Free Web NovelChapter 192: A Modicum of Restraint
The doors to Count Richard Baker’s bedroom were crafted from a type of High-Rank Mortal Grade Tier 3 wood, an incredibly sturdy material that innately blurred Soul Sense. The walls were also constructed of another type of High-Rank Tier 3 stone which deflected Soul Qi.
Though this combination of materials couldn’t create a perfectly isolated room, it was enough to obscure the Soul Sense of a Low-Rank Soul Initiate while blurring the senses of anyone below the High-Rank Soul Initiate Realm, granting a certain degree of privacy and security to those who wished for it.
However, faced with the fury-filled fist of a Complete High-Rank Adept, these High-Rank Tier 3 materials were no better than any ordinary Tier 1 stone and lumber.
The first thing that greeted Celestina after she smashed her way into the room was another 4 women, all of them in nothing but their undergarments, fear and despair covering their faces.
If it was possible, Celestina would have become more enraged by this sight, but it seemed she had already reached the limits of her anger.
In a fit of indignation, the General directed her eyes at the sole male in the room and was utterly disgusted by what she saw.
Richard Baker was a complete mess.
Collapsed on his butt, the naked man wore a look of confusion and fear, which was only natural after having his bedroom’s doors blown apart. However, what was truly abhorrent was that he was still in a state of arousal, with lust clearly being directed at the ’intruder’ who had invaded his sanctuary. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
While not every powerful female Cultivator was a stunning beauty, most in the Spirit Realms stood head-and-shoulders above those in the Mortal Realms thanks to their Spirit and Martial Qi constantly nourishing and refining their features.
On top of that, if these women valued their appearances and took the time to maintain them, being ’pretty’ was all but guaranteed.
As for Celestina, she was born blessed, being neither too tall, nor too short, with a face that was equal parts enchanting and heroic, and a figure that even most women would envy, so it wasn’t surprising that she was the physical embodiment of what most men dreamed of.
That is, if one discounted her status and strength.
Celestina had grown accustomed to the admiring, or even lustful gazes of men, and even some women, and while it might have bothered her in her youth, she was mature enough now to ignore such looks. Others staring at her with desire wasn’t something she needed to care about, nor was it something she could stop, so for the most part, she simply paid it no mind.
That being said, there were limits to her tolerance, and if someone crossed the line, their casual glance turning into a rude stare, Celestina didn’t mind giving that person an up-close view of her fist.
With a well-known history of knocking men out for gawking at her, and even breaking the bones of a few egregious offenders, Celestina Balfour had earned the ’respect’ of all the upper nobility in the Redwood Kingdom, and no man of any status dared to ogle her anymore.
Yet here, inside the Lord’s Manor of Herald City, a filthy, pathetic mongrel was actually lusting after her.
Even in a fit of rage, Celestina was incredibly insightful and observant, so she immediately understood from the smoldering light in this pig’s eyes that his prurience wasn’t just some leftover reaction from the foul activities he was about engage in.
No, while terror was by far the greatest emotion this animal was feeling right now, desire was definitely present as well.
Celestina’s first thought was to lop-off this waste’s head and be done with it, but even if her status afforded her an incredible amount of authority, and the current crisis bolstered that further, she couldn’t just execute a Count without facing any consequences.
While the trouble that would result was nothing she couldn’t handle, it would be both time consuming and headache inducing to deal with, so despite very much not wanting to, Celestina decided to act with a modicum of restraint.
With a flicker, she appeared right in-front of Richard and lifted her metal boot. Circulating her Spirit Qi in order to ensure that no filth stained her leg, Celestina stomped down hard, producing a dreadful squishing sound.
Everything happened so fast that Richard Baker didn’t have any time to react, and it was only several seconds later that a searing pain he had never experienced before radiated from his groin, awakening him from his daze.
At first, Richard, who had never gone through any kind of real suffering in his life, didn’t understand what was happening, but as his gaze drifted down, and he saw the horrifying remnants of what was once his favourite sword splattered across the floor, realization immediately struck him.
"AHHHH!!!"
