touch me. And after twenty years of being completely closed off, that desire feels almost like a betrayal of myself."
"It's not betrayal," Luo Yan said softly. "It's healing. Reclaiming agency over your own body and choices. You deserve to feel pleasure, not just pain."
Tears pricked her eyes. "What if I can't? What if I freeze or panic or—"
"Then we stop," he interrupted gently. "This isn't about my satisfaction, Bibi Dong. This is about you taking back what was stolen from you. We move at your pace. We stop whenever you need to. No pressure. No expectations. Just... possibility."
She stared at him for a long moment, then made a decision. Rising on her toes, she pressed her lips to his—tentative, testing, almost fearful.
Luo Yan responded carefully, letting her set the pace, following her lead rather than taking control. The kiss was gentle, exploratory, nothing demanding or aggressive.
When she pulled back, she was trembling. "I want to try," she whispered. "With you. But I need you to promise that if I say stop—"
"I'll stop immediately," Luo Yan assured her. "No matter what. Your comfort and safety come first. Always."
**[BIBI DONG - FAVORABILITY INCREASED]**
**[CURRENT FAVORABILITY: 84 → 89]**
---
### *[R-16 Intimate Scene - Bibi Dong]*
Luo Yan created a simple but comfortable setup nearby—soft blankets on the grass, cushions for support, complete privacy ensured by his spatial abilities.
He guided her to sit, then knelt before her, taking both her hands in his. "We start here," he said quietly. "Just this. Just me holding your hands. Tell me if that's okay."
"It's okay," Bibi Dong managed, though her hands were shaking.
"Good. Now, I'm going to move closer. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, say the word and I stop. Understand?"
She nodded.
He moved to sit beside her, close enough that their bodies touched. Waited. When she didn't object, he slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side.
"Still okay?" he asked.
"Yes," Bibi Dong breathed, surprising herself. The contact felt... safe. Warm. Nothing like the violation she'd experienced.
"You're doing beautifully," Luo Yan praised. "Now, I'm going to kiss you again. But this time, I'm going to deepen it slightly. If you need me to stop, just push against my chest."
He kissed her, and this time when he traced her lower lip with his tongue, asking for entrance, she granted it. The kiss deepened, became more heated, and she felt herself responding—her body awakening to sensations she'd thought were dead.
"Touch me," she whispered against his lips. "Please. I need to know I can feel pleasure again."
Luo Yan obliged, his hands moving with infinite patience. He traced the line of her jaw, the curve of her throat, the elegant slope of her shoulders—all over her clothes, nothing invasive, just gentle touch that promised more.
Bibi Dong felt herself relaxing into it, the fear receding as trust built. When his hand finally slid beneath her dress, skimming over her thigh, she tensed—but not from fear. From anticipation.
"Still okay?" he asked again.
"Don't stop," she commanded, her voice stronger now. "I want this. I want to feel alive again."
What followed was slow, careful, and infinitely patient. Luo Yan treated her like precious porcelain—something beautiful that required delicate handling. Every touch was gentle. Every kiss was reverent. And when he finally made love to her, it was with such care and attention to her comfort that tears streamed down her face.
But they weren't tears of pain.
They were tears of healing. Of reclamation. Of feeling pleasure instead of pain for the first time in over twenty years.
"You're safe," Luo Yan murmured against her skin. "You're perfect. You're beautiful. And you're mine now, if you want to be."
"Yes," Bibi Dong gasped as pleasure built. "Yes, I'm yours. Take me. Claim me. Make me forget everything except this moment."
He did.
When it was over, they lay tangled together on the blankets, Bibi Dong's head pillowed on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. She felt reborn—lighter, freer, cleansed of years of trauma-induced numbness.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For being patient. For making me feel safe."
"You never have to thank me for that," Luo Yan replied, pressing a kiss to her hair.
**[BIBI DONG - FAVORABILITY INCREASED]**
**[CURRENT FAVORABILITY: 89 → 98]**
**[APPROACHING LEVEL 4: PERFECT HARMONY]**
**[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: Target has experienced profound healing through intimate connection. Trauma partially resolved through consensual, careful intimacy. Emotional barriers fully lowered. Deep trust and devotion established. Estimated timeline to Level 4: One significant emotional event or continued positive interaction over 1-2 weeks.]**
Bibi Dong traced patterns on his chest absently. "I have a question," she said after a while.
"Ask."
"Renxue doesn't know about Hu Liena yet, does she? About you and Nana?"
"Not yet," Luo Yan admitted. "Though she'll find out soon enough. Secrets don't last long."
"And me?" Bibi Dong looked up at him. "What do I tell my daughter when she asks why I'm suddenly spending time with her lover?"
"The truth," Luo Yan said simply. "That I helped you heal. That you chose this. That you trust me. Qian Renxue wants you to be happy, Bibi Dong. If this makes you happy, she'll accept it."
"Even though I'm her mother?" Bibi Dong asked. "There are probably cultural taboos about—"
"We're beyond normal cultural rules," Luo Yan interrupted. "We're building something new. Something that transcends traditional boundaries. If it bothers Qian Renxue, we'll talk about it. But I suspect she'll just be relieved you're healing."
Bibi Dong considered this, then nodded slowly. "You're probably right. She's more pragmatic than most people realize."
They lay together until sunset painted the sky in brilliant colors, talking quietly about everything and nothing. Eventually, Luo Yan transported her back to Spirit Hall, both of them knowing that everything had fundamentally changed.
---
## Guest Manor - That Evening
Luo Yan returned to find Hu Liena waiting for him, wearing a knowing smile.
"Teacher came to see you, didn't she?" the young woman asked.
"She did," Luo Yan confirmed.
"And?" Hu Liena prompted.
"And she's healing," Luo Yan said simply. "Reclaiming parts of herself that were stolen twenty years ago."
Hu Liena's fox-like eyes sparkled with understanding. "Good. She deserves happiness. Even if that happiness involves sharing you with the rest of us."
"The rest of us?" Luo Yan raised an eyebrow.
"Me, Miss Qian Renxue, and now Teacher," Hu Liena counted off on her fingers. "That's three women from this world who belong to you. When do we tell Miss Qian Renxue about the expansion?"
"Soon," Luo Yan promised. "Very soon. First, let me make sure everyone is secure and happy. Then we'll have a family meeting."
"Family," Hu Liena repeated, testing the word. She liked how it sounded. "Yes. That's exactly what we're becoming, aren't it?"
Through the bonds he shared with both Hu Liena and Qian Renxue, Luo Yan felt their emotions—love, devotion, contentment. And now, through his growing connection with Bibi Dong, he felt her cautious hope and healing.
*Three women in Douluo Dalu,* he thought with deep satisfaction. *All of them secured or nearly so. Qian Renxue at Perfect Harmony. Hu Liena at Deep Connection. Bibi Dong at 98 and climbing.*
*Soon, I'll have all three at Perfect Harmony. And then...*
*Then it will be time to expand to the next universe.*
The night deepened over Spirit City, and Luo Yan stood with Hu Liena on the balcony, a god among mortals, successfully building the unprecedented harem that would make him invincible across infinite realities.
---
**To Be Continued**