The banquet hall of Fanghua Palace glittered with jade lanterns and lotus-silk banners, every table groaning beneath platters of delicacies. Nobles whispered behind their sleeves, eyes darting between my odd crew and the Poison Lotus hosts.
I didn't care. I was already three plates deep.
Roast moon-stag haunch, phoenix egg omelet, fried lotus-root in spirit honey—I tore into them all, stacking bones and shells in a messy little fortress beside my seat. Every bite hummed with qi, each flavor stranger and richer than the last.
Hammerhead sat cross-legged on a cushion, flattened under his weight, gnawing on a massive Basan leg, which was a type of fiery chicken. He chewed it up as if it were a twig. Grease dripped down his shark maw. Snake-Man, coiled spilling out of his chair, he slithered walked between tables helping himself to dishes with the speed of a striking viper. He hissed happily at a tray of glazed eel, leaving baffled nobles staring at their half-emptied plates.
Felicity was poised, raven-haired elegance incarnate...until Marla leaned in with a bright smile and a platter.
"Here, Ash—try these poached oysters with artichoke," she purred, sliding the morsel up close to my lips.
I opened my mouth without hesitation, crunching down as brine and butter exploded across my tongue. "Mmmmmm its Amazing!"
Not to be outdone, Felicity shot up from her seat, snatching a crystal dish from a passing servant.
"Try this, Ash—white-gold caviar, from the ultra-rare Strottarga Bianco!" She spooned a gleaming heap onto my plate, eyes daring Marla to match her.
I shoveled it in without a second thought. The burst of delicate salt scent qi racing down my arms. "Ohhh… that's even better!"
Marla's eyes narrowed. "Even better, huh?" She leaned over the table, her ample bosom threatening to knock over a goblet as she thrust a skewer of fire-dragon shrimp under my nose. "Then you'll love this!" I bit down on the skewer, sliding my head taking the fire-dragon shrimp with me. "Mmmmm, thank you Marla! "I said as I crunched up the delectable shrimp. I saw stars as the sweet and sour fire-dragon shrimp lit up my eyes.
"Careful, Marla," Felicity said sweetly, lips curved but eyes cold. "He only has one stomach."
Meanwhile, Hammerhead belched thunderously, patting his belly. "Heh. Soft folk food's too small. Where's the blood soup?"
Snake-Man lifted a still-living crab from a platter, bit it in half, and hissed with delight. Several nobles fainted into their seats.
And through it all, I just kept eating, blissfully ignoring the tension sparking like live wires across the table.
I sat cross-legged at the low style banquet table, sleeves rolled up, going to town on Fanghua's finest spread like a starving tiger at a lamb's feast. Roast phoenix drumsticks, lotus-scented dumplings, sugar-glazed wyvern ribs—the more rare and expensive the dish, the faster it vanished into my mouth. I could feel my mental and spiritual dantians expanding at an exponential rate, if I kept this up, I might break through to the first step sovereign level, I thought to myself.
"Here, Ash, eat more of these poached oysters and artichoke! A delicacy reserved for kings!" Marla sitting on my right side leaned into me, practically spoon-feeding me. She leaned closer in, her bosom was hard to ignore this close, she whispered in my ear "They say these are a powerful aphrodisiac, Milord."
Not to be outdone, Felicity leapt in with a gleaming little dish. "No, Ash—forget her oysters. Try this! It's from the ultra-rare pink bonito boiled in horny goat weed!"
I barely looked up from the food. "Mmm—gimme both."
Meanwhile, Hammerhead was at the far end of the table interrogating a nervous noble about whether the centerpiece was edible. Snake-Man had somehow charmed a gaggle of Lotus courtiers into feeding him skewers of caramelized spirit-beetles like he was a visiting deity.
Faeluxe, meanwhile, sat primly, nibbling on what she called a "poo-poo platter"—a mismatched tray of fried snacks the servants had tried to hide from the highborn guests. She rolled her eyes as Felicity and Marla circled me like hawks fighting over a meal.
Finally, Marla snapped. She stood and thrust her ample bosom directly against Felicity with a triumphant grin. "Mosquito bites," she said sweetly, "you've had Lord Ash to yourself long enough. It's my turn for some quality time with him, don't you agree?"
Felicity gasped so hard her wine nearly spilled. "Mosquito bites!? HOW DARE you!"
Marla's smile widened, eyes shining with malicious glee. "Why would Lord Ash want you anyway? Someone so flat, he couldn't tell the front from the back if you were lying down!"
A collective gasp rippled through the banquet hall. Fans snapped shut. Pearls clutched. Nobles leaned forward, scandalized.
Felicity's eyes narrowed to slits. "Oh, it. Is. On."