Collapsing to the floor, grabbing hold of his bleeding nether-region, Count Baker, with no care for his dignity or appearance, wailed and squealed like an animal being butchered alive.
The man was in so much pain, and experiencing so much trauma, that he couldn’t even form coherent words; all he could do was scream wildly.
Celestina would have liked to watch this scum suffer for a while as he writhed in agony for the heinous crimes he had committed, but she was short on time and couldn’t afford such an indulgence.
Without the slightest hint of pity, the General reached down and seized the squealing man-child by his throat, squeezing hard enough to silence his annoying voice.
Lifting the man up like a chicken, she then slammed his back against the nearby wall hard enough to crack the stone and declared with complete indifference, "I am assuming control of this city. Nod if you understand."
Unfortunately, even though he was being choked to death, Richard Baker was still in too much pain to think about anything else and simply flailed about madly, gasping for breath while trying to scream.
There was no way a man who had spent his entirely life avoiding both pain and responsibility could endure such a sudden and overwhelming assault on his senses.
At this point, Celestina would likely have an easier time negotiating with the approaching Beast Tide than getting Richard to comply with her demands.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to.
"Richard!" A new voice suddenly called out in shock before harshly demanding, "Who are you!? Identify yourself!"
While still strangling the flailing Count, Celestina calmly turned her gaze towards the broken bedroom door to find a balding middle-aged man standing there, huffing and puffing both from exertion and indignation. This man shared some resemblance with Richard Baker, and his rapid arrival at this place and his Low-Rank Spirit Initiate strength made it obvious who he was.
He was Arnold Baker, the Great Elder of the Baker Count Family and the shadow ruler of Herald City.
When Celestina first broke into the Lord’s Manor, Arnold Baker had been engaged in some nighttime activities with a pair of his mistresses. These women weren’t his wives, just ladies that he fancied and lured into his bed with the promise of money and power.
It could be seen from this that Gerald Baker, Richard’s father and Arnold’s older brother, was an exception among the men of the Baker Family.
At first, Arnold was unaware that there was any kind of disturbance, but even if he was aware of some kind of trouble, he likely wouldn’t have bothered himself with it and simply left it to the guards to deal with. However, when Celestina unleashed the full force of her aura upon seeing the scenes outside the Count’s bedroom, there was no way Arnold Baker could remain ignorant.
While Arnold’s bedroom was also lined with Qi insulating materials, they were even cheaper than those used in Richard’s room, so they were completely useless in blocking the pressure of a High-Rank Adept.
Realizing that some kind of terrifying being had come, Arnold Baker couldn’t spare his women any mind and hurriedly leapt out of bed. Dressing himself in a flurry, the balding man raced out of his house and dashed over towards his nephew’s home.
The two buildings weren’t far apart, so it only took Arnold a minute or so to arrive at the source of the terrifying aura, but when he got there, the sight which greeted him was beyond anything he could have imagined.
8 half-naked women were huddled outside his nephew’s room, some smashed meat and blood wetted a certain spot next to the bed inside, and a female warrior with her back turned to him was strangling the current Count while pinning him to the wall.
Immediately, Arnold Baker cried out in fury. fгeewebnovёl.com
While he cared little for his useless nephew’s life, Arnold couldn’t tolerate the insult of having his home broken into by some unknown woman. Injuring the Count in his own bedroom and then holding him hostage was akin to declaring war on the Baker Family.
Such a slight could not just be written off, even if the other party was obviously some powerful soldier.
When the woman turned around, though, and Arnold Baker got a look at her face, all his bravado instantly evaporated. He wasn’t as ignorant as his nephew and could naturally recognize one of the most famous women in the entire Rockwell Kingdom.
Understanding just who it was he was facing, Arnold’s heart nearly leapt into his throat as he hurriedly cupped his fists and performed a deep bow, "Greetings, Marquess Balfour! Please forgive this lowly one for not recognizing your honoured self sooner!"
As he kept his head down, Arnold was cursing in his heart while wracking his brain, trying to figure out just how Marquess Celestina Balfour could have possibly arrived in Herald City without him knowing anything about it.
This kind of oversight was on par with not knowing the King had appeared in his home!
