V5C33: The Path of Progress

The tour took a brief while, with the majority of areas being both unoccupied and rather obvious in nature, and then a vastly greater amount of time was occupied by some intimate relations between the Ascendant’s Arbiters and the New Community.

In slightly less opaque terms, it turned out that while the rest of the New Community was currently away, the day was apparently the most optimal time for the women in the sex-focused area of the community to seek companionship while making a decent earning for themselves. Since she did not want to trick any of them with her feminine appearance, she did reveal her nature to them, and it turned out that a number were bisexual.

As such, she had a good time for the first time… in a long while. She wished that she could say that it was helpful for more than her libido, which had been ignored for quite some time, but her mental state appeared to be far beyond help with pure material pleasures. To be more precise, she was not easily affected by matters that could only be considered insignificant in the grand scheme of things, meaning that she wouldn’t be put down by something simplistic, but she would also not be easily benefitted by such things. In order to attain any kind of mental progress, a significant change was necessary, and not attainable at the moment.

The transformation of her killing intent to shadow was already the most that she could hope for with her available resources and the place she was stuck at.

To say that it did nothing to make her head clearer would be false, however, so when she departed from the New Community with a reminder to their leader to try to think of a new name, if possible, she was able to head to the residence of the potential future Matriarch while thinking slightly more clearly, and having completed just a little more thought than she might otherwise have done.

Yes, it was very difficult to find a positive beyond the confirmation of the pointlessness of the distraction. That was the life of the Ascendant in a nutshell, complete with a thousand nutshells over it just to make things harder to understand.

That was where her occasional contemplation of a simpler life came from, and subsequently died.

When she entered the residence, she entered to the audible rustling of sheets and the gasps and moans of two high-pitched, feminine voices, making it very clear what she had returned to. It had been some time since she left, so it was no surprise that Gang Xiu Ling had managed to find someone, although it was rather unexpected that they would keep going for such a long amount of time. In a way, it was actually beneficial to her, as she did have a reason to speak with the other woman, so she made her way upstairs.

As she entered the room, the potential future Matriarch was seated on the side of the bed, her legs apart and her gaze upon the woman that was positioned between them. Contrasting the brown, braided hair of Gang Xiu Ling, this woman had loose dark hair that clung to her sweaty, naked body, allowing the contours of her back to remain somewhat visible despite the thick layer of hair on it.

One of her hands was on her partner’s leg, and the other rested on the appendage upon Gang Xiu Ling’s crotch.

“I see it worked,” Wei Yi interrupted them, seeing that they had already been here for a while.

Gang Xiu Ling reacted far more than the woman kneeling before her, who only continued to slowly pump the newfound appendage. She looked flustered as she observed the Ascendant calmly enter the room, her mind racing as she contemplated taking a dozen different actions, only to do nothing due to all of her ideas conflicting in a manner that simply caused her body to tremble uncontrollably, to the point that even the woman beneath her noticed.

“Ah Ling, I’ve already told you that it is much bigger than usual… there’s no need to be so worried,” the woman said, planting a kiss on the tip.

“Actually, I think she hadn’t been expecting me to enter at this moment,” Wei Yi corrected her, having already seen part of their interactions with her spiritual perception and thus being fully aware of how the potential future Matriarch immediately felt insecure about her new dick after it suddenly appeared upon her body, “I would say that I don’t want to disturb you, but it would be better if you decided to resume this some other time. We need to talk, and I don’t know if you would like to be here for any of that.”

The woman finally noticed her presence and turned her head reluctantly, looking over her then looking back to Gang Xiu Ling, who had finally managed to calm herself enough to stop trembling, “Who’s that supposed to be, Ah Ling?”

“That… that is the one that gave me the technique-”

“Oh, is that so? Thank you very much!” the woman hopped up and rushed over to the Ascendant, who had seated herself on a chair that stood by the wall, next to the doorway, “Do you mind if I shake your hand? No? Thank you so much for letting her grow something so big and warm… Though, who are you, exactly?”