The next second, the two of them were a blur of hair-pulling, and shrieking. They rolled in a tight ball across the lush embroidered carpet, knocking over trays of spirit-wine and dumplings as horrified servants scrambled out of the way.
I sat there, cheeks stuffed full, pausing only long enough to grab a passing roll before shrugging at the chaos. Several noblemen sat forward in delight, cheering softly, while the noblewomen rose in perfect unison, fanning themselves with outrage. "How utterly uncouth!" one of them hissed as they swept from the hall.
Faeluxe just sighed, plucking another fried morsel off her plate. "Honestly. Children."
The nobles' gasps had hardly settled before the banquet hall devolved into chaos. Felicity and Marla rolled across the floor in a tangle of silk and claws, shrieks echoed off the lacquered pillars. Servants darted aside, clutching platters high to keep rare vintages from being smashed under the duel of skirts.
"Unhand me, you cow!" Felicity screeched, her polished raven hair now sticking out at awkward angles.
Marla's grip only tightened, her lips curling into a victorious grin as she brought her face close. Her voice dropped to a whisper sharp enough to cut glass.
"You are a selfish little brat, Felicity—and I'm done pretending otherwise. It's past time someone humbled you."
Felicity froze for a fraction of a heartbeat, pupils flashing like storm clouds. Then she snarled, flipping Marla with surprising strength, sending the busty woman crashing onto her back. The carpet bunched under their rolling struggle, toppling a lacquered stand of jade goblets, servants rushing to catch them before they hit the floor with a clatter.
Meanwhile, I didn't even lift my head. I cracked open a paradise king crab leg and slurped out the steaming meat with blissful ignorance, as though the shrieking and gasps were just background music.
Marla dragged Felicity down again, pinning her elbow awkwardly. "Do you think batting your lashes and clinging to his arm makes you anything more than a decoration?" she hissed. "Lord Ash needs real steel beside him."
Felicity twisted, her cheeks flushed with fury, nails digging into Marla's scaled wrist. "You...dare? You wouldn't last a single day in my shoes without hiding behind your chest like a shield!"
Another wave of scandalized gasps rolled through the nobles, a few fainting matrons whisked away by attendants. But several young lords leaned in, riveted, as though watching the most thrilling duel of the evening.
At the far table, Faeluxe calmly stacked fried dumplings into a little pyramid on her plate. "Honestly," she muttered to no one in particular, "this continent's strongest prodigies reduced to kittens in a pillow fight."
I'd had enough. Between Felicity's shrieks and Marla's indignant growls, the banquet hall had turned into a war zone of flying silk and overturned platters. It was time to show them there was no need to fight over me—there was plenty of Ashriel Embercoil to go around.
I decided I would create a ''Strong Twin'' just for Marla and to end the feud.
Closing my eyes, I poured half of my new, even larger mental pool into a twin of myself. Threads of frost-fireflies coalesced, shaping a second me with the same sharp eyes and good looks, the same confident grin. I and my twin looked at one another, a brief nod passing silently between us.
"It's time to break this up," we said in perfect unison.
My twin ''Ashwin'' and I strode forward, moving as a single, synchronized force. The girls were locked mid-roll, neither able to gain an advantage over the other.
We each placed a hand gently on a shoulder—mine on Felicity, Ashwin on Marla.
Marla's crimson eyes snapped wide. Her jaw dropped. "There's… there's two of you? Ho—how?!"
"Hi my names Ashwin" he grinned down at her. "It's nice to meet you Marla" Ashwin helped the stunned Marla to her feet.
I looked over at Marla grinning "This is my inheritance power, silly girl."
Her features softened, and her shoulders relaxed as the tension ebbed away. She let out a laugh, one of pure relief and delight. "Ash… this… this is wonderful!"
Felicity, still a little flustered, blinked at us both, then smiled reluctantly. "I...suppose this settles the 'who gets Ash' problem," she murmured, the fire in her eyes cooling into playful warmth.
I winked at her. "Exactly. Plenty of me to go around. Let's call it a draw—and maybe, just maybe, you two can stop rolling on the carpet before the palace carpet files a complaint."
The girls laughed, the tension breaking like ice. Around us, the noblemen gawked, whispering feverishly, while the noblewomen muttered their outrage behind fans. The Starbite crew couldn't help but chuckle as the chaos finally settled—Ash and his twin standing triumphant, not over a fight, but over the silliness that had consumed the banquet hall.
With the Ashwin twin reveal settled, the banquet hall slowly returned to a semblance of order—or at least as much order as a group like ours could manage. The nobles attempted to straighten their posture and hide their wide-eyed stares, but whispers rippled like wind through silk.
