The relative quiet of his new quarters could not calm the storm inside Cairen.
He was surrounded by a kind of luxury he had never imagined. Soft carpets, dark polished wooden furniture, and the air always carrying the faint scent of rare flowers and spiritual incense.
A silent servant brought trays of food at regular intervals, crystallized fruits, pieces of spirit beast meat cooked with the finest herbs, and bread softer than he had ever thought possible.
It was a prince's life.
And yet, every delicious bite was a bitter reminder. He was feasting while Mei Ran was dead.
He was living in the comfort of the very one who, directly or indirectly, had been the reason for her death. A sharp pang of guilt and anger still pierced his mind every time that truth resurfaced.
Keeping him from getting used to it, from yielding to the comfort Ling tried to impose.
His focus needed to be elsewhere. The mission, his cultivation, his strength.
The reward, a Fallen Bloodline of the Grade 2, was an impossible call to ignore.
But how to break through? The answer had always been the same, he needed to temper his body with fallen energy. And he knew that meant only one thing, creating false Fallen.
Turning other beings into fuel for his own ascension.
The idea of using random people had been pushed deep into the back of his mind after he thought about it more carefully. It was a dark, irreversible path, one he wasn't sure he was ready to take.
But then, a thought surfaced… What if they weren't people?
The seed of the idea began to sprout. Beasts. Fierce beasts, perhaps they could also be transformed. If his ability accepted beasts as valid fuel, it would be a far less horrifying path.
Determined, he stood and walked to the door. To his surprise, when he opened it, he found one of the royal guards, a woman with an impassive expression, posted right outside.
"I need to speak with Princess Ling," Cairen said, keeping his voice neutral.
The guard nodded and made a barely perceptible signal. Minutes later, Ling's familiar, confident footsteps echoed down the corridor.
"Do you need something?" she asked, stopping before him with that same analytical gaze as always.
Cairen took a deep breath.
"Is there a prison in the castle?"
"There is. Why?" Princess Ling replied, her eyes narrowing slightly.
He could feel the curiosity in her voice, she was probing him, trying to understand his intentions.
He hesitated for a moment, deciding instead to test first with beasts, even if the outcome seemed uncertain.
"Forget it. Instead… can I go out to hunt beasts? Or can you get me some live ones? Something in the early stages of the Qi Accumulation Realm."
This time, Ling's gaze changed. No longer just curiosity, there was understanding.
She studied him for a moment, connecting the dots, the question about the prison and the request for Qi beasts.
"It's for your cultivation?" she asked bluntly.
Cairen held her gaze and nodded.
She fell silent, thinking. He could almost see the thoughts spinning behind those silver eyes.
Then, a faint smile appeared on her lips. Not judgmental, but practical.
"Alright," she said decisively.
"I'll try to get you some beasts. But if that doesn't work…" she paused, her smile sharpening slightly.
"I'll take you to the castle's prison. You can do whatever you want there. Everyone there is already condemned to death."
She offered all those lives with cold indifference.
She had no moral framework that Cairen could recognize. She likely assumed he was using some kind of unconventional cultivation technique, something from the demonic path, and she held no prejudice against that.
To her, if it worked, it was good enough.
"Beasts will be sufficient," Cairen replied briefly.
Ling simply nodded, turned, and disappeared down the corridor.
The rest of the day passed with Cairen locked in his quarters, not meditating, but restless.
He leafed through some of the books Ling had left for him, basic texts about the kingdom's history and other subjects he found somewhat interesting.
But he barely managed to focus. His mind was on the beasts that would come. He wanted to increase his strength above all else.
Night had already fallen when the door opened without warning. Ling entered, her silhouette and silver hair standing out against the dim light.
"Tomorrow morning. Five beasts in the early stages of the Qi Accumulation Realm will be in the inner courtyard. You can do whatever you want with them. But…"
"you'll be under my supervision. Do you have a problem with that?" She added, her eyes locking on him.
Cairen thought for a moment. Then he realized he didn't, he had to do it anyway.
"No, I don't," he answered.
"Good." She turned to leave but paused briefly at the door.
"Tomorrow then… fiancé."