《Palace of Longevity》


 My Life

    In a palace full of luxury lived an extremely handsome man named Zixin. He wished to live a peaceful life, with no problems, no annoyance, and most importantly of all, know all knowledge.


    Zixin was a man with long white hair and white skin that closely resembled his hair; he wore a white robe which closely resembled his hair and skin in colour. His gaze was as tough as a monolith. His deep, dark eyes showed indifference to the world.


    He was currently at the library, studying history. He puts his full attention to the books he read. Anyone who walks through the library bows to him and greets him politely while he is still studying. He pays no mind to the people around him he doesn''t pay them any attention. He may seem cold, but he has a heart; he is simply suppressing his emotions. He only wishes to follow logic and the most efficient path towards his goals. At the current moment, his goal is to learn everything this and every world has to offer. As a famous quote once said, knowledge is power.


    He has lived for quite some time now; he has now become numb to emotions. Even so, he will choose to help others when he wants to. He won''t help all of the time, as that is removing free will by excessively relying on another person''s help from another person''s point of view.


    After he finished his studies for the day, he left the seemingly infinite library of knowledge.


    He walked towards the bar where he usually drinks his self-created wine. Once he entered, he spoke with a calm tone, "Bartender, that one wine, please."


    "As you wish." The bartender spoke politely.


    Zixin sat on the stool near the countertop. The bartender entered a special room. Zixin waited for a few minutes before the bartender came back with a bottle of wine. He poured the water like wine into a cup and handed it to Zixin.


    Zixin observed the wine in the cup and commented with a plain tone, "It still looks like water. Sigh, why did I make it like this?"


    Yes, the creator of the wine is none other than Zixin himself.


    He didn''t bother to answer his question as he took a sip of the wine. He smiled lightly, his tone somewhat happy, "Drinking wine is truly my one true hobby."


    He took another sip and spoke like before, "It still tastes so sweet; if a child were to drink this and have no knowledge of what wine is or liquor in general, then I can see the child thinking this is a juice of some sort. A pure water-like juice, huh? Maybe I should make one sometime. What do you think, Brand?"


    The bartender, Brandy spoke politely, "I don''t think you should. It''s a waste of time."


    Zixin, with a drunken face, spoke, "Why shouldn''t I? A waste of time is something that one views for himself, for herself, or others."


    Brandy sighed, "You''re already drunk. Even if you follow logic you still come here thrice a week. Drinking wine that much is not healthy."


    "Not healthy? That''s against the whole point of this wine which is to give benefits and make one drunk with a few sips!" He almost yelled in anger which is something he wouldn''t do even if he is drunk. It is all thanks to the effect of this particular wine. The benefits of drinking it are simple: it increases the strength of the drinker, and some other benefits like decreased ageing, smoother skin, weakened diseases, and much more. The bad effect is the fact that one would get drunk extremely quickly; when drunk, one will fall for emotions, releasing all of their emotions until they fall unconscious from either being tired or excessive drinking. The most likely to occur is the former, as the latter will be stopped by the bartender, not allowing one to drink excessively.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Brandy chose not to speak further and simply waited for Zixin to fall unconscious.


    After a few more sips, Zixin finally fell unconscious.


    His beautiful face was lying on top of the counter while he slept. Even in his sleep, he looked beautiful. His face would make someone think that he is a cat.


    Brandy entered another room and called for someone to carry Zixin back to his bedroom.


    "Hello? This is Brandy. Lord has fallen asleep as usual. Can you send someone to bring him back to his room?"


    "Hmm? Are they underground? I see. It''s not urgent, I will wait. How long will it take for them to get back here?"


    "Two hours? I see. That''s fine, Lord will still be asleep by then."


    "My sincerest thanks."


    Brandy ends the call and puts down the phone. He entered the bar room once more.


    ...


    Two hours later.


    Two men entered the room with a small black box with them. The black box was the size of an adult''s pinky. It glowed slightly with the colour of black, grey, and sometimes, white.


    The two men were wearing grey coloured, tuxedos and formal black coloured pants.


    They walked towards the sleeping beauty; Zixin held the small black box near him and entered two keys, which each of them had at all times.


    Once the key entered the black box, it started to glow black, grey, and white more intensely; it almost filled a five-meter area with said light. Once they moved the keys and unlocked the black box, the light condensed and moved towards Zixin. It filled him and the black box increased in size. The light carried him into the black box. The black box closed afterwards.


    "Thank you, Brand, for always telling us this." One of them spoke in respect.


    "No, don''t mind it. Lord may enjoy being here as he has too much stress, but he should be taken care of. He is too important for us and for... this palace." He spoke with a small smile, his eyes looked at Zixin in a way a father would look at his son.


    "We understand Brand. We''ll leave now, and take Lord to his bedroom to rest in his bed. We''ll come back later; prepare us wine when we do, ok?" One of the two men spoke with laughter.


    "Don''t worry, I will." Brandy politely answered.


    "See you later then." The two men spoke and carried the black box that had grown to the size of an adult.


    They left the bar room and carried the box with them. The maids and servants who saw them paid respect by bowing to them; they simply walked past them, but they acknowledged them.


    After a while, they finally entered Zixin''s bedroom.


    The black box immediately glowed black, grey, and white as the box opened. The light carried Zixin to his bed. The light that carried him faded slightly and went back to the black box. The black box went back to its previous size which is the size of an adult''s pinky.


    "Hmm? The light faded more than usual. Lord must have been more exhausted than usual huh?" One of the men spoke in concern.


    "Sigh, we can''t talk about that inside this room. Let''s go back to the bar." The other replied.


    They both left the room and started speaking to one another.


    "The bar room huh? I wonder what I''ll drink today." One of them spoke in excitement.


    "Hmm? Don''t think of drinking those other liquor, those are mainly for celebrations. We can, but I don''t want to waste some for an effect that has little to no satisfaction for me." The other replied and gave his view.


    "You have a point. But, I still want to try it. Since the Lord doesn''t even stop us, can''t we try?" The other spoke his view.


    "Sigh, true enough but... I''d rather not."


    "Hmm? You... If you''re like that then I''ll go with your decision. I still believe you have a good intuition." He sighed in pity.


    ...


    Once they enter the bar room.


    "Brand, we''ll take the usual." One of them spoke.


    "Oh, that''s good to hear. The other liquors and wines were slightly infected by the light from before." He spoke in relief.


    "Huh? Was it the wines and liquors that were infected this time? Thank goodness I went with your decision." He looked towards his co-worker and friend in relief.


    "Oh? I see. So, as usual, your intuition kicked in for today. But it''s not like I''d serve liquor and wines that have already been infected even slightly."


    "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to warn him. It also helps in the research of the Professor." The one with the intuition spoke.


    "Oh, I see. So you wanted me to pay attention to it even if I will be told by Brand?" The other one spoke in affirmation.


    "Hmm? No, I simply wanted to see your reaction." He spoke plainly.


    "Huh? You know, you truly have weird preferences." The other one spoke in annoyance.


    "Well, do you still wish to have a drink?" Brandy spoke.


    "Hmm? Of course!" They both spoke in unison.


    ...


    At Zixin''s bedroom.


    "Huh? What the?" He sat up in his bed while being half asleep.


    "Hmm? My room? Oh, I see; I fell asleep, huh?" He spoke plainly in realization.


    "Sigh, hmm?!" He felt a sudden feeling of nausea.


    He left his bed and went to his bathroom. There he puked as much as he could.


    "Huff, huff, huff, sigh. My body has finally caught up with me huh? It seems like my drinking habit got the best of me. No more drinking for a while huh? Sigh, this will take some time to fix. That course of action should work." He pondered deeply.

 The Wisdom of the Lady

    In a luxurious palace, a divine beauty lived her life. She is the owner of the said palace. She is a genius, and her name is Xiu Ying.


    Her beauty is that of a woman with long white hair, soft snow-white skin, and deep grey eyes. She wore a cute pink flower-patterned kimono. She''s an absolute beauty; a divine beauty.


    She is currently in the library. She is studying as usual. Whenever someone walks by, they bow down to her and greet her to pay respects. She, of course, acknowledges them and greets them back. Even though doing this wastes little time, and she has no logical reason for doing this other than being kind to others, she still does so.


    She is well-known as a kind individual by everyone within the palace. Her habits of studying, learning, training, and much more are known by everyone.


    Once she finished studying for the day, she closed the books which she took from the shelf. She placed them back on the shelf where they came from and left the library.


    Her next destination is the kitchen. She walked towards the palace''s kitchen.


    Once she reached the kitchen she was met with the staff who work there.


    "Lady, what may you need from us?" The head chef asked politely.


    "May I cook the meal for tonight? I have a certain dish in mind." She spoke politely; her voice was divine, and even heaven would feel envious.


    "As you wish. Then, will you need our help?" He asked once more with the same polite tone.


    "Hmm... There are a few steps where It''ll be more efficient when done with multiple people, so... yes, I will gladly take your offer." She spoke lightly.


    "As you wish, Lady." The head chef immediately answered.


    She changed her clothes to better suit her current situation. She is now wearing a white apron and gloves to better suit her.


    She handed them the recipe for the dish she wished to make.


    When they looked through it, they understood why she wished to be more efficient.


    They then started to prepare the ingredients. They took out the fresh ingredients which came from the farm. They then started to wash the ingredients clean.


    Once they finished, they started to cut the ingredients while others prepared the pot where it would be cooked.


    Once all the ingredients were fully cut, three people started to fill the pot with clean water. After a few minutes, Xiu Ying started to put some powdered ingredients in the pot and mixed it with the boiling water.


    After a few more minutes, she started adding in all the ingredients.


    After a while, the soup was finally cooked.


    ...


    Later that night.


    In the dining room. Multiple staff members were sitting on their seats; while the multiple meals were given to them each by the maids. After giving the meal to all of them, the maids sat at their seats and had their meal.


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    Xiu Ying sat at the very end of the dining room. Her chair gave off a divine aura that combined with her divine beauty to make her feel like an otherwordly being.


    She then spoke, "Everyone, it is nice to have you all with me here, it is my pleasure. I made this meal for you all, please do enjoy it."


    Not too long after, staff members started to eat the meal one after another.


    "Delicious!"


    "This is a perfect dish!"


    "Yes, I agree. The taste of the soup makes one feel like they''re ascending heaven."


    Praises one after the other were heard continuously with seemingly no end.


    "So, why isn''t he here?" She spoke plainly but her voice made one only wish to obey her will.


    The whole dining room immediately went silent. From the sounds of endless praises to the sound of absolutely nothing. Her words alone cannot be disobeyed.