Marla hovered beside Ashwin, her hand brushing his arm every so often as though to double-check he was real. "I still can't believe this… two of you!" she whispered, a grin spreading across her ruby lips. She leaned close enough that Felicity could see the corner of her eye twitch in irritation.
Felicity, not to be outdone, matched her movement, standing beside me and shooting Marla a pointed glare. "Don't think two halves of Ash mean we're suddenly all square," she muttered, crossing her arms.
Marla laughed, pressing her forehead lightly against Ashwin. "Oh, don't flatter yourself, mosquito bites," she teased, wagging a finger. "He's got plenty of patience for both of us."
Me and my twin simply smiled, exchanging a knowing glance. Ashwin handed Marla a tiny glass of infused spirit wine; I offered Felicity a delicate slice of flame-pear pie. Both girls accepted with mock huffing, their rivalry softened into playful bickering rather than combat.
Meanwhile, Hammerhead had found a tray of spirit-dragon ribs and was gnawing contentedly, oblivious to everything else. Snake-Man had taken to weaving through the legs of nobles' chairs, snatching small tidbits and startling servers into squeals of panic. One flustered lord nearly toppled a crystal wine tower trying to avoid the snake.
Faeluxe, seated on the edge of a table with her "poo-poo platter," pinched her lips, rolling her eyes at the twin chaos. "Honestly. They're all children," she muttered—but secretly, she was grinning, enjoying the lively energy.
At one point, we coordinated a small trick on the girls. Ashwin whispered something to Marla; I whispered the same to Felicity. Simultaneously, both girls leapt at each other's dessert plates in mock retaliation, spilling a few berries. Laughter erupted across the hall. The nobles tried in vain to maintain decorum, fanning themselves and muttering about impropriety, while the servants scrambled to clean up, muttering about the "Sovereign-Slayer's party antics."
Through it all, the banquet continued—delicacies passed, platters replenished, and laughter rippling over the polished tables. For once, the world outside—the rivalries, the Poison Lotus tensions, the threats from other clans—felt distant, replaced by a rare moment of absurd joy. Me, and Ashwin, simply leaned back, surveying the crew and friends, a small smile tugging at our lips.
Even Hammerhead belched appreciatively in the corner, and for once, it felt like absolute victory.
The banquet's clamor faded behind us as we returned to the Starbite, the polished decks gleaming beneath our feet. Laughter and whispers still echoed faintly from the hall, but the mood in the corridors of the ship shifted into a more private, intimate rhythm as the pairs drifted toward their quarters.
Ashwin fell in step beside Marla, his grin low and conspiratorial. He leaned close, letting his warm breath brush her ear. "All those poached oysters are starting to have their effect on me," he murmured. "I think...it's time we cultivated the Heavenly Organa Sutra tonight."
Marla's crimson eyes flickered with both amusement and something sharper—anticipation. She gave a small, teasing laugh, intertwining her fingers with his. "Oh? Is that so, Ashwin?"
He squeezed her hand gently, guiding her toward her private chambers. The door swung open, revealing a space filled with soft mats, incense curling lazily from carved holders, and the faint glow of spirit-lanterns casting delicate patterns across the walls.
Marla stepped in first, letting Ashwin follow, their fingers still entwined. She turned, her expression a mix of playful defiance and longing. "Then let's not waste any time," she said, her voice low.
Ashwin's grin softened into something more tender as he closed the door behind them. "I promise… tonight, it's all about us," he murmured.
Outside, the Starbite hummed quietly, carrying the crew and the chaos of the banquet away into the starlit night. Within the room, the two of them moved together, poised to explore the rare and exquisite cultivation of the Heavenly Organa Sutra, the kind of moment that blurred the lines between energy, pleasure, and profound connection.
As Ashwin guided Marla into her private chambers, I found myself just outside Felicity's quarters, the soft glow of spirit-lanterns spilling across the corridor. The mischievous energy of the banquet still lingered, and I couldn't resist a sly grin.
"Ready for your turn, mosquito bite?" I murmured under my breath as I opened the door, recalling the playful tension of the hall.
Felicity's silver eyes flicked up, a teasing smirk curving her lips. "Those are fighting words around here mister, and dont think I'll let you off easy for them either." she said holding my hand as she stepped inside pulling me in.
Her private quarters were decorated with ethereal elegance: mats scented with moon-essence incense, silver-threaded curtains, and delicate spirit-crystal lanterns that shimmered like captured starlight. She gestured for me to enter, her eyes glinting with challenge. "Don't think you can take me lightly just because you've got a twin running around."
I chuckled, stepping closer, letting the door click shut behind us. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. But I think it's time we cultivated the Heavenly Organa Sutra tonight, too."
