Chapter 153: A Captive’s Calculations!

Damian’s expression remained cold as he stared at the beautiful woman seated across the chamber, his earlier enthusiasm having disappeared completely.

He had been looking forward to spending a pleasant evening with his two newly betrothed beauties, only to discover that someone had apparently decided to include an attempted murderer in their romantic arrangements.

Naturally, his reaction was hardly unreasonable.

Ning Ruomei had personally participated in schemes intended to eliminate him, and their previous encounter had ended with her being captured after her plans failed spectacularly.

Worse, Damian had absolutely no reason to believe that she had abandoned her hostility simply because she was currently sitting quietly in a comfortable room.

If anything, a woman capable of infiltrating enemy organizations and operating under multiple identities was precisely the sort of person he expected to remain dangerous even while imprisoned.

As for her appearance?

Damian would have been lying if he claimed Ning Ruomei wasn’t beautiful, especially considering that she was counted among the three great beauties of the Azure Water Sector.

Her delicate features, seductive bearing and naturally captivating presence would undoubtedly be enough to leave countless male cultivators thoroughly distracted.

Unfortunately for her, Damian wasn’t particularly impressed.

Much like his initial reaction to Shen Xueyi, the young man’s appreciation of physical beauty had already undergone considerable adjustment since arriving in Valoria and Shengyuan.

Between the Four Valkyries, Ophelia, Mu Qingyao and numerous other extraordinary women, simply possessing an exquisite face was no longer sufficient to overwhelm his senses.

Moreover, personal preference remained an important consideration, and Ning Ruomei wasn’t particularly well suited to his tastes.

Of course, he could still appreciate an attractive woman even when she didn’t fit his ideal preferences.

However, physical beauty was merely one component of attraction, and it became considerably less appealing when accompanied by an established history of murderous intentions.

There was also the matter of Damian’s extraordinary mental Attributes.

His Wisdom had reached 78.6 points, granting him a level of judgment and mental clarity that made it considerably easier to evaluate the actual consequences of his decisions.

While such improvements didn’t magically eliminate desire or transform him into some emotionless sage, they certainly helped prevent his more primitive impulses from overwhelming his common sense.

And common sense was currently telling him that this woman was far more trouble than she could ever be worth!

’Seriously, why the fuck would I want anything to do with her? I’ve got two beautiful women who actually care about me standing right here, and I’m supposed to become interested in someone who tried to have me killed?’

The sheer absurdity of the comparison irritated him!

Ning Ruomei, meanwhile, could practically feel the hostility directed toward her.

She raised her half-lidded eyes briefly, meeting Damian’s disgusted expression without the slightest indication of embarrassment or concern.

Instead, the corners of her lips curled into a faint sneer before she turned her head away, regarding a nearby decorative screen as though it were considerably more interesting than the young man standing before her.

The gesture was deliberately dismissive.

To anyone observing casually, it would have appeared that Ning Ruomei considered Damian beneath her notice, despite the fact that he was responsible for her current circumstances.

She made no attempt to explain herself, offer a greeting or even acknowledge his question.

Damian’s brows furrowed further.

He disliked being treated with contempt as much as the next person, but what irritated him more was the unmistakable impression that Ning Ruomei was deliberately attempting to provoke a reaction.

Unfortunately, he lacked sufficient information to determine what she hoped to accomplish, and there was little point wasting time interrogating someone who clearly intended to remain silent.

Instead, he turned toward his two fiancées.

"Alright, could one of my charming wives please explain why this woman is sitting in our private chambers? Last I checked, she was supposed to be a prisoner, not an additional guest for our evening together," Damian asked, his tone remaining distinctly unpleasant.

Shen Xueyi regarded him calmly, apparently having anticipated precisely this reaction. "We usually take turns watching her and never allow her out of our sight. Considering her background and the methods employed by the Nightmare Corpse Sect, leaving her unattended would be unnecessarily dangerous,"

"Now that you’ve returned, we can transfer responsibility for her custody to you, since you’re stronger than either of us." Shen Xueyi explained straightforwardly, her cool eyes briefly passing over their captive.