    The bartender, Brandy spoke up with a calm voice and a hint of concern as he explained, "Lord has fallen asleep while he is drinking the purity wine. He is currently in his room; resting in peace."


    "I see. So my useless brother was drunk as usual. Hmm... This is out of my expectations. I predicted him to not drink that wine today, but to think that he did. Sigh, he truly is an uncertainty." She spoke plainly as though she wasn''t talking about her brother but an object to be played with.


    Suddenly, the door to the dining room opened, and an extremely handsome man walked in. He was wearing a white robe that flowed like river water. It''s none other than Zixin.


    "Oh? Speak of the devil." Xiu Ying smiled lightly.


    "Hmm? What do you want? I don''t wish to be, well, made fun of today." He spoke coldly, and he walked towards his seat.


    He sat down and started eating his meal.


    "Cold as usual. You should act more properly; we don''t talk much, after all, dear brother." She spoke gently.


    "I have no reason to speak with you that often." He replied.


    "I know, but shouldn''t we siblings be closer? As far as I can see, we can only be considered as an acquaintance in closeness. I suppose it''s not completely like that since we know each other well." She spoke as she thought through it.


    "Hmm... Now that I think about it, if I apply your reply to your actions then, that is contradicting. You have no reason to speak with me as you said, but do you have a reason to speak with others?" She smiled lightly.


    "Hmm? No wonder you''re not finding a good husband." He replied coldly.


    "Oh? Changing the topic now? That won''t work on me." She spoke as her warm smile seemed to widen even further.


    The atmosphere of the room was cold. These two pairs of siblings truly have sibling issues.


    On one hand; the brother, Zixin. The cold male beauty who doesn''t wish to interact with his sister for no apparent reason.


    And on the other hand; the sister, Xiu Ying. The gentle and divine female beauty who wishes to speak and interact with her brother only when they''re together.


    These two are true hypocrites.


    Suddenly, an earthquake occurred. The soup was spilled, and the whole palace quaked, but everything was fine. Nothing broke.


    "Sigh. An earthquake? Would you care to investigate?" Xiu Ying spoke gently to Zixin.


    "Sigh, let me see. Hmm? Oh? It woke up." He spoke with little to no interest.


    "It? So it caused the soup to get spilled on me... Annoying. Fix it, dear brother. I will take care of that annoyance for us." Xiu Ying spoke.


    "Sigh. Ok."


    "Revert."


    ...


    Suddenly, an earthquake occurred...? It didn''t occur. The source of the earthquake was temporarily stopped.


    "No soup was spilled. Good job." Xiu Ying praised.


    "Take care of it now. I only used Revert. To go back by a few seconds in the past. It should be moving now." Zixin spoke.


    "Then... Sleep. This Torment of Darkness shall sleep." Xiu Ying snapped her finger.


    ...


    Deep underground.


    A monster the size of a galaxy is about to move when a pillar of light


    The pillar of light pierced through its whole body. When it was about to scream in pain the pillar of light scattered into countless dust like particles. These countless dust-like particles, which glowed golden, covered it whole, and it all glowed incredibly brightly. The monster lost its life. The monster dissipated into the darkness as though it never existed.


    ...


    "Hmm? That was quite brutal of you. You sure that was fine?" Zixin asked.


    "Fine? I may have killed it, but it already served its purpose. No need to let such annoyance live further, right?" She spoke back as she explained her opinion on the matter.


    "I suppose." Zixin plainly spoke.


    "Sleep huh? Didn''t you say sleep?" Zixin asked.


    "Well yes, I did. Why asks?" Xiu Ying asked.


    "You killed it. You didn''t put it to sleep." Zixin spoke.


    "Sleep can be kill. It may not be elegant for me to do so, but you''re currently not in the position to do any killing, right?" She smiled lightly.


    "Hmm? You knew? I didn''t sense any investigative abilities used by you. Was it your intuition or..." Zixin pondered.


    "Or?" She chuckled softly.


    "Sigh. Or your guess. It''s obviously that right?" Zixin spoke.


    "Correct." Xiu Ying replied.


    "Am I that readable?" Zixin asked.


    "No. You are actually hard to predict. You should know that. I only guessed it because you''re not here before." Xiu Ying explained.


    "Huh? Because I''m not in the dining room before dinner starts? I''m usually late and stuff, but how did you get to the conclusion of my current predicament?" Zixin asked in growing curiosity.


    "It''s obvious. I asked about your whereabouts to the staff members. When I heard you got drunk, I knew of it already. Another evidence to support this idea is the fact that you didn''t kill the monster. Normally, when you are annoyed you''ll kill the source of your annoyance, but you didn''t. This situation only happens when something is wrong with you, or to put it simply, your body has problems." Xiu Ying explained.


    "Then, why does that contradict your earlier statement of me being hard to predict?" Zixin questioned.


    "It''s rather simple. You are only predictable when you are living your normal life. And this is a part of your normal life."


    "You should really cure your disease." Xiu Ying added.


    "Sigh. I''m already thinking of a way to cure it. I already have an idea of how to do so." Zixin spoke.


    "Is that so? Is it with Longevity of Time?" Xiu Ying asked.


    "I suppose that is the fastest way and most efficient way. But... I want to use this as an excuse to try another cure." Zixin answered.


    "Oh? There are many possible cures. The one you''re going for will be?" Xiu Ying asked.


    "You can see for yourself when I do it," Zixin spoke.


    "I suppose that''s fine." Xiu Ying spoke.

 Mysteries of the Palace

    In a deep dense forest. A group of three people were going on an adventure. All three of them were equipped with their own set of weapons and tools.


    One of them, a young lady with long red hair, red eyes, and slightly dark skin, was wielding a gun and a sword. She wore a red jacket that flowed down to near her feet; her pants were like a flowing fire, and her boots were made of leather. She had a calm and observative expression. She looked like this group''s leader.


    Another one of them was a man with a black outfit, a brown leather jacket, dark brown pants, and a pair of leather boots. He looks like a middle-aged man and is the oldest of the group. He has slightly dark skin, dark eyes, and short black hair. His body was full of muscles, and he was slightly taller than their leader. He had multiple scars, the most prominent being the one on his right arm. It was a long scar that started from the back of his hand into his shoulder. He wields a sword and seems to be the main attacker of this group.


    The last and final member of this group was a young man. He had bright-colored skin akin to that of a noble lady, a bright smile, short brown hair, golden eyes, and a relatively average build. He is equipped with a long wooden-like staff with a small crystal on its very end. The crystal was held by three wooden fingers that were attached to the staff. He wore a black robe that looked to be made of the finest material.


    "Sis, where are we going?" The young man said.


    "Didn''t I tell you already? Sigh. The Secluded Palace." The young lady replied.


    "Kid, you really should try to find some memory-increasing spells. You forget things too easily." The middle-aged man advised.


    "Oh? I don''t think it''s that bad." The young man pouted.


    "Hahaha, I suppose it isn''t. I''ve seen worse but they''re all old people."


    "Hmph." The young man pouted.


    Rustle.


    "Hmm? Stay alert!" The young lady spoke.


    "Got it!" The two replied immediately.


    Suddenly, a brown bunny jumped out of the bushes. It looked at them for a second before finally leaving.


    "Huh? It''s just a rabbit huh?" The young man spoke.


    "A bunny, that''s a young one. But we found a clue from that." The young lady said.


    "Huh? You found a clue? How?" The young man was confused.


    "Kid, you really need to have a better memory. That bunny is not a native here. There was no bunny in this area before the Secluded Palace was spotted. It''s a common conclusion that the Secluded Palace caused bunnies and a multitude of other animals to appear here." The middle-aged man explained.


    "That''s correct. Unfortunately, we don''t have a spell that can track the bunny''s footsteps or track. We can try and follow where it came from from its latest footsteps, but it''s unlikely to lead to the Secluded Palace." The young lady added.


    "Oh, I see..." The young man understood.


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    As they continued to move forward. They saw more and more animals, from cows, chickens, pigs, and much more.


    "Why are most of the animals farm animals?" The young man asked.


    "Hmm? Farm animals? Good observation. We already concluded that these animals probably came from a barn near the Secluded Palace. This means that the Secluded Palace is at least the size of a small village." The young lady said.


    "Huh? How did you come to that conclusion and why didn''t you two tell me?" The young man was very confused.


    "You forgot one of the most important information we have about the Secluded Palace? Sigh. There have been a few sightings of the Secluded Palace; one of them said that they saw a barn. A few also said that the Secluded Palace was incredibly massive, probably the size of a country, but this sighting is not to be fully trusted. We were simply making a guess using this information. Having farm animals running around this forest can be used to say that the barn sighting is real, but we''re still skeptical about that. As for the size of the Secluded Palace, we used the information about the barn, and farm animals to make a guess that says that the Secluded Palace has its farm. We made this guess because we used our current information about farm animals and a barn. If there are farm animals and a barn, it would make sense for it to also have a farm. It would make the Secluded Palace a self-sustaining place. We believe the size of it to be at least the size of a small village at the very least since we guessed it having its farm, and it being a palace." She explained.


    "Wow... That''s a lot to take in... Hmm... That means that the Secluded Palace isn''t just a palace but an entire village?! That''s big!" The young man said in shock.


    "Yes, it is, but comparing it to any noble''s land in size, it still loses." The middle-aged man said.


    "Why are you even comparing it with a noble''s land size? If it''s the size of a country for an exaggerated example, it''ll win." The young man asked.


    "I like comparing things from time to time. Sometimes, I compare those shitty nobles to us lowly peasants." The middle-aged man said.


    "I''m very sorry. As a noble, I''d like to help you." The young man said.


    "No need kid. Acceptance is something I have learned. Let''s continue forward, shall we?" The middle-aged man said as he smiled.


    The young man smiled lightly and said, "Yes."


    "Let''s continue forward." The young lady smiled and walked forward.


    ...


    Days passed by, and they continued to encounter more and more animals. They also encountered other adventurers who were sent to find the Secluded Palace.


    Throughout these days, only a few sightings were found, but all of these were proven wrong later on.


    As for why anyone would want to lie about a sighting, it''s quite simple. Sightings of the Secluded Palace will be rewarded heavily. Since the rewards are so high, the authorities obviously would put more effort into the investigation aspect. And so, no one can make fake sightings. As for why there were people who were stupid enough to give fake sightings, those were just a troublesome bunch wishing to cause problems.


    Within these days, the group of three, the young lady, a middle-aged man, and a young man, had been making a steady process of getting to the very core of all this mess.


    They were the ones who made a significant breakthrough. They found out that the animals who came from the Secluded Palace weren''t attacked by any other animals or monsters. As for why, no one knows.