With their hands parting, Wei Yi said, “My name is Wei Yi, and I am called the Ascendant over at the north. I have a certain interest in helping your friend over there become the new Matriarch of the district, so if you would rather stay away from such things, whether just to maintain a safe distance or if you aren’t interested in supporting such a thing, I would advise you to leave this very moment and come back… well, I’m sure Gang Xiu Ling will find you again when she has the time to spare.”

The woman’s expression froze for a moment, with another look back and forth between her and the woman on the bed, who sat in mostly the same position in her uncertainty, but she shook her head quickly.

“I’m not going to leave, then. Getting dressed might be a good idea – and I think finishing properly would also be smart – but if Ah Ling wants to do something like that, then I will not shy away from it. Oh, and I’m Lan Mu, in case you were wondering.”

“I’d observed a certain someone calling it out very loudly, so, no, I didn’t need to be told. However, hearing it directly from you is a little better, so whatever,” Wei Yi shrugged, turning to the other woman, “Also, speaking from personal experience, rushing to a finish isn’t always the best. Sometimes, waiting for a little while and letting things build up before taking care of it can be significantly more satisfying.”

“Already aware, but… fine, this comes first,” Lan Mu said, heading towards the doorway, “I can go and get dressed, right?”

“Go ahead.”

“H-Hey, why are you two just deciding everything? I’m the one sitting here with my dick out!”

“You are. However, if you let that desire build within yourself for a while, once you get around to relieving it, with your friend or on your own, it will be significantly more satisfying. Again, personal experience… and with a larger… never mind,” Wei Yi chose not to bring that up, not while the two of them were around, and instead reached out to make the woman’s clothing fly into her hand, which she then tossed at Gang Xiu Ling, “While she’s looking for her things and follows the trail of your make-out session, there’s something I want to ask.”

“… Is it something that will be hard to discuss with a hard-on?”

“Depends on you, not your cock. It should be a good opportunity to learn to control yourself, since you will have that thing for the rest of your life with all of the advantages and disadvantages of it. For the moment, I know of no way to undo the technique’s effect on you, and I might never find a solution.”

Gang Xiu Ling nodded, her flushed cheeks finally calming down. She took the things that were thrown at her and put them on, quickly but far more steadily than one might expect from someone that was freaking out only a short while ago. Once everything was on – and her new appendage was tucked down a trouser leg as it had yet to calm down like the rest of her body had – she almost seemed like a changed woman, with a far cooler countenance than even before the morning.

Given that she was rather composed on their journey to the Gang District as well, and was unexpectedly bashful while with a woman at her legs, it seemed that she was far less confident in sexual matters than she had let on with her initial mention of having plentiful experience in that regard. Of course, it might also be that her mind had not yet come to terms with her changed body.

“Alright, so what did you want to say?”

“We had a plan of going the standard route, so to speak, by using the traditions of the Gang District to support your claim and reinforce your standing. I’ve come across something that allowed me to think of a different path, but it is one that you will need to approve, of course.”

“The only way that I know of is to convince the guardians and maintain a tradition and law that had been used for a million years or more. If you think that there is something else that can be done, then it better be a very viable solution, or else it is almost certainly going to fail and my chances of success will be greatly worsened.”

“There is a large number of people that wish for the Gang District to change, for once.”

“That… wouldn’t actually be surprising. Tradition can only be maintained for so long when it is outdated, and when the people themselves have changed. Still, there’s a difference between wanting change, and actually going out to create it.”

“Quite a few people have been descending into a portion of the district that is not typically observed by the Gang family, and there, they have been going against the traditions that limit their range of activity, among other things. Having spent a little while there, it seems to be a decent enough group of people, and a decent enough place, and I have confirmation from their leader that they would be willing to speak out if you would support their position,” Wei Yi explained, “Thus, the question is whether you would choose to uphold tradition and oppose your sibling on standard terms, or if you be the one to shake things up and make a change, even if you don’t go as far as some may want.”