Her eyebrows shot up, and she crossed her arms—but the flush rising to her cheeks betrayed her amusement. "You really do have a line for every situation, don't you?"
I knelt beside her mats, letting my hands brush hers in playful rehearsal of the forms. "Only the ones that matter," I said softly, a smile tugging at my lips. "And this one—right now—matters very much."
Felicity leaned closer, letting the corners of her mouth lift. "Then don't disappoint me, Lord Ash," she teased, her silver tendrils flickering faintly in response to my qi as we began to align our energy.
The soft hum of the Starbite outside was a gentle counterpoint to the electric tension between us. Here, mirrored against the twin dynamic, it wasn't about rivalry but connection—an intimate dance of energy, teasing, and unspoken trust. Each movement drew us closer, our qi interweaving, the Heavenly Organa Sutra a conduit for shared warmth and power, playful yet intensely focused.
I caught her gaze, and we laughed softly, the tension breaking into something light and electric. Just like with Ashwin and Marla, there was no need for struggle—only the perfect, chaotic harmony of this moment, a private echo of the banquet's chaos now transformed into intimate, teasing balance.
Outside the private quarters, the Starbite hummed gently as if aware of the energies swirling within. Inside, two parallel dances of qi unfolded simultaneously—Ashwin with Marla, and myself with Felicity—each pair moving in sync, each touch and glance amplifying the Heavenly Organa Sutra in ways neither had expected.
In Marla's chamber, Ashwin guided her through the flowing movements, frost-firefly motes spiraling around them like delicate sparks of living light. Each brush of their qi sent tremors of rolling pleasure through their bodies, causing Marla to gasp as the energy swelled between them. "Ashwin… it's… so strong," she murmured, flushed with heat and delight.
Across the corridor, Felicity mirrored the sutra with me. Our qi interlaced, weaving over and under one another like a living tapestry. Each subtle tease—the flick of her hips, sent ripples through my mental dantian, drawing out bursts of warmth and tingling energy. "You… always have to make it a challenge, don't you?" she whispered, a smile tugging at her lips.
Back in Marla's room, Ashwin's sense of humor surfaced. "Careful, Marla," he murmured, "we don't want to collapse the ceiling with all this Heavenly Organa Sutra energy." Marla smirked, leaning closer, letting the warmth of his qi flow into her fully. "Then maybe we'll just have to see how much the Starbite can chew," she teased back, her laughter mixing with the hum of energy around them.
Meanwhile, Felicity's own teasing matched Marla's. "If you get distracted, Ash," she purred, brushing a hand along my shoulder, "I'll have to punish you." I grinned, letting her playful prodding intensify the flow between us, teasing qi spiraling and pulsing in a way that mirrored our laughter.
The twin dynamic amplified the effect beyond what either pair expected. Across the Starbite, the corridors themselves seemed to shimmer as the combined energy resonated, creating gentle arcs of frost-fireflies, silver sparks and seething green flames that danced along the walls, responding to the movements of our cultivation. Every breath, every touch, every shared glance amplified the qi flowing through us, creating waves of power that were at once sensual and fantastical.
"Ha…hah…oh my god it's so-so much energy!" Marla gasped, her body pressed close to Ashwin as the swirl of frost-fireflies coalesced around them. He grinned, leaning close and letting the motes brush against her skin like living whispers.
In parallel, Felicity's silver tendrils wrapped around me in elegant spirals, each movement teasing my qi and drawing laughter from both of us. "Careful, Ash… you might just get addicted to this," she said, her voice teasing yet breathless.
The climax of the Heavenly Organa Sutra cultivation arrived in a shimmering wave. Both pairs felt it simultaneously—a rush of qi that expanded their mental and physical dantians, leaving a lingering warmth and glow. The Starbite itself seemed to pulse with energy, the frost-fireflies from Ashwin and seething green flames of Marla lighting up the halls while silver motes from Felicity and I shimmered like captured starlight.
Both pairs collapsed in giggles and sighs, tangled in mats, hands brushing, breaths mingling, the energy still thrumming softly in the air. Marla smirked up at Ashwin, hair sticking to her flushed cheeks. "That was incredible, I haven't had sutra like that since twelfth grade." she said, teasingly.
Felicity shot me a side-eye, playful and victorious. "You...you survived my methods." "Yea, but Barely" I whispered, she leaned against me with a soft laugh.
Outside the rooms, the Starbite seemed to hum in approval, carrying both laughter and quiet energy pulses through the decks. The twin dynamic had created something extraordinary—not just shared cultivation, but a playful, intimate, fantastical resonance that left both pairs stronger, closer, and utterly content.
Even Hammerhead and Snake-Man would have been impressed, had they been able to peek in.