    Deep within the forest. The group of three was getting near something they didn''t expect to see so early.


    As they moved forward, they saw a huge building, a... palace. The Secluded Palace!


    "We finally found it. Let''s go." The young lady said with a hint of excitement in her words.


    "Haha, let us go!" The middle-aged man laughed in eagerness.


    As for the young man, he was happy and excited as he spoke, "Let''s make our country proud!"


    The young lady and the middle-aged man smiled when they heard him.


    "Yes, let us go." The young lady spoke with a small smile.


    They moved forward. The path, which was hard to move through, didn''t seem like a problem to them. Their determination to see the Secluded Palace overwhelmed all obstacles.


    After a walk, which seemed to take an eternity to finish, they stopped in front of a gate.


    The gate was huge. It was too small compared to the palace inside, but even then, it was like a giant standing tall, an unmoving gate.


    At a closer look, the gate looks divine; it was made of a metal closely resembling iron, yet at one glance, one can understand that it wasn''t made of any metal or even any material; it simply is a gate.


    The three were in awe of this. Their expectations were completely different. Their expectations were too small compared to what was before them.


    "Oh? Why are there people here?" A man wearing a black vest, a white shirt, black pants, black shoes, white gloves, a black tie, and golden-rimmed glasses. He had short black hair, slightly brown skin, a black mustache, and a confused look.


    "You are?" The young lady asked in caution as she was woken awake from her awe.


    "Me? I am nothing important to speak of. But since you asked, I shall speak. My name is Roland, a mere servant of the twin siblings of Longevity." He spoke politely.


    "May I ask who the twin siblings of Longevity are?" The young lady asked more politely this time. She finally regained her composure.


    "Yes. Then, to start, they are. Hmm?! Lady, why are you here?" While he was speaking, someone walked in.


    "I came here because I found out that a group of three has, well... Found their way here." The lady said. She had long white hair, soft snow-white skin, and deep grey eyes. She wore robe-like clothing with a pinkish flower-patterned design. She was a beauty like no other, she was a divine beauty.


    For another time, the group of three was in awe. Who would have thought that a beauty lived in this palace? Maybe someone, but with little information about the Secluded Palace, who would think that it''s not a dangerous place? Not a place where a beauty lived.


    For another time, the young lady confronted her. She spoke politely as she did with the other man, "Forgive my rudeness, but are you one of the twin siblings of Longevity?"


    "Oh? Did he speak of me? Yes, I am. My name is Xiu Ying of Longevity. The owner of this palace. I may not be a king or queen, but I am certainly a figure if you will." She spoke politely yet her words were vague.

 A Discussion

    "So, you own the whole Secluded Palace?" The young man asked courageously; a little shaken by the current scenario.


    "Yes, I do. But calling it the Secluded Palace is inappropriate. The name of this Palace is Heavenly Palace." She answered and added further information with a smile.


    "Heavenly Palace... Don''t tell me this is a path to the AfterLife?" The young man asked in absolute shock.


    "No. The AfterLife is far from here. How can the AfterLife be in a physical realm? It''s a realm that can''t be described by words such as big, tall, or small. After all, the AfterLife is a formless realm." She explained clearly with her smile not wavering.


    "I see..."


    "Matters aside. May we know more about this Heavenly Palace?" The young lady asked of the group asked.


    "It will be a pleasure to do so. Roland, bring them to a comfortable room for visitors. Preferably the same room design as Eule''s." She spoke plainly.


    "As you wish. Come, guests, please follow me."


    "Then, I shall go, I''ll see you all later." She spoke with a warm attitude, and her voice was soft as snow. She walked elegantly as she left them behind.


    "Ehem, gate open," Roland spoke plainly and the gate opened on its own.


    The opening of the gate was quite grand, to say the least. The large metallic gate moved on its own when Roland spoke. The majestic, grand, and divine gate was moved by the mere words of a mere servant.


    "Follow me, dear guests."


    The group of three followed closely behind him.


    As they walked through the gate, they saw a lush green garden. It was filled with all sorts of flowers, bushes, trees, and much more. It made the Palace in front look even more majestic than anything else.


    "This is a good garden. I doubt that the viscount of nature has a garden as good as this." The middle-aged man said in awe.


    As they continued to move forward, they spoke of multiple comparisons and multiple praises, all of which became fluttering noises for the garden and Roland.


    Once they reached the front of the Palace, the door opened and they entered. Once they entered, they were met with a group of ten maids. The interiors of the Palace are luxurious yet plain. There was a red carpet on the floor and the stairs before them.


    "Please follow us." The ten maids spoke together in unison.


    The group of three naturally followed after them. Their walk allowed the three to see more of the Palace and appreciate it more than ever before.


    After a while, they stood before a door. Once they entered the room, they were met with Xiu Ying who sat in the main seat with a table and a set of chairs before her. She was casually taking a sip of tea.


    "Welcome; this is one of my study rooms, as you call it." Xiu Ying spoke plainly, her warm and kind smile never disappearing.


    At a closer look, one could see that the walls were shelves filled with all kinds of books. The books inside seemed to be written by people who ahs never been heard of in history or may have been lost in time.


    "Have a seat."


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    The group of three sat down. As for the maids and Roland; they brought out snacks and teas for everyone.


    "It is rare for there to be any visitors to my dear Palace. I am quite pleased with this. Thank you for visiting my Palace." She spoke with her gentle and heartwarming voice.


    "I''ll be honest with you. I won''t say that we came here for good reasons. The main purpose of our job is to find the exact location of this Palace. From then on, the government of well... Nobles like me will take part in sharing the resources of this land." The young lady spoke with an honest expression.


    "So, it is an invasion?" Xiu Ying pondered and spoke bluntly which was quite unexpected to hear from such a beauty


    "No. Calling it an invasion is a bit of an exaggeration. If possible, we nobles would like to trade goods and materials with you all and create a trade route for us." The young lady explained.


    "I see. It doesn''t sound that bad. I won''t mind doing business with you all but I still need someone else''s opinion." Xiu Ying replied as her gaze landed on the door.


    "That''s fine, but who?" She asked.


    Suddenly, the door opened and someone entered the room. Taking a walk and taking a seat on Xiu Ying''s left.


    She had long white hair, snow-white skin, deep black eyes, and wore a white robe that flowed like river water. She was a beauty comparable to Xiu Ying in looks.


    "I''m assuming you are her twin?" She asked.


    "Me? Yes. Why call me here for?" She asked calmly. Her eyes and expression not letting anything be read. She sat down on her prepared seat.


    "We have visitors. They wish to trade with us for our resources." Xiu Ying explained, and her smile seemed to grow even warmer.


    "More importantly, introduce yourself." Xiu Ying added.


    "I suppose." She stood up. "My name is Zixin, Zixin of Longevity. Holder of Longevity of Time that is shared by me and her. To clear things up, I will be speaking of a four-word sentence." Zixin said, "I am a man." He said plainly.


    The group of three was suddenly confused. The young man asked, "A man? But, you look like a beauty, a woman."


    "That is because I have drunk a special drug. No need to worry, my sister Xiu Ying is a woman." He spoke plainly and sat back down.


    "Now that I have introduced myself, you three shall too. I''m sure my sister didn''t ask you all to do so." He glanced at Xiu Ying for a second and seemed to be thinking of something before casting his gaze back at the group of three.


    The young lady stood up and bowed. Her voice was polite and well managed, "My name is Flare Brilt. I am an adventurer who is a part of the branch family which is Brilt."


    The middle-aged man also stood up. His voice sounded rough but filled with experience, "My name is Andrew Fang. An adventurer who wishes to become a noble one day."


    The young man also stood up. His voice sounded soft, almost like a young girl, "My name is Asher Dan. I''m a noble from the Dan Family, also known as the justice-serving family."


    "Two nobles and a man wishing to become one? Is the noble title worth this much?" Zixin asked in curiosity, yet his expression seemed to say otherwise.


    "Yes, as a noble, we must protect our land, our country, and our people. We nobles are elected by the people; after all, we must satisfy their wishes. For that, all our power is worth just this much." Flare answered in confidence.


    Zixin gestures for them to sit down once more. They quickly followed suit, and he also did the same.


    He spoke calmly, almost melancholic. His eyelids drooped down like that of a woman''s. His voice was soft, calm, and suiting, almost sounding like a mother and her paternal love. His voice also sounded as though he was about to sing a lullaby; combined with his soft, calm, and suiting voice, he sounded like a real mother, "Wealth, power, and fortune? What is the point? Protecting what is weak? Saving those in need? Granting freedom? Bringing justice? Oh, what a sad tale..."


    The hearts of the three fell silent, their heads held low. A sudden feeling of sadness grows within their hearts.


    What is this feeling? Why am I sad? These thoughts raced within their minds, yet they could not find an answer.


    Are his words just that strong, able to make them feel sadness? Or is it something else? Is it because of his voice which sounded like that of a mother? Is it the paternal love felt with his words?


    "Enough." Xiu Ying''s voice rang through the room, reaching the group of three.


    "For what reason have you spoken like a mother?" She asked Zixin, her smile not wavering, but her gaze filled with power and authority.


    "I had a good reason. Remember my body issues?" He spoke back to her, his words cold and calm.


    "Using them for that? That''s your preferred path?"


    "No, I had another plan in mind, but they would fix my problem, so why not use them?"


    "Learn morality."


    "I have already done so."


    "It was clearly not enough."


    "Was it?"


    "Sigh. Don''t."


    "Hmm... I suppose."


    "Now that this matter is settled. Find a cure now. I won''t tolerate the possibility of you harming innocent lives." Xiu Ying spoke with a gentle voice that carried absolute authority.


    Zixin lowered his head and he looked as though he was pondering over it. He spoke, his voice cold and indifferent, "You owe me a favor for this."


    Xiu Ying lightly smiled back at him. Xiu Ying spoke, "Let us continue our discussion, shall we?"


    The discussion went on for over two hours and they agreed on one thing. A representative from each side will have to talk things out themselves.


    As for who Xiu Ying chose as her representative, it was quite obvious.


    "Me? For what reason? I have little interest in politics, that is the main reason why you had the most interactions with All." Zixin spoke, giving his own opinion and trying to not bother with such troublesome affairs.


    "Not completely true is it? My interactions with All was of business, not politics." She explained.


    "I know, but business and politics collide too much that one cannot separate them apart." He spoke of the truth.


    "I agree. But, won''t it be good if I owe you two things now?" She smiled.


    Zixin''s eyes observed her expression with suspicion, but he still spoke, "Sure, I will go. Just tell me when I will depart?"


    "You really weren''t listening huh? Good. By tomorrow should do."


    Zixin didn''t reply as he stood and left the room.