Gang Xiu Ling did not have an immediate answer. She sat back down and contemplated things, taking long enough for Lan Mu to return in all of her clothing, save for a coat intended to be worn outdoors.

The woman wore tall, fur-lined boots, into which her dark trousers were tucked in, raising her by a inch above the ground due to the tall heels. A corset was tied around her waist and over a tight sleeveless shirt, although not exceptionally tightly, revealed by the translucent texture of a thin white blouse made of a material that made it useful in the cold weather. Fingerless leather gloves adorned both her hands, with her left index finger being the home of a simple silver ring with only the faintest hint of planar energy around it. A series of internal channels complete with an inscription led to the cold being warded away from her fingers, open to the elements as they were, and instead being directed to the gloves, where the cold could do less.

With the choker around her neck, her style was very different from what one might expect from a Gang District native, and it was also far more akin to a style of the otherworldly demons than anything else. In fact, she was half-certain that had she appeared before an otherworldly demon, the latter would have concluded that she was a fellow visitor from another world.

“Interesting choice of apparel.”

“I have to wear a thick fur coat over this anyway, so I might as well try out something more interesting for myself and my lovely Ah Ling,” Lan Mu couldn’t stop a smile from appearing as she glanced towards the bed, “That technique you gave to her, by the way… could you share?”

“No.”

“No? Not for anyone?”

“I’d have preferred not to give it to Gang Xiu Ling, either, but since it will be of use regardless of what she chooses, I decided to make an exception for her. If I figure out a way for people to manipulate their bodies more freely, then I may change my mind and share it within my domain, whether that ends up being the entirety of Yi City or only some of the districts,” the Ascendant said, “I won’t even ask what you want it for.”

“Alright, fine, I won’t ask again,” Lan Mu acquiesced, “What does she need to choose?”

“Ah Mu, I need to decide whether I’ll go along with our ancient traditions or attempt to change them. I am not sure whether it is even possible, but there is a chance that we will be able to do so much more if we do succeed… What do you think I should do?”

“Go against tradition… Well, we do seem to be doing that a great deal already. Our relationship, your delicious cock, Wei Yi’s involvement-”

“You saying that with a straight face is very… strange.”

“I didn’t say that with a straight face. I was giving you bedroom eyes, and I had licked my lips rather openly, but you were distracted. Anyway, you are already clearly going against all of the traditions that have led to you being refused the opportunity of becoming Matriarch. If you do want to take that title for yourself, then it would be very difficult for you to do so traditionally.”

“Then, I guess I can rephrase those choices for you,” Wei Yi said, “On one hand, even if our original plan goes through, you would need to forget about a number of things that you may wish to do, and follow all the codes and rules of the Gang District without exception. You two could keep fucking, but forget about that outfit, Lan Mu. There’s no way that they’d let you keep wearing that while being in a marriage with a Matriarch… Do you think that the guardians would say that tradition demands particular sex positions?”

“I hope not. The standard in this place… horrendously fucking dull,” Lan Mu said.

“Interesting word choice. The other option is to go against all of that. Attack the current foundations and change them, even if you only replace a single stone in all of them. Even if you adhere to most of the traditions afterwards, you won’t be able to rule over the same Gang District that Gang Shu Wen currently controls. Is that something you can accept, or is something about the current nature of the district desirable to you? I don’t really mind either way, so long as you succeed, so it is your choice.”

“In a way, that is slightly clearer… Well… On one hand, as a member of the Gang family, I should be preserving tradition. It is what has brought us so far, after all, and to throw it away would be more than a little reckless, stupid and arrogant, among other things,” Gang Xiu Ling said, “On the other, the other districts have changed. They’ve all gone with what worked best, and they survived, sometimes prospered. We need to do the same, even if it means finally discarding some of the old bullshit meant to keep our population numbers up, among other things like that. If the guardians cannot accept something like that…”

“Don’t worry about them, or the Patriarch, or anyone else. I am asking you right now, and maybe Lan Mu as well, if you value her opinion in this regard. Other than that, it does not matter.”

