the Real test starts

Aether remained silent, still not answering Shenhe’s casual offer.

Rosaria finally noticed the tension in his shoulders and the way his eyes never left the rope-bound woman. She narrowed her eyes, suddenly more alert.

Before anyone could speak, a graceful voice echoed from above them.

“Hmm. Not bad.”

A elegant white crane descended from a hidden perch on the cliffside, transforming mid-air into a tall, strikingly beautiful woman with long white hair, red markings, and an elaborate headdress — Cloud Retainer herself.

She landed lightly, folding her arms as she observed Aether with sharp, interested eyes.

“You are definitely special, Traveler,” she stated plainly. “Very few can sense it this quickly. Most men see only a beautiful, restrained girl and lose all reason. You, however, listened to your instincts. Wise.”

Cloud Retainer glanced at her student, who was still standing calmly and completely naked except for the red ropes.

“Shenhe is not an adepti. She is human. But her potential, her raw power… surpassed most adepti long ago. From the day I found her as a child in that blood-soaked cave, she was different.”

Her voice grew slightly more serious.

“Years ago, before I took her in properly, a group of human traffickers discovered her bathing in a river. They saw her beauty and thought her an easy target. They raped her.”

Cloud Retainer’s tone remained calm, almost clinical.

“She killed them all. Without breaking a sweat. She fucked them to death — quite literally. Their bodies were found crushed, drained, and broken. She didn’t even realize she had done anything wrong at the time. She simply… reacted.”

Shenhe stood there quietly, showing no reaction to the story, red ropes gently swaying in the mountain breeze.

Cloud Retainer continued, looking directly at Aether:

“Even with the restraints I placed on her to suppress her power and emotions, she remains a monster beyond comparison. A sleeping calamity wrapped in beautiful skin. Most men who approach her with lust end up dead. A few have survived… but none have ever truly satisfied her.”

She gave a small, elegant nod toward Aether.

“So. You sensed the danger. Good. Very good.”

Shenhe tilted her head slightly, still completely unbothered by her nudity.

“Should I prepare myself anyway?”

Cloud Retainer watched him with keen interest, clearly waiting to see how he would handle her dangerous, beautiful student.

Cloud Retainer’s lips curved into a knowing, almost sultry smile as she regarded Aether.

She carried herself with the unmistakable air of a seasoned concubine — graceful, experienced, and utterly unashamed. Even now, thousands of years later, one could sense the weight of her ancient past: a divine fucktoy for the gods before the Archon War, then an “army wife” for entire legions in the centuries that followed. She had seen and taken every kind of pleasure imaginable.

And she had passed all that knowledge down to her student.

“Shenhe may appear stoic,” Cloud Retainer said smoothly, “but do not be fooled. I trained her thoroughly. She knows every technique, every rhythm, every way to break a man’s mind and body with pleasure. She simply… does not show it.”

Shenhe stood silently, red ropes hugging her powerful, curvaceous frame, face completely expressionless.

Aether stared at her for a long moment.

Then he let out a low, slightly crazy laugh.

“Alright,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “I accept the challenge.”

He knew he probably couldn’t win. His instincts were still screaming monster at him. But backing down had never been his style.

Cloud Retainer’s smile widened with clear approval.

“Excellent. Then let us begin.”

She turned gracefully toward Rosaria and Ganyu, gesturing with one elegant hand.

“You two may join me for tea on the terrace. We can watch from there. It should prove… educational.”

Rosaria smirked and followed without hesitation. Ganyu hesitated for a second, blushing, but eventually joined them as well.

Cloud Retainer led the two women to a beautiful pavilion overlooking the training grounds, where a tea set was already prepared. She poured gracefully as they settled in to watch.

Aether and Shenhe were left alone on the stone platform.

Shenhe looked at him with those calm, emotionless red eyes. She slowly raised her arms, the red ropes shifting across her naked body as she assumed a ready stance.

“Whenever you are ready,” she said flatly.

There was no excitement in her voice. No nervousness. No lust.

Just pure, terrifying competence.

Aether cracked his neck, heart pounding with a mix of excitement and genuine wariness.

This was going to be a real fight.

Cloud Retainer sipped her tea elegantly, watching with keen interest.

“Shall we place bets on how long he lasts?” she asked casually.

Rosaria grinned. “I give him fifteen minutes before she breaks him.”

Ganyu hid her face in her hands, mortified but unable to look away.