    "Don''t mind him. He''s probably off to the library. He studies almost all the time."


    "His looks don''t fit that of a scholar yet he is one?" Asher muttered subconsciously.


    ...


    At the library, Zixin was reading a book.


    From time to time, he would drink the coffee on his table and ponder.


    "A representative huh? My dear sister, what are you planning?" He muttered in curiosity.


    "Quite a rare sight, isn''t it? To see you mutter even the slightest of words. You''re usually very quiet." In front of him sat a young girl. She had short white hair, soft snow-white skin, bright purple eyes, and light pink lips. She wore a simple blue dress and a simple pair of shoes.


    "Why did you visit me all of a sudden?" Zixin asked, his expression one of indifference, but his words were one of suspicion.

 Sleep

    "Asking me that? Your straightforwardness hasn''t disappeared yet? Learn from your sister, moron." She lightly mocked him, which didn''t fit her child-like appearance, making one feel like something was off.


    Zixin, "..."


    "No comment? Are you... Sigh. I suppose I was a bit rude. Do I need to reintroduce myself to you for you to speak again?" She asked in annoyance.


    Zixin, "..."


    Her brows twitched in annoyance, and she lightly bowed. Her voice was soft, and she was very polite with her words, "My name is Eule, the Meaningless Named One, or as you call it, A Name That Has No Meaning. A pitiful child, a forgotten person, and a useless existence."


    "Why did you give me a visit? You usually visit me when I''m at my study." Zixin questioned with his unmoving gaze, and his suspicions still as a monolith.


    "I have heard that you will be a representative. It really doesn''t fit you, doesn''t it?" She smiled lightly and took a sip from his coffee.


    "Yes, but this will make her owe me a favor." He spoke and explained with little interest.


    "You sound like you''re desperate for attention." She mocked again as though she couldn''t have a conversation with him without doing so.


    "Am I? Or are you trying to get a reaction out of me?" He lightly glanced at her, his gaze almost a glare.


    "No, of course not!" She spoke with enthusiasts, which makes it hard to decipher whether her words have sarcasm in them.


    "Sigh. You''re the true reason for coming here?" He spoke plainly, his eyelids almost drooping and his head held low.


    "Hmm? Sleepy? Really? Sigh. You pair of siblings are the worst." She spoke in annoyance.


    Zixin, "¡­"


    "Fine, I''ll answer. Good luck comes forth with this decision of hers."


    "Bye!"


    She ran off.


    She ran off?


    In a library?


    "A true child huh? No, maybe a trickster would be a better description of her. A child who is only a child when it suits her needs. Truly a useless existence." He spoke plainly and he fell asleep soon after.


    An unknown amount of time later, a scholar passed by. She had long white hair, soft snow-white skin, and bright purple eyes. She wore a uniform colored in white and wore a skirt colored in black. She was quite good-looking.


    "Huh? No way... Isn''t this...?" She was shocked as she realized the person before her.


    She quickly observed the surroundings, finding no one else nearby. She walked towards him.


    She lightly tapped his shoulder, hoping and waiting for him to wake up.


    "Isn''t he a bit of a sleepy head? Hmm? What''s he reading?" She was getting more annoyed and frustrated by this. And while she did, she noticed the book which he was reading.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "This? This guy has no taste at all. Who reads this? Is he planning on becoming a doctor or what? This looks so boring. I suppose it is for me since my interest is mostly focused on books." She pondered out loud with little fear of anyone hearing her.


    "Wake up please, wake up." She was now pushing him and forcing him to wake up.


    "Still not awake yet? Hmm? Wait, if he isn''t waking up at all... Is he dead?" She suddenly had a realization but she quickly dispelled such thought, "No way, the only way someone can die from reading is that of exhaustion, but he doesn''t seem and look like he is."


    "Go check his pulse moron." She insulted herself in annoyance.


    After checking his pulse, "Sigh. Alive, thank goodness he is. Now, wake up!" She shouted.


    "Huh? Morning. It''s morning huh? I slept like a log." He commented slowly, clearly unbothered by the scholar next to him.


    "Who are you?" Zixin asked plainly.


    "Me? I''m a student and a scholar of the Myriad Golden Flower Academy." She spoke with pride.


    "You mean my house?"


    "Huh? Well, yes. It''s quite rude of you to look at it like it''s of little interest to you. You still built it in this Heavenly Palace you know?"


    "Heavenly Palace... Don''t bring this up again. Sigh, here, have this; show it to your professor." He gave her a small coin-shaped object and left quickly.


    "This is? Huh?!"


    ...


    Yawn. Zixin yawned slowly, his eyelids still drooping.


    He walked slowly as he remembered what would happen that day.


    As he walked he passed by the entrance to the bar. He only glanced at it before moving forward. He continued to move towards his destination within the Palace and finally, in front of a certain room.


    Knock. Knock.


    He knocked at the door, and fortunately, someone came out.


    "Huh? Lord? Why did you come here for?" A small girl, about ten years old, opened the door from the inside. She had a petite physique, long white hair, soft snow-white skin, and bright red eyes. She wore a simple white dress and a simple pair of shoes.


    "Lily, is the hot spring open?" He asked her calmly.


    "Lord, since I''m here, isn''t it obvious that it isn''t?" She replied with her soft young voice.


    "But at this time of day, you usually are already there, but if you weren''t, someone else would take your place." He countered.


    "Yes, that is correct. I just finished something, so, shall we go together?" She smiled lightly as she offered it.


    "I suppose." He spoke plainly as he walked towards the hot spring within the Palace.


    As they walked together, Lily asked, "Lord, have you eaten breakfast yet?"


    Zixin didn''t answer, not making it clear to her.


    After this, Lily decided to not talk further. Not too long after, they reached the hot spring.


    She opened the doors to it and Zixin entered the hot spring immediately. He took his clothes off, tidied them up, and entered the hot water after carefully washing his body.


    ...


    After Zixin left the hot spring with his new sets of clothes prepared for him by Xiu Ying. He didn''t bother giving Xiu Ying a little visit before he departed.


    He immediately walked towards the gates of the Palace. As he walked, he passed through the Palace''s lush and green-filled garden.


    Once at the gate, he entered the prepared carriage which had the three visitors inside and slept soundly.


    At the gate of the Palace, Zixin and the group of three were sitting inside a carriage.


    Zixin had his eyes shut as he slept.


    The gates opened as the carriage moved swiftly like the wind.


    Zixin was sleeping soundly while the group of three were waiting to reach the capital.


    The journey was swift and fast, only taking a couple of hours before they reached the capital.


    The carriage moved and entered the capital with no problem due to the group of three''s help. Not long after, they reached the palace, which stood tall in the center of the capital.


    The group of three got off the carriage and the staff member who came along on the journey and was the one to drive the carriage entered the carriage to wake Zixin up.


    "Lord, please wake up. Lord." After a bit, Zixin woke up from his rest.


    "Hmm? My apologies. I didn''t sleep too well last night." He apologised plainly but one could feel that he was very sorry.


    "Don''t mind it, my lord. A bit of a nap won''t hurt, would it?" The staff member spoke with a light smile.


    "Shall we go?"


    Zixin nodded and left the carriage. Entering the palace before him.


    The palace was one filled with luxury, one could immediately know who owned it after just a glance. While they walked, the assigned servant, who was sent to them when they entered, asked a few questions to at least know the basics about them.


    "We will be leaving for now. Tomorrow will be the day of the discussion between our representatives. Please have a good rest. If you want, the servant who was assigned to you by our nation would gladly show you around." Flare kindly explained and offered.


    "I''ll consider it, but first, I will go to my assigned room." He spoke plainly.


    "As you wish." She politely gestured for the assigned servant to lead him to his room.


    ...


    In his room, he immediately went and took a look at the books on the bookshelves and found little interest in said books other than one which he took.


    "Let''s go."


    The assigned servant quickly smiled and said, "Yes sir."


    It seems he was informed of his gender. But one could understand it from the clothes which he wore. He wore a black suit, a white shirt, black pants, and a pair of brown shoes. His hair was still down, but more of his face could be seen because his hair was tied lightly in his back, which allowed it to fall like usual.


    The staff member who came along with him followed them as they went out of the palace because Zixin said, "I don''t find this place particularly interesting; the outside would be nicer."


    The assigned servant gladly followed his request and showed him around the capital.


    In front of a shop, the assigned servant spoke, "This place is the number one bakery in our country. The pastries and snacks that are served within any parties or balls came from here." He continued, "This has been standing for decades and the current shop owner is not stingy on helping common folks out. He donates to an orphanage every month and has helped out the local farmers. Everybody within this country has high respect for him."


    He then invited Zixin in, "Shall we enter?"


    Zixin didn''t decline as he entered the shop. He walked around leisurely, finding many different pastries and snacks being sold. But one caught his attention.


    "This is?" He pointed at a heart-shaped piece of bread. It was colored pink and had some words written under it but Zixin doesn''t know said language.


    "Oh? This is a Valentine''s special." He explained.


    "Hey, shopkeeper, why is there on for sale today? This isn''t really the time of day for it to be sold." The assigned servant asked.


    "Are you talking about my masterpiece?" A voice that sounded like it came from a young lady was heard. The voice was filled with confidence, which was odd, to say the least.

 Tour

    "Young lady, why are you here? Shouldn''t you be at your study?" The shopkeeper asked in concern, his voice filled with confusion.


    He was ignored right after by her.


    "Why did Dad put my masterpiece here? Yeah, I know it''s good and all, and allowing people to see and appreciate it is good, but there''s no way I''m selling it." She mocked, "As if anyone is stupid enough to pay so much for that."


    Once Zixin heard the last sentence, he spoke with a new goal in mind. He didn''t fully understand why but he spoke plainly, "I''ll buy it."


    His voice sounded plain like usual but one could feel that he accepted the girl''s challenge.


    "Huh? Are you challenging me? Hey, this is my home ground, you know? You can''t buy it because I said it." She spoke in annoyance.


    "And? Sigh. Shopkeeper, I''ll buy it." He spoke plainly.


    "Marshall. Pay for it." He ordered.


    "As you wish." He then handed the payment to the shopkeeper, and the shopkeeper immediately put the bread inside the paper bag.


    Zixin took a piece of the bread out and ate it. He commented plainly, "Sweet. Good."


    He then walked off and left the shop. Marshall followed close behind him and the assigned servant did so as well.


    The shopkeeper and the girl were in shock at his blatant disrespect for them. The girl was furious, was the shopkeeper was scared.


    Outside the shop, the assigned servant was trying to lighten up the mood, "Our next destination won''t be far, let us walk there, shall we?"