She frowned, but, after a moment, made up her mind, “I wish to change things. Whatever the guardians want, they might need to compromise for the first time in a long while. Then, when your faction up north wishes to oppose the Great Families, we can be with you, against the things they have done to stop us all from growing.”

Wei Yi glanced at Lan Mu, who nodded along, and then stepped over to the window, looking out upon the Gang District. For the moment, it was calm and peaceful, as calm as a district in the evening could be, but it was unaware of the turmoil that it would soon encounter. Just as with many other changes in history, it would require a great deal of struggle and conflict, and it was hard to be certain whether they would even be those that would truly benefit the district in the long term. After all, the ones that would make the decision would be a horny pair of women that weren’t initially permitted to sleep together.

She was currently working for short-term success. It was key to confront the Great Families as soon as possible, even if it meant making some bad allies and sub-par decisions, but she was also committed to ensuring that all of these decisions would only lead to detrimental factors in the short term.

Perhaps it needed to be said that she was not one to adhere to tradition without fail. She was not at all interested in such a prospect, and was rather happy that the Gang District would advance, where possible. However, as recognised by the New Community, and even Gang Xiu Ling while her trousers still bulged slightly with her new appendage, many traditions, laws, rules and practises were in place because they worked. They were the best option available to a group, community, district, city, nation, or even continent. No better example existed than of the practise of planar energy cultivation, which was widespread not just in the Western Continent, but on the Eastern Continent also, different only in the way that they cultivated.

Planar energy was not a perfect solution to most problems, and it did bind them to a certain path with certain strengths and weaknesses that most could never resolve in their entirety, but it was a far superior option to anything else that the people thought that they had. Even with her attempts to bring spiritual will, killing intent, physique energy and bloodline power into common knowledge amongst the Ascendant’s Arbiters, she did not expect the majority to select one of them as their primary path.

It was the same with tradition. Not everything was satisfactory in full, but achieved enough to outweigh the drawbacks, especially when alternatives were presented. Marriages weren’t always happy or fruitful, but they promoted the bonding of couples, a better childhood than with single parents or no parents at all, and had often supported alliances between groups that were not very fond of one another overall. The Gang District preferred marriage and sex in marriage over any alternatives, and while she herself was not an example of such practises, she did recognise that they had their place in the world.

As such, she was not very keen to let everything be torn apart, and was careful to constantly bring up the fact that the majority of the foundations could be left in place, or modified at most, because she did believe this to be the case. Sure, some foundational stones had cracked and chipped, and some of the wood may have rotted, but demolishing it entirely was unnecessary, as the overall structure still held up quite well in comparison to a building with nothing at all to keep it standing, or something on a completely new, untested groundwork.

There was a possibility that this new foundation would far surpass any to come before it, she did have to admit that. It was almost non-existent, but it was there. Assuming that the best came to pass, she could witness a complete revolution in every aspect of society and culture at the Gang District.

Despite that, she was very confident in saying that this would not occur, and that throwing oneself into the open jaw of a starving dragon would be safer and smarter at the same time. Furthermore, by exchanging one stone or log at a time, the entire structure could be changed gradually and far more safely, whereas doing it at once would at least guarantee a period of unrest and exposure to the elements, whatever they were to represent in this metaphor.

It was hard to be certain what the potential Gang Matriarch would do had she not made an appearance at all, or if she kept to herself and hadn’t been careful to suggest safer routes for Gang Xiu Ling. She did not want to risk anything unnecessary, and so she was going to keep trying to guide things in the best direction she could.

After that, if she ended up failing horribly and nurturing a terrible threat to Yi City as a whole, which was, unfortunately, not impossible, she would make use of the previous omissions of truth and the like to gain whatever advantage was needed to take care of the mistakes that she had made. It would need to happen the moment that she actually had the time to spare on amending her problems, and the energy to do so without damaging other pursuits, but there was one thing that she was aiming to do that Kong Shi Meng had clearly failed to achieve.