Damian blinked, considering the explanation.

On one hand, he appreciated their caution, especially since Ning Ruomei possessed a considerable amount of experience with deception and assassination.

Having Qingyao and Xueyi personally supervise such a dangerous captive was far more reassuring than entrusting her to some inexperienced disciple who might become distracted by a pretty face.

On the other hand, why the hell did they think he wanted her in his bedroom?!

There were plenty of other places to keep a prisoner, particularly inside a heavily fortified military encampment protected by two Foundation Establishment sects.

Damian could easily imagine a dozen arrangements that would be considerably less disruptive to his evening.

He glanced toward Ning Ruomei again, finding her continued silence increasingly irritating.

"Why not just kill her right now and be free?" Damian asked bluntly, the casual practicality of his suggestion making the atmosphere noticeably colder.

Ning Ruomei continued staring away from him.

However, her shoulders trembled ever so slightly, betraying that his words had affected her considerably more than she cared to reveal.

She had expected hostility, threats and perhaps a humiliating interrogation, but the ease with which Damian suggested simply ending her life was another matter entirely.

After all, she was Xie Man’s daughter!

Even if Damian personally despised her, surely he understood that her identity made her too important to dispose of casually?

Unfortunately, the expression on his face suggested that he would have very little difficulty carrying out the threat if someone provided a sufficiently convincing reason.

Thankfully for her, Mu Qingyao intervened before the conversation could take a more unpleasant direction.

"Damian, we haven’t finished the war yet, and she’s still extremely valuable to us," Mu Qingyao reminded him gently, stepping forward and taking his hands within her own.

"Her father remains one of our greatest concerns, and keeping her alive gives us an advantage that would disappear the moment we killed her. I know you dislike her, but please consider the larger situation."

Damian looked down at the beautiful woman holding his hands, recognizing the wisdom behind her argument.

The Nightmare Corpse Sect had already suffered catastrophic losses, but Xie Man and the organization’s remaining senior cultivators were still capable of causing considerable damage.

Killing the man’s daughter might provide temporary satisfaction, but it could also remove an important source of leverage at precisely the moment when the allied forces were attempting to end the conflict without unnecessary casualties.

There was also the possibility that Ning Ruomei possessed valuable intelligence, although Damian had no intention of assuming that anything she revealed would necessarily be truthful.

For several moments, he continued staring at the demonic cultivator.

Ning Ruomei maintained her indifferent expression, but Damian noticed the subtle tension in her posture and understood that she was paying considerably more attention than she pretended.

He allowed the silence to linger briefly before finally turning away.

"Fine, I trust both your judgments. She’s clearly more useful alive for the moment, and I won’t interfere with that simply because I find her unpleasant," Damian conceded, his expression relaxing slightly as he returned his attention to the two women.

Mu Qingyao smiled with relief, while Shen Xueyi nodded approvingly.

However, Damian hadn’t entirely finished considering the implications of their decision.

After all, Ning Ruomei’s beauty and reputation were well known throughout the Azure Water Sector, and there was something rather peculiar about two newly betrothed women voluntarily placing such an attractive captive in their future husband’s immediate vicinity.

He studied their expressions for a moment before deciding to address the matter directly.

"But there’s something else I want to ask you both. Do you genuinely trust me not to be tempted by this woman, especially if I’m expected to keep her under close supervision?" Damian questioned seriously, looking from Qingyao to Xueyi.

The two beauties exchanged a glance.

Interestingly, neither appeared particularly troubled by the question, although their expressions gradually developed an unmistakable hint of embarrassment.

Shen Xueyi was the first to recover, her cool demeanor allowing her to deliver an answer that Damian hadn’t remotely anticipated.