    Zixin simply nodded and followed behind. As they walked, the common folks couldn''t seem to not have a look at him. He was simply too stunning.


    Their first thought when they saw him was his gender; wasn''t it obvious that it was a woman? But that doesn''t make sense, right? If he is wearing such clothes then it has to be a man. And so, they believed his gender to be a man, but some still had hopes of him being a woman.


    He was simply too stunning not to look at; even the most beautiful lady and handsome lords of the country couldn''t match his looks.


    "Here we are." The assigned servant said.


    "A shop?" Marshall asked while Zixin read a book he brought with him.


    "This is the most well-renowned, most famous, and best clothing shop. The owner is a noble lady who wishes for everyone to have comfortable clothes. So, the clothes specifically made for common folks to wear are very cheap." He added, "As for the quality of said clothes, it is well made, it makes one feel comfortable to an extent where you unconsciously grow to like said clothes. If one wishes to have specially tailored clothes made for him or her, it will be well made, whether it was of high price or low price."


    Zixin simply nodded in understanding, and they entered the shop.


    Zixin walked inside, inspecting the clothes and observing their quality. He wasn''t a person who was picky about clothes, so he had little interest compared to the shop that came before it; after all, what did he usually wear at home? Correct, a robe.


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    "Hmm? Isn''t this a wedding dress?" Zixin asked in confirmation.


    "Yes, it seems like it. Someone must be getting married soon. I hope they have a good life." The assigned servant said with genuine feelings.


    "So they usually display wedding dresses whenever someone is getting married?" Zixin asked and tried to make a confirmation about the guess he had just made.


    "Correct, but there are some things you weren''t able to guess. This is the bride''s dress, and it''s a tradition for this shop to show the dress of the bride. Yes, this isn''t a tradition of this nation." The assigned servant explained.


    Zixin simply nodded, his little interest dissipating into nothingness. He continued to walk inside the shop and saw many different clothes. There were, of course, other people inside and some who had an interest in buying a few clothes. As for him, no, why need more than the simplest of robes?


    After leaving the shop, the carriage from before drove them to their next stop.


    As the carriage drove them, Zixin observed the outside. Finding children playing around and adults eating in restaurants.


    When the carriage stopped, they exited the carriage; Zixin saw a strange shop sign and name. It was metallic looking and it had gears turning all the time.


    "Mechanics. Bad name." Zixin lightly commented, fully expecting a response.


    "It is, that''s what made it more popular than ever." The assigned servant explained.


    They entered the shop and saw many different inventions, but the most eye-catching of them all was the gun at the very back of the shop. It hung on the wall with the name of it.


    Zixin walked and observed the surroundings with absolutely no interest in whatever he saw.


    This time, he didn''t see anything worth taking note of, unlike the previous shops, which had a Valentine''s special and a wedding dress.


    "Huh? Who''s this pretty girl? Hey, this isn''t a place for you noble lady." A man scolded. He had a normal physique, his black hair messy, his eyes black with visible eye bags, and his skin pale. He wore a messy black jacket and black pants, with brown shoes. He was very mean-looking.


    "No..." The assigned servant was just about to speak when Zixin cut him off.


    "I''m a man," Zixin spoke plainly.


    "Huh? What, are you gonna say you took some drugs to look like a woman?" He mocked.


    "Close enough," Zixin spoke.


    "Huh? Who the hell are you?" He madly asked.


    "Sir this is an important representative for us, so please don''t make a bad impression." The assigned servant said.


    "As if I could change the past." He sneered.


    "So, why is he here for?" He asked in annoyance and curiosity.


    The assigned servant explained, "I''m giving him a tour of our capital city."


    "Why? It''s not like he''s never been here before, right?" He mocked.


    "Correct," Zixin replied plainly.


    "Really? A strange kid. So, if you don''t have anything important to say or you won''t buy, just leave already." He said plainly.


    Zixin cast him a side glance and spoke, "Then, I shall go."


    The rest of the day continued but the sour end of the mechanical shop didn''t disappear that quickly.


    After their tour, Zixin and Marshall were sent back to their room.


    Zixin closed the book which he just finished reading. The book was a dictionary; it, like any other dictionary, translated the words for Zixin, who couldn''t understand it all.


    As for the speech patterns, he has heard similar languages and so, he understood most of what others spoke of. For the letters and words of said language, he used the dictionary to find and learn said language. He, of course, wasn''t able to learn it all in such a short period of time; that is simply impossible and unrealistic for him to be able to do.


    "Lord, would you like to sleep now? We have already eaten our dinner, so do you wish to sleep now?" Marshall asked politely.


    "No, he didn''t show us to the other part of the capital. The excuse of: ''we don''t have enough time.'' is not a good one." He explained.


    "I''ll jump out of the window and see it for myself. Don''t speak a word of this to anyone." He lightly ordered.


    "As you wish." Marshall gave a small bow.


    Zixin jumped through the window and ran through the palace''s roof tiles. He moved quickly and swiftly and jumped once more to leave the palace''s range.


    He moved quickly and ran far away from it.


    Not too long after he walked into a street filled with life. Restaurants were open and a sea of people seemed to continue moving within the street.


    He quickly tried to observe why that was the case and saw shops that seemed to be of high importance to this street.


    He continued to move forward within this sea of people. He saw a sign near one of the shops; he used what he remembered from reading the dictionary and understood that it meant: Night Life Occasion. It was a strange name, to say the least.


    He entered the shop and was greeted by a young lady as the shopkeeper.


    She spoke with a smile on her face, "Ma''am I am sure that today is your first time here. I remember full well what our customers look like. You certainly aren''t one of them."


    "And?" Zixin asked.


    The smile on her face grew wider, "Ma''am, which do you want for your first time?"


    She handed him a small book which contained names and pictures of ladies.


    "I''m a man, you know?" He spoke plainly.


    "Huh? Oh, you just looked so good, you must be an important figure." She complimented him with her words having no good backing.


    "What''s this shop about?" Zixin finally asked as though he hadn''t already figured it out.


    "This shop is a brothel, sir. Don''t you know that this street is a famous brothel spot?" She asked curiously.


    "No, this is my first time in this place."


    "In that case. You should choose this one, she is a beauty and is best suited for those who will have their first time." She recommended with a smile.


    "I have no interest," Zixin spoke coldly.


    "Why? It''s not a bad experience you know?" She smiled at him.


    "And? Why should I want to? There is no other reason but pleasure, but is pleasure enough to entice me? No, if it was, I would be nothing more than a pile of wasted time." He coldly explains.


    "But, it isn''t anything bad. You can always stop after you get enough of it." She was still trying to make him become a new customer.


    "Hmm? What''s this racket about?" A beautiful woman stepped out of her room and entered the main hall which housed the shopkeeper.


    She had long black hair, black pupils, and soft snow-white skin. She wore an elegant demeanor with her flowing red dress; her shoes could barely be seen from Zixin''s angle.

 Trust

    "Who are you? A customer?" She asked with a plain expression.


    "No. I was lost and found my way here. I am not a native of this country, and because of that, I was unable to find what I was looking for. Even though I can speak a bit of this language, I can''t read any words from it." He promptly lied and spoke as though it was the full truth with an expressionless face.


    "Is that so? Then, our little shopkeeper must have told you that this is a brothel; why haven''t you left yet? Do you wish to perhaps..." She spoke plainly, her words blunt as she guessed.


    "No. I think it wouldn''t be polite to leave so abruptly." He casually explained but this was also another lie.


    "Is that so? Then you may leave." She spoke plainly as she allowed him to leave.


    Zixin cast his full attention to her as he asked seriously, having made a guess, "Do you know of any apothecaries?"


    She seemed intrigued and replied plainly, "Yes, why do you need her?"


    "I have a sickness. I heard there was a good apothecary near this place, but I couldn''t quite find it." He lied once more with his plain face.


    "Here''s the address of her shop; it''s probably open, but remember to pay her well; she doesn''t take those who can''t pay." She lightly explained as she handed him a compass-like object.


    "That''s used to find her shop; it can only be entered by those her trusted companions deemed good enough to do her business." She explained with deep meaning.


    "Why are you giving me this if its importance is that high?" He asked with slight curiosity but also to gain information.


    "Simple really. I learned who to trust because of my past experiences, and because of that; I know that she can trust you." She seemed to be reminiscing of her past as she spoke.


    To put her trust over someone she just met; she must either be stupid or she has experienced a rough life.


    Zixin lightly bowed at her and spoke with politeness, "I thank you for helping me. Thank you."


    After a few more moments, Zixin left the shop and went on his own. He followed the direction the compass took him.


    As for how he knew the direction, the compass was guiding him. The compass had an arrow in it; it was pointing straight to where the apothecary''s shop.


    He followed a path that the compass guided him to and not too long after, he reached the place. Zixin finally stopped at a bookstore.


    He entered it and put the compass in his pockets. He immediately went around and observed the books on sale.


    The questions that came up to his head the most were: why did the coin take him there, and why is the bookshop still open at the current time?


    As for the former, he had an answer; the shop was probably below him. As for how he would enter it, who knows? For the latter, he knew nothing about the normal closing time for shops in this country, so he simply set that thought aside.


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    He continued to look through the books and found a book that helped him learn the language better.


    He decided to buy and came to the cashier and bought the book at a cheap price.


    Once he left the bookstore, he saw a glowing path before him; he quickly followed and entered a well-hidden building in a nearby alley. The door to the building was a piece of the wall that glowed and became a door for Zixin to enter.


    Once he entered, he walked down the stairs before him and found an old lady mixing a cauldron filled with liquid.


    The room that he entered was quite big and even though the room is filled with books and other items, when one looks closely, one can see that it was all quite organized. The room is also dimly lit with glowing green light from the nearby lamps which filled the room with an atmosphere filled with mystery.


    The old lady was quite young-looking, but she had a hunched back, which made her look and seem older. She had little wrinkles on her face which were lightened by the multiple lamps which filled the room. She had slightly dark skin, not too far from brown; she had long gray hair and a set of black pupils. She wore a white and grey robe, she wore a silver monocle, and she wore a pair of sandals.


    "Hmm? A young man? What medicine do you need?" She asked as she continued to mix the liquid inside the cauldron.


    "I need a cure for my disease. It has already started to eat away at my insides, making my organs weaker by the day. It also made me crave more sleep even though I have slept for enough times." He kindly explained and continued, "Sigh, I have a recipe for a cure for it. Can you make it for me? My skills are bad; I have tried making it before my disease worsened, and it all was a failure. I am willing to pay for it. Please. I need it."


    He sounded genuinely sad and pleading for help. But it was all a lie, he simply wanted to get healed.