She wished to leave Yi City in a stable state, and one that was superior to how she had found it. The current conflicts were less than ideal for obvious reasons, but once they were over and she had the chance to handle things properly, she would do so right away. The worst practises and traditions would be addressed and changed, if not outright removed, and those Patriarchs and Matriarchs that were unsuitable for the positions that they were granted would be removed and replaced with those that were, even if that causes conflict once more. In theory, there was nothing that would prevent her from stabilising the city at the best possible state that she could imagine for it, and she did not intend to allow others to stop her.

The Ascendant had resolved to do this a long, long time ago, when the notion of becoming the new Master of Yi City had first popped into her mind, and when she considered that enforcing some form of Law to attain the justice that she wished for would be necessary.

This was just one of those times that she would be responsible for the change in leadership in a district from the very beginning, and would also be the reason for a major change in a district’s function and focus. Wei Yi knew that the Master of Yi City had to have kept the district as it was for a reason, especially when his abilities at the time should have been sufficient to take over by force and implement whatever practises he wanted to, so it was a little risky to encourage change, but she’d do it.

“Alright, I’ll get on that, then,” the Ascendant finally said, having looked out onto the district for a brief while, “While I would love to rush straight into action, there are a few things I need to do before there’s any chance of a successful takeover. You can do what you like and make your own preparation for now, and tomorrow, or the day after, everything should be ready to go.”

“Taking over the district in two days? That sounds rather unbelievable… but Ah Ling trusts you, probably, so I’ll do the same,” Lan Mu said.

“In that case, I will leave you here to do your own thing. There’s a thing that I need to find out in the district, and it won’t require your presence or input. If you need to get me for something, then… well, if I am within the nearest kilometre, then I should be able to observe anything referring to me, or calling for me. If you’re in a situation where you can’t just whisper my name, you could trace it on your palm or something of the sort, or write it down, or use your energy to mention my name to one another. Any of that should work.”

Gang Xiu Ling muttered, “That’s a lot of options.”

“So if you fail to use any, don’t blame me for not showing up and helping you, because I can assume that you are not in any kind of trouble and do not require my assistance. Does that all make sense to you two?”

“I think that I understand, and I wouldn’t say that I’m much smarter than she is,” Lan Mu said, “The only difference is that I’ve had quite a few partners before her, and tried going out with a few men and women while she was away, so I don’t get as nervous when someone comes in on us. By the way, you did say that you didn’t mind, right?”

“I had said that I’d prefer you not to mention it again, though.”

“Sorry. See, I also can’t keep my mouth closed sometimes, although I won’t say anything about our plans to anyone else.”

“Does that mean that this whole exchange could have just been avoided? You lot understand what I’ll be doing, how to get me to come over, and what not to do, so just get back on that bed and spend time together,” Wei Yi backed away and vanished from the spot without bothering to make it all the way out of the room, using her Dao of Law to reappear at a part of the district where nobody was observing for the moment.

When she vanished, it only took the two lovebirds a few moments to confirm her absence before Lan Mu grabbed onto the potential future Matriarch and pushed her down onto the bed, their lips locking together without a care in the world, at least for the moment.

‘They are comparable to rabbits, aren’t they? Had I not gone through all the shit I went through, could I have possibly ended up like one of those two?’ Wei Yi wondered for a moment, keeping an eye on the two as to ensure that they wouldn’t be attacked or somehow harmed while she was away, ‘Perhaps, perhaps not. Maybe I’ll find some time to relax once I’ve got Yi City under control, provided that there’s nothing else getting in the way, and the project to improve the Dao of Law to the extent that I can influence the entire world remains as stuck as it is now, but for the moment, just thinking about that is likely to distract me more than anything.’

Her current query was the lair of the Guardians of Purity, if it could be called that, and while they shouldn’t be able to pose as much threat as one of the first generation members of the Great Families, the fact that their leader could use spatial abilities meant that he could do a great deal to her. By opening up a spatial portal in just the right place and at just the right time, removing her head from the body wasn’t impossible, provided that she wasn’t stronger than the fabric of space.

To get distracted with such a possibility of danger would be unwise, to say the least.