"We are now your wives in all but ceremony. If this woman is still capable of tempting you while we’re here, then it can only mean that we’ve failed to satisfy our husband properly," Shen Xueyi stated bluntly, a delicate blush appearing upon her otherwise composed face.

Damian froze.

For a moment, he wondered whether he had misunderstood her words, especially considering the extraordinary calmness with which she had delivered them.

However, the faint redness coloring her cheeks made it abundantly clear that Shen Xueyi understood precisely what she was implying.

And apparently, Mu Qingyao had no intention of allowing her fellow bride to monopolize the conversation!

"Exactly! Women like Ning Ruomei can only prey upon men whose desires remain unsatisfied, and we have absolutely no intention of allowing our husband to suffer from such a problem," Mu Qingyao declared with a beautiful smile, although her increasingly flushed complexion betrayed considerable embarrassment.

"Since we’ve already agreed to marry you, Damian, we should naturally take responsibility for ensuring that you’re thoroughly satisfied!"

Damian’s heart gave a powerful thump.

Then another!

The atmosphere within the chamber had changed so dramatically that he almost forgot about the thoroughly unwelcome woman sitting on the opposite side.

His gaze moved between Qingyao’s charming expression and Xueyi’s cool beauty, appreciating that both women were apparently far more enthusiastic about their future marital responsibilities than he had dared assume.

’Good heavens, these two!’

He swallowed unconsciously, suddenly finding it rather difficult to maintain the composure he had displayed during the earlier marriage negotiations.

What made the situation particularly exciting was that neither woman was behaving like an inexperienced girl who had been pressured into an arrangement she didn’t understand.

Although both were maidens without romantic experience, they were also mature cultivators who had spent years navigating dangerous political circumstances, managing responsibilities and making difficult decisions.

They understood what marriage entailed.

More importantly, they had chosen Damian willingly, and neither appeared interested in pretending that their relationship would consist entirely of polite conversations and ceremonial exchanges.

Qingyao possessed a naturally affectionate temperament and had never been particularly interested in concealing her attraction toward him.

Xueyi was considerably more reserved, but her straightforward personality meant that once she reached a decision, she saw little reason to dance around its implications.

And now both had decided that their future husband deserved their full attention!

Damian felt a wave of anticipation rise within him, although his enhanced judgment also recognized something mildly unreasonable about their earlier statements.

If he ever betrayed their trust, that responsibility would belong to him, not to the women who had supposedly failed to keep him entertained.

Fortunately, Damian had absolutely no intention of placing them in such a position, and the affection and confidence behind their declarations mattered considerably more than their rather exaggerated reasoning.

Besides, he was hardly going to interrupt such a promising atmosphere with an unnecessary lecture!

Instead, he looked between the two beauties with an appreciative smile, noticing that neither attempted to avoid his gaze despite their unmistakable embarrassment.

Qingyao squeezed his hand gently, her emerald eyes shining with a mixture of affection and anticipation.

Beside her, Xueyi maintained her usual elegant posture, although the slight tightening of her fingers around her sleeve suggested that her composure was being tested rather severely.

Damian couldn’t help feeling that the evening had suddenly recovered much of its earlier promise.

Unfortunately, there was still a certain demonic cultivator sitting in the corner!

.....................

Ning Ruomei had heard every word.

Although she continued maintaining her indifferent appearance, her attention had been focused upon the conversation from the moment Damian entered the chamber.

His initial hostility was unsurprising, and his suggestion that she should simply be killed had certainly been unpleasant, but neither development was particularly difficult for her to understand.

The exchange that followed, however, was another matter entirely.

She slowly turned her head toward the three of them, a strange light flashing within her half-lidded eyes.

Ning Ruomei wasn’t jealous.

She didn’t desire Damian romantically, nor had she secretly developed feelings for the young man merely because he was powerful enough to defeat her.

As far as she was concerned, Damian Baines remained an arrogant and extraordinarily troublesome enemy whose continued existence represented an obstacle to her interests.

Unfortunately, her current predicament left her with rather limited options.