    "Sure, I''ll make it. Pay well for it." She took the recipe and gave him a certain curious look before turning her head away.


    After evaluating it for a few seconds, she spoke, "It''ll take about a month to gather the ingredients and make it. Are you still willing to pay for it? Are you still willing to wait for it? Let me remind you that this isn''t a recipe that would be completed in a couple of attempts. It''ll take multiple times. Over a hundred based on my calculations, and each attempt takes quite a bit of time to do. Unless you get lucky, you won''t get it quickly; are you still willing? I won''t mind you backing out now; I won''t do business with those who can''t even keep their word." She added, "I know you probably lied to me during your explanation, but I don''t mind it; as long as you can keep your word, I am willing to do it. As for the payment, here."


    She handed him a piece of paper with numbers written in their language. Zixin remembered the book he bought and used it to translate the price.


    "I''ll pay for it." Zixin nodded as he spoke. His tone was one of seriousness.


    "Good, it''s a deal then."


    "Is that all you need from me? Nothing more?" She asked, trying to probe him deeper.


    "Hmm... Nothing more." He replied plainly because of two reasons. One, he understood that she was trying to probe him, and because of that, he wouldn''t speak unnecessarily to give her any more information. And two, he really didn''t need anything else. What? An aphrodisiac? Why the need for it? The reason he entered the brothel in the first place is because he knew it was a brothel. He guessed that there must be someone there who had a connection with some apothecary. If not, he would have just followed the person to find where he gets said aphrodisiacs.


    He gave a small bow before speaking, "I shall leave for now."


    She simply nodded and Zixin left the way he came from.


    He walked as he read the book that he was currently holding. He was committed to learning this new language.


    When he reached the walls outside the palace, he climbed the buildings and ran on the roof tiles until he reached the walls of the palace. He climbed quickly and reached the top of the wall.


    He ran once forth and jumped to get back to his room.


    "Lord, are you fine?" Marshall woke up and asked him.


    Zixin gave a light nod and buried himself in his bed.


    After a few seconds, he laid himself well in the bed and asked with his plain tone and expression still there, "Marshall. Do you think I''m lucky?"


    Marshall was quite confused over the question, but he quickly thought about it and replied, "Lord, you need to be more specific with your wording. I could easily interpret as you asking: ''Have I been lucky since birth?'' or ''Where did my luck start?''"


    Zixin understood his words, and he quickly rephrased it, "Then. Have I been lucky during this day?"


    Marshall quickly considered the question before giving him his simple answer, "Based on the fact that lord is asking this, has Lady Eule spoken to you before departure?"


    Zixin didn''t bother to speak, only wanting to hear Marshall''s answer. As he waited, his eyelids slowly dimmed, almost closing but fortunately, Marshall spoke, "Yes. I do believe that Lord has been lucky. Didn''t you get to meet quite a bit of interesting individuals during this day? Didn''t you find an apothecary to make a cure?"


    The last part caught Zixin off guard. He made multiple guesses before finally understanding how Marshall knew.


    "Give me the letter." He ordered with annoyance.


    Marshall quickly followed, and took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Zixin. Zixin opened the letter to see the contents inside.


    The contents of the letter are as follows:


    Dear Zixin, I have already known Marshall will give this to you. You expected me to have given him one so why wouldn''t he have this letter? Now, let''s get back to our main topic. I will supply you with all the materials you need to create the cure. For that, you must make sure that an alliance is to be formed. Anything less will not be tolerated. Oh right. Sorry for not letting you use the Doctor''s help in our Palace; it''s a part of our vow, isn''t it? I am sorry and sad that you won''t be able to use it because of our vow. That is why I am giving you this opportunity myself. I doubt you trust my words and you should be questioning it all, but please, trust me, for this one time alone, ok? Sigh.


    Sincerely, Xiu Ying of Longevity.


    Zixin decided to accept the offer since his life was on the line here, and it''d be stupid not to take such an offer. He really can''t be bothered with whatever scheme Xiu Ying has in store.


    Zixin then looked at Marshall. If gaze alone could radiate power, his gaze would pierce the soul and read your existence like a book.

 The Four Kings And Queens

    "So there you are, pest."


    Jade said as she looked down at the massive white beast below her while standing on her gigantic sword before suddenly it flew up to her arm, and she lunged forward in a flash of transparent purple light that filled the sky with a majestic star-like light. This left behind an intact after-image, which appeared in an instant in front of the beast and slashed swiftly with such force that there was a violent tornado forming behind her, sending the beast flying in a smooth arc.


    Boom


    The attack caused a massive explosive sound, which reached thousands of miles away. The explosive sound caused the air to move away, and because of this, the snow-filled mountain became nothing more than a piece of rocky land.


    Without waiting for it to land, she disappeared in another flash of transparent purple, reaching it quickly again; her massive sword seemed light like a feather almost as though the weight became non-existent, and her small arms made a sharp contrast, but the power it carried was terrifying; making the beast that didn''t even manage to recover from previous hit to lose its hind leg, blue?


    As the fight continued, Jade felt an extreme annoyance. Why can''t you just die?! Just die already!


    But even so, she managed to hold herself back. Keeping a steady focus on the strength she is using and not unnecessarily using too much strength.


    Blue blood gushed out like a waterfall and out of its injury, while Jade suddenly froze in place. The air around her seemed to become darker, and visible strain appeared on her expression. Suddenly, she raised her sword high up in the sky, her breathing calm and composed, her aura rising like a mortal ascending heaven for the first time. With a loud boom, the sword pierced forward; the sound was so loud that the ice cracked and the surroundings toppled; the giant and uneven snowy landscape became a flat white cover, lowering by several meters, and the beast now had a huge hole in its chest, barely managing to dodge the fatal strike.


    "Hmph."


    Jade snorted, pursuing the escaping beast.


    Suddenly, the beast vanished in a flash of white light, even after searching for it for a long time, Jade wasn''t able to find it.


    "What an annoying pest."


    She said in annoyance and displeasure, before turning around and leaving this task behind, rushing to the meeting, not bothering with it since she couldn''t delay it any longer.


    As she left, the whole battlefield was covered in dust clouds finally alone. The dust clouds slowly dissipated as the aftermath of the battle was free to be seen.


    It was as though the heavens roared in anger and gods and demons sent a disaster to this land. The mountains, which once were filled with snow and frost, are now gone. It all became a barren wasteland.


    ¡­


    ¡°What is it? Zhong Lei? Is there something?¡± A considerably young man spoke in a soft tone. He appeared friendly and soothing like the midnight breeze.


    He had white jade-like skin, long black hair, and deep black eyes. He wore a green robe that fluttered with the wind as he stood on the balcony. His gaze is friendly and soothing like the midnight breeze. His eyes filled with kindness and wisdom. He is the ruler of the Human Race, Zheng Wang, the Human King.


    Behind him stood a well-dressed man. He had white jade-like skin, long blond hair, and bright blue eyes. He wore a blue robe covered in lightning patterns. He gave off a serious yet friendly aura around him. He is Zheng Wang''s most precious friend and right-hand man, Zhong Lei, the Brilliant Lightning.


    Zhong Lei spoke as he explained calmly, ¡°A rampaging demon was sighted in the southern region of our land. Its appearance was described as having a body comparable to a mountain. It was filled with yellow and green fur that covered its body. It had a human face that was colored in scarlet blood. Its eyes are filled with bloodlust and madness. One part which stood out the most was its gigantic breast covered in white fur.¡± He continued calmly, ¡°Based on this, we can conclude that the Fertility Demon has given birth to this monster.¡±


    Zheng Wang''s gaze seemed to falter from this as he spoke his thoughts out loud. He appeared saddened by this, ¡°It seems that even my late Father''s sacrifice was for naught.¡±


    He sighed deeply, his face filled with intent. He spoke once more; this time, his voice was filled with resolution, ¡°I shall go out to slay this demon myself. If I am unable to slay it now, I will do it later. This demon must perish.¡±


    Zhong Lei nodded as he asked; he appeared serious and concerned, ¡°In that case, you will be late for the meeting. This won''t do.¡±


    Zheng Wang smiled lightly as he spoke, ¡°I will do it myself. If I can accomplish this today, our reputation will soar above the clouds. Even if I am unable to do so, we can always make an excuse that I sought to slay the demon and that is why I am late.¡±


    The conversation continued for a little bit longer until it finally stopped. Zheng Wang flew up high after departing with Zhong Lei.


    He flew quickly as the air around him exploded to further boost his already ridiculous speed.


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    Boom


    At a mountain far away from any civilization. A gigantic mountain sat near it. It had the same appearance that Zhong Lei described before. It was truly the Fertility Demon.


    Zheng Wang took in deep breaths as he focused to slay this demon. As he breathes, the air around him seems to compress into a single tiny sphere colored in jade green. The jade green sphere¡¯s aura continued to rise as time went by.


    Finally, when its aura reached an unfathomable strength, he sent it flying at the demon. The sheer speed of it created an immense explosion that made one''s ear beg for mercy. Thankfully, Zheng Wang had made sure to prepare before using this move.


    Boom


    As the jade green sphere was about to hit the demon, the demon suddenly stood up and sucked the air all around it. This included the jade green sphere which lost all its strength after being sucked by the demon.


    Zheng Wang wasn''t fully surprised by this. He had expected it to already have made a counter for this move. He was simply probing the strength of this demon.


    He sighed deeply as his aura rose exponentially by the second. The demon didn''t let Zheng Wang continue further as it jumped to attack Zheng Wang at close-range combat. The ground beneath this mountain-sized demon cracked as a gigantic earthquake occurred.


    Zheng Wang didn''t let this chance slip away as he used a portion of his aura to agilely enter the demon''s open mouth. The demon was caught off guard by this move; its body seemed to freeze in place as though it was thinking of a solution.


    Zheng Wang''s aura was all used up as a sword appeared before him. He swiftly took the sword and focused his whole body and mind. As he slashed, the blade of the sword extended with immense strength and aura.


    With one swift cut.


    A demon.


    Perished.


    The demon was sliced in half, it can''t even be healed anymore.


    Zheng Wang breathed deeply as he was about to slash once more. Unfortunately, a white light covered the demon whole and disappeared in an instant.


    Zheng Wang was unable to react and now, the demon is gone.


    Zheng Wang''s face has already turned as pale as paper after this fight, but he still kept his composure.


    He sighed deeply, he appeared disappointed, ¡°I shall slay you another time. I have to go now.¡±


    Just as he was about to fly and leave, he puked out a mouthful of blood, and his seven orifices bled.


    ¡°I almost forgot about the recoil. Sigh, Granny should be able to do something about this.¡± He smiled lightly as he endured the immense pain.


    ¡­


    Inside a specialized training room.


    Two people stood on opposite ends of each other.


    Both were men. One was a boy with slightly dark skin, gray eyes, and short brown hair. He wore a leather shirt and leather shorts made specifically for training purposes.


    The other was a man who seemed to be at least fifty years old. He had slightly dark skin, golden eyes, and short black hair. This man was this child¡¯s father. He wore the same leather shirt and shorts that the boy wore. He is also the Dwarf King; Mason Eisen.


    Suddenly, the boy moved swiftly and agilely. Once he reached the man¡¯s body, he jumped and used his leg to kick.


    Mason, who is currently holding back by a huge amount, used his right hand to stop the boy¡¯s kick. But it was a feint, and the boy threw a quick and steady punch.


    Mason was quite impressed by this but he quickly countered as he blocked the punch with his left hand. He then kicked lightly and sent the boy flying.


    The boy quickly stood up; not the least bit worried about his injuries.


    The boy smiled as he expressed his enjoyment and praise, ¡°Father is so strong! You were able to predict my moves! Such is a wise fighter!¡±


    Mason lightly chuckled; he explained with a light tone, ¡°I wasn''t trying to predict any of your moves. I was simply watching. My years of experience have taught me to read moves. Your move there was pretty good. It impressed me. Good job. And also, don''t forget that I don''t enjoy being showered with praises. They tend to get in your head after all.¡±


    The boy nodded in happiness at being praised but remembered his Father¡¯s words.


    Suddenly, the door to the training room opened wide as a servant entered the room.


    The servant lightly greeted the two as he explained, ¡°The Ancient Heat Demon has been found. It''s currently going towards the sea route. What should be done?¡±


    Mason seemed to consider and ponder over this question for a good while before finally speaking, ¡°Send the ten troops to surround it from all directions. Stop it from getting out and subdue it. I''ll prepare before going.¡±


    The servant nodded and quickly left the room to tell the order.


    ¡­


    At a particular desert. A gigantic mountain-sized beast was moving quickly. Its body is that of a molten rock, magma, to be exact. It had no face and was simply a chaotic monster running for its life.


    In front, behind; at left, and right of it were the troops sent to subdue it. Each troop had over fifty members, who all specialized in different aspects of combat. They all blended well with each other which made them a strong force.


    The demon suddenly roared as it tried to attack the troop behind it at full force.


    The troops were already expecting it to attack, so they were already prepared. They shot multiple layers of rock walls which combined into one. This combined rock wall was slowly melting at the attack of the demon.


    The other troops didn''t let this opportunity slide past them as they shot multiple iron spears made from their abilities and some specialized spears forged by them.


    This continued for two hours until the demon was near death.


    Mason, who had unexpected troubles at the capital at the same time as the demon appeared, was completely late.


    When he arrived he saw a blinding white light cover both the land and sky.


    Boom


    With an explosion. The demon escaped.


    ¡°What?!¡± Mason was completely stunned. How? What? What on earth caused this demon to get saved? What force saved it? Who dared to save it?!


    ¡­


    At the Blessed Land of Illusion.


    Two people were sitting next to each other.


    One sat elegantly like a blooming flower in late spring, while the other sat still as he continued to look at the moon.


    The man had snow-white skin, bright blue eyes, and long white hair. He had nine tails that had a hint of blue aura flowing around them. He had two fox ears connected to his head. He wore a simple and plain white robe. He wore a light smile on his face, he appeared friendly and would kindly help the weak whenever he could. This man¡¯s name is Tsukiharu, the right-hand man of the Moonlit Fox Spirit¡¯s Queen.


    The one who sat beside him was of high importance to the whole Moonlit Fox Spirit Race. She had soft snow-white skin, long white hair, and bright golden eyes. She wore a simple pink robe. She had a friendly and wise aura around her. She only had one tail that had golden lights flowing around it. Her two fox ears also had golden lights flowing around them. She was the size of a child, a stark contrast to the adult-sized Tsukiharu. Her name is a simple one. Takechi Aiko; the Moonlit Fox Spirits¡¯ Queen.


    ¡°How was your day?¡± Takechi asked. He sounded just like how a close friend would be if they asked such a question.


    Aiko smiled lightly. Her face is bright as she looks at the round white moon. She spoke, she gave off a child-like aura, ¡°It went pretty well. I was even able to play outside for once.¡±


    Tsukiharu chuckled as he heard her speak. She sounded like a young child. But isn''t she one?


    He sighed lightly as he scolded her with a playful tone, ¡°You¡¯re our Race¡¯s Queen, for you to still act childish after this much time. You need to be punished well.¡±


    Aiko chuckled at the thought of it. She thought it wouldn''t happen.


    Tsukiharu chuckled once more before finally going back to the main topic. He sounded just like usual but with an added seriousness, ¡°The Illusion Demon has been found.¡±


    Aiko¡¯s wide smile disappeared the moment she heard the Illusion Demon. She was a kind and merciful ruler. She never killed if there was still a chance but she always found that wall stopping her. She always found a reason why killing must be done. She never liked the loss of life. She is the kindest and most merciful soul.


    She sighed deeply, her bright golden eyes dimming with her emotion.


    ¡°I won''t fight. My strength isn''t the usual strength to begin with, anyway. Send the Assassin Squad to take care of it. I won''t fight.¡± She ordered almost immediately, her eyes dimming as the seconds passed by.


    Tsukiharu, seeing this, tried to lighten up the mood, ¡°Don''t be sad, ok? Remember, the representative of the Blessed Land of Isolation might be an interesting person. It''s an interesting opportunity to meet a completely different person, isn''t it?¡±


    Aiko nodded as she stood up. After a few more chats, she left and flew away.


    ¡­


    ¡°The Four Kings and Queens huh?¡±


    ¡°Jade; the strongest. The cold jade beauty and the user of the Weight of the Worlds.¡±


    ¡°Zheng Wang; the friend. The warm jade and the user of the Midnight Wind.¡±


    ¡°Mason Eisen; the strong. The rock brute and the user of the Metallic Lust.¡±


    ¡°Takechi Aiko; the kind. The jade fox and the user of the Phantom Love.¡±


    ¡°The four rulers of each race and Land. The ones holding this world''s peace in check. This is¡­ slightly interesting.¡± Zixin thought as he continued walking forward. He knew one thing was certain: a new order would be made.

 A Great Discussion

    As Zixin walked through the large halls filled with luxury, he saw four well-dressed people. He didn''t bother looking at them because he had no reason to care at the current moment.


    After a few more minutes of walking, he entered a huge room. At his very front was a big and round wooden table and five well-made seats. The walls of the room were filled with ancient patterns which made one feel a sense of awe and respect.


    There were also five doors, the one he entered from was one of them. He took his seat with no worries of what might happen.


    A person entered one of the five doors. Elegant yet spacious white-blue robes draped her petite figure, with various patterns and images depicting scenes of frost and blades, accompanying it were several hair accessories nestled near her neck, making it remain straight and in a specific position that didn''t restrict her view or looked disheveled. With expression plain and calm, she appeared wise and knowledgeable, but deep-hidden dislike lurked in her mind that Zixin was unable to notice. The exposed skin of her neck and arms was smooth and flawless like jade, and long snow-white hair reached her waist. Bright blue eyes with a feeling of unfathomable depth to them, she looked at Zixin for a second before she nodded. One of the peculiar details was her pointy long ears slightly poking from the hair, but Zixin wasn''t interested and didn''t bother to look long at her.


    Right after she entered, a new person entered the room. He wore a green robe with a maple leaf pattern in it, making himself seem clean as the cloudless midnight sky filled with bright beautiful shining stars. He wore a simple and small smile which made him seem kind and approachable. He appeared friendly and soothing like the midnight breeze which whispered comforting words to one''s lonely soul. His jade white skin was smooth and soft, almost like a true jade itself. His long black hair flowed down his body to his waist almost like a river flowing down. His deep, meaningful black eyes were calm and soothing, making one feel closer to him. He turned to look around, and when he saw Zixin, he bowed lightly; his smile widened slightly as he sat back down once Zixin kindly returned his simple greeting.


    Zixin politely smiled back at his greeting. The man sat down as he also waited for the next few people.


    A man with slightly dark skin entered the quiet room. His short and rough short brown hair seemed as hardened as a rock yet soft and gentle at the same time. His golden eyes were wise, and battle-hardened, yet one could clearly see a man who loved like no other. He wore a simple and stern expression which made him seem strict and protective. He appeared friendly though it may just be Zixin misinterpreting the man who stood at the other end of the table. He wore a black robe that covered his body and only showed his hands and face. He looked around and sat down, he didn''t even bother to greet Zixin first.


    Last and finally, a young girl entered the room. This for some odd reasons, caught Zixin''s attention far more than anything else. The young girl wore a cheerful smile on her face; she also appeared friendly, just like a child. She wore a simple pink robe that fluttered with her every move. Her soft snow-white skin is as pure as a child''s innocence. Her long white hair flowed and reached her slender young waist like river water. Her bright golden eyes shone with unfathomable excitement. Her single furry-filled tail behind her moved with her every step. She also had two white fox-like ears connected to her head that pointed straight up in pure excitement. Her tail had small golden lights flowing around it in unison. Though this looked magical, this wasn''t the one thing that caught Zixin''s attention. It was her eyes. Her bright golden eyes were beautiful like a child''s, but her eyes were filled with an unfathomable amount of wisdom that even Zixin himself couldn''t comprehend. She looked around before sitting down.


    After she sat down, the center of the table opened and a small hourglass entered their field of vision.


    Zixin understood what this meant. This meeting only has an hour before it ends. Whatever agreement is made by then, will be the agreement that all parties will follow through.


    Zixin sighed in his heart; he knew one thing was clear as he thought about it: My dear sister had really set me up, huh? What can I do? What should I do? Sigh. Let me see what they want first before anything else huh? Oh right, introduction¡­ I really dislike introducing myself but¡­ it''s fine.