Escape was difficult, her cultivation couldn’t be relied upon to overcome her captors, and her father’s forces had suffered such terrible losses that expecting an immediate rescue was hardly reasonable.

If she wanted to regain control over her circumstances, she would need to exploit a weakness in the people currently holding her prisoner.

And Damian’s greatest weakness, she believed, was obvious.

He was a man!

A powerful, ambitious young man with considerable confidence in his own abilities, surrounded by beautiful women and accustomed to receiving extraordinary opportunities.

Ning Ruomei had encountered enough arrogant male cultivators to develop a thoroughly cynical understanding of how easily desire and wounded pride could distort their judgment.

That was precisely why she had adopted her current behavior.

If she openly attempted to seduce Damian, showering him with affection or desperately offering herself in exchange for favorable treatment, he would immediately recognize her desperation.

Such behavior would merely reinforce his sense of superiority, allowing him to enjoy her humiliation while retaining complete control over their interactions.

She needed something different.

By behaving as though Damian was beneath her notice, refusing to flatter him and maintaining her natural allure without openly offering anything, she intended to challenge his pride.

In her experience, certain powerful men became irrationally determined to conquer whatever refused to acknowledge their authority, particularly when the source of that refusal was an attractive woman.

If Damian eventually attempted to impose himself upon her, Ning Ruomei believed she could exploit the resulting obsession, manipulate his desires and gradually transform her position from helpless captive into someone capable of influencing him.

It was a deeply cynical strategy built around provoking precisely the sort of violation that any sensible person would ordinarily seek to avoid.

However, Ning Ruomei had convinced herself that she understood the instincts of powerful men well enough to turn even such a dangerous situation to her advantage.

Of course, her assumptions about Damian were entirely untested.

The young man had displayed nothing resembling the interest she hoped to provoke, and his reaction upon seeing her had been one of unmistakable disgust.

Still, Ning Ruomei considered patience essential, reasoning that maintaining her indifference would eventually frustrate him sufficiently to produce the response she wanted.

At least, that had been her expectation.

Then these two ridiculous women had started talking!

Ning Ruomei’s eyes narrowed slightly as she observed Mu Qingyao and Shen Xueyi standing beside their future husband.

She had known both women for years by reputation, and their exceptional beauty had placed all three among the most celebrated female cultivators in the Azure Water Sector.

Qingyao possessed the charm and maturity admired by countless disciples, while Xueyi’s extraordinary facial beauty and detached temperament had inspired considerable fascination among the region’s younger generation.

Ning Ruomei naturally considered herself their equal.

Yet here they were, practically competing over who could express greater enthusiasm for satisfying the same man!

How utterly embarrassing!

Worse, their behavior threatened to undermine the very strategy she had carefully constructed.

If Damian already possessed two exceptionally beautiful women who willingly offered him affection and companionship, why would he feel compelled to pursue a hostile prisoner who openly despised him?

His pride might still be challenged by her indifference, but the temptation to indulge that challenge would be considerably weaker when far more appealing alternatives were readily available.

Ning Ruomei hadn’t anticipated that difficulty.

She had expected some rivalry, perhaps resentment over the introduction of another attractive woman into their household, or even a degree of possessiveness that she could gradually manipulate.

Instead, Qingyao and Xueyi appeared almost delighted by the opportunity to cooperate in keeping Damian’s attention firmly upon themselves.

’Disgusting!’

The demonic beauty silently sneered, her gaze passing over their affectionate expressions with increasing contempt.

’And to think the three of us are celebrated as the great beauties of the Azure Water Sector!’

As far as Ning Ruomei was concerned, the two women had abandoned their dignity in exchange for the promises of an ambitious man.

They might believe that Damian genuinely treasured them, but she considered such affection little more than another method through which powerful men obtained whatever they desired.

Her lips tightened into a faint, disdainful smile.

’What a pair of losers! They’ve completely fallen for that beastly man’s lies!’