    Zixin took the initiative and stood up on his own. He slightly bowed at them and spoke. He appeared gentle and wise, almost as though he was a saint incarnate, ¡°It is my pleasure to meet everyone. I shall first introduce myself, I also believe that everyone here will also do the same. Setting this matter aside. My name is Zixin, Zixin of Longevity. One of the twins of Longevity. My sister, Xiu Ying, Xiu Ying of Longevity is the owner and the head of our bloodline. She has control over the Heavenly Palace which was the one found by the adventurers and nobles. As for why she is unable to go¡­¡±


    Zixin''s expression and attitude changed; he seemed to be in great sadness and pain, ¡°She has used our connected ability and has found herself at death¡¯s door. Only able to stay at the Palace until death finally reaches her neck. We have yet to find a way to save her and that is why I wished to use this god sent opportunity to save her life. She is currently always using our Palace¡¯s medicine supply to support her fragile life. I, as her brother, have taken this as our chance. As for why we haven''t even tried making our way out of our Land. It is quite simple. We need a person to allow us to leave. I was able to leave due to the help of Flare, Andrew, and Arsher. If for example, I tried to leave on my own without another person''s help, I would be unable to. I was severely injured due to it and now have also caught the same illness that my dear sister has. Another thing to remember is that I am unable to send messages outside unless I am sending a message to a person I know who lives outside the Land. But this can only be confirmed to be real by our historical records. I wish to create an Alliance between us all. I want this, and I hope everyone does.¡±


    Zixin bowed down as he sat down, his saddened expression easing slightly.


    The jade beauty stood up next. She spoke, appeared calm, and got to the point quite quickly, ¡°My name is Jade. Everyone here already knows that is why I hope that everyone will follow me after my quick and simple introduction. I am the Queen of the Ice Elves. I use a gigantic sword as my weapon but fear not; it is kept in a safe place. I am the user of the ability called Weight of the Worlds.¡±


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    Jade then slowly sat back down as the friendly-looking man stood up.


    He spoke, appeared friendly, and followed Jade¡¯s idea, ¡°My name is Zheng Wang. It is my pleasure to meet you, Zixin; I hope we become good friends. I am the King of the Human Race. I am the ability user of the ability called Midnight Wind.¡±


    Zheng Wang smiled at Zixin while he spoke and, when he finished, sat back down.


    The dark-skinned man stood up next, he appeared stern as he spoke, ¡°My name is Mason Eisen. I am the Dwarf King and the user of the ability called Metallic Lust.¡±


    He sat back down and glanced at Zixin for a moment before withdrawing it away.


    Last and finally, the young girl stood up, she appeared excited as she spoke with a wide smile, ¡°My name is Takechi Aiko. I am only a few hundred years old, only slightly younger than Miss Jade. I am the Moonlit Fox Spirit Queen. I am also the user of the ability called Phantom Love. I hope we get along well, Zixin.¡±


    After she sat back down, Zixin took the initiative and spoke. He appeared to be filled with resolution, ¡°Everyone. I have already stated my objective. I now wish to hear what everyone here wishes. What objective does each of you have? If I could fulfill your objectives, I wish for you to join me in creating the Five Lands Alliance.¡±


    ¡°You already have a name in mind? Not bad. Then, I¡¯ll start first.¡± Mason spoke as he stared at Zixin with full concentration.


    ¡°What I wish for is ores. Yes, even though we Dwarves are born in the Cursed Land of Heat, and we live in mountainous regions where we mine to obtain our materials, we still need more variety. Some places, like the Cursed Land of Frost, would have different ores, and we Dwarves would use said ores to forge weapons or anything we wish for.¡± Mason explained in a simple yet easy-to-understand manner. He clearly wanted this or he is trying to probe Zixin. Either way, Zixin has no reason to not agree.


    ¡°That will be fine by me. As for trading, I wish for something rather simple. Forging techniques. It may be a highly valued secret of the Dwarves, but it is simply a tool to be used. Anything could be traded as long as the benefits are high enough, wouldn''t you agree?¡± Zixin appeared calm at this moment, but one could see that his already deeply dark eyes seemed to grow even darker, as though the abyss had manifested itself in human form.


    Mason smiled, he didn''t bother to continue this discussion further as he waited to see who would act next.


    Unsurprisingly, Jade spoke, she appeared cold as though her demeanor couldn''t change, ¡°Then, I wish to trade for rare goods of all kinds, ores included. Though, I wish to confirm one thing. There will be a suitable trade route created right? How long would the estimated time take for it?¡±


    Zixin was unbothered by her constant questions as he spoke, ¡°I doubt there won''t be one built after a day. And yes, this will be the trade we all will follow as a basis. The economy will move to follow this."


    Jade didn''t bother to argue as she had already gotten her objective accomplished.


    Zheng Wang spoke up next, his friendly demeanor helping him convey his words, ¡°I really don''t have anything I want to trade for. Peace, how about it? I want to keep the peace. I shall give you the information that you need. How about it? Do you want to hear it now?¡±


    Assertive huh? He is trying to take control of the situation¡­ I don''t really have a problem with that. Zixin pondered over the situation for a moment before replying.


    ¡°That will be good. But I don''t wish to hear about it now. We only have so much time, to waste it on such matters which can be told later is a bad decision.¡±


    Zheng Wang smiled and nodded his head in agreement. He seemed happy with this, knowing full well that the Five Lands Alliance was almost certain. He then cast his full focus on someone who would truly decide the outcome. Zixin did so as well. He smiled lightly, though he was struggling as he thought, My facial muscles are already having problems. This is the problem with always being expressionless at all times¡­ I should try to change that. I would need to be able to convince people with my smile and facial expressions. It''s a good thing I have a natural talent for lying and acting. Sigh, if only that talent also existed for abilities¡­


    Aiko, who was smiling widely, finally spoke up; her words were shocking, to say the least, ¡°Oh? Is it my turn now? What do I want then? Hmm¡­ Oh, I know! Let''s be friends. So, nothing I guess.¡±


    Zixin was internally shocked; this is simply unheard of; at least Zheng Wang wanted peace, but this? Ridiculous. Is she a child? This thought didn''t even cross Zixin¡¯s mind. Why? Because he has obtained an instinct for scheming women. Why did he get this? Because of Xiu Ying.


    Zixin suppressed the shock as he spoke, appearing friendly, ¡°Nothing? Not even anything? So it''s all for friendship? I don''t mind this, but aren''t you losing too much?¡±


    He tried to probe her and also see her intentions.


    ¡°Friendship is a thing, but if we look at everything said so far, mine wouldn''t be so outrageous. Who trades for peace?¡± She was acting like a true child. But even so, Zixin was truly suspicious.


    Zheng Wang was the one she was aiming her words at, but he didn''t speak. Why should he? She was trying to get information from his reactions. Seeing that Zheng Wang has grown from the last time they met, Aiko stopped playing around so much.


    She appeared like a well-defined lady, her eyes seemingly dimming as she stared at Zixin. She spoke, her words filled with intent, ¡°Knowledge, I shall tell you what Zheng Wang can''t tell you. That is what you want correct? I seek friendship for a rather selfish reason. I know that everyone in this room is filled with selfishness. My selfish desires tell me to always seek companions who would care for me. That may not be you but I can see a future made through hard work. So, would you kindly agree to my selfish request?¡±


    Zixin was truly shocked, his eyes dimming as he thought, This¡­ Women¡­ What is it with me and finding incredibly hard to read women? I lack luck. Eule, you goddamn liar¡­ sigh, matters aside, she could be lying. But even then, what can I do? This is what I want. Take responsibility huh? That goes against my selfish nature, but I have to¡­


    Zixin smiled; he seemed rather genuine this time, though that could just be him misinterpreting himself.


    ¡°Yes, why not? This is a good deal. But, may I ask? What will your Land get out of this? You''re the only one who seems to get any benefits from this deal.¡± Zixin himself was rather curious about her thought process, which is why he asked.


    ¡°It is quite simple. With this, I can say that I made friends with the twin of the Queen of the Blessed Land of Isolation. With that, I can also say that I am the main reason and core factor for starting the Alliance and building it immediately from the moment we met. With that, our fame would rise once more. This is also keeping with the historical records of us Moonlit Fox Spirits wanting a peaceful Alliance for all Lands.¡± She kindly explained and gave out important details which supported her explanation.


    ¡°But would everyone here agree with that? Would Miss Jade, Sir Zheng Wang, and Sir Mason Eisen allow it?¡± Zixin asked, but his intentions were truly just to probe her.


    ¡°They won''t. Keeping up with the historical records has always been an act we all follow. Ice Elves are cold, Humans are filled with emotions, Dwarves are energetic, and Moonlit Fox Spirits are kind. This is a simple fact we all take for granted. But not you, you were born in the Blessed Land of Isolation. You might know a few things about the different races, but you cannot truly prove those records. Matters aside, history will always repeat itself. So, why not simply follow it and recreate the past as the present?¡± Her words were wise and contained deep meaning. Zixin couldn''t fully comprehend it all in such a short time.


    ¡°I suppose. Then, what happens now? Is the Five Lands Alliance formed?¡±


    ¡°No. Publicity must be made. An official Alliance needs publicity. People need to know of our new alliance. That will allow for merchants who wish to sell their goods to the Blessed Land of Isolation, and this will let the economy move on its own. We, of course, would send some people to make sure that the economy would smooth itself out without it needing much help to do so.¡± Zheng Wang, with his friendly demeanor and calm voice, made it simple to understand.


    ¡°Announcement? When would it be held? Shall we plan it now?¡±


    The four nodded in unison.


    The time quickly passed by as they continued to plan and converse with each other. Each learns a bit more about each other simply by speech patterns and hand movements.


    After the meeting, the four were all mentally exhausted; this also included Zixin.


    They all went to their quarters and rested for the night. Zixin also slept like a fallen log.

 Marriage huh?

    Zixin woke up and dressed himself properly. After that, he went on a walk. He was calm like usual, his face cold like the winter frost.


    He was observing the garden, the flowers, trees, and bushes were all taken care of by the gardener of the Palace. Zixin crouched down and observed the flower.


    The flower was a small yet delicate one. Its pink petals dropped down, which, for some odd reason, reminded Zixin of a beauty''s soft and delicate hands.


    He observed the flower for a little bit more before standing back up. His body stood straight like a great statue looking down upon the land.


    When he finally was sure that he was calm, he decided to head to the announcement area, which they planned yesterday.


    Crack!


    Out of nowhere, Zixin heard a cracking sound before he fell to the ground.


    ¡­


    A woman stood in front of a certain man. She had long brown hair, making her look like a delicate beauty. Her bright blue eyes were dimming and this made her falling tears look like rain. She bit her soft pink lips in anger.


    But the man before her simply stood there expressionless. He almost looks like a stone statue, only able to wear the expression carved for him to wear. He appeared cold; his gaze on her was deep. If gaze alone held power, his gaze would have pierced her soul.


    She screamed at him, she appeared frightened and confused, "Why?! Why?! I¡­ I don''t know what to do now! Zi¡­ xin¡­"


    The moment she spoke Zixin''s name, the tears fell even harder onto the uncaring wooden floor. She screamed in agony, her pain reaching Zixin''s heart in a heartbeat.


    She spoke once more, her body fell on the ground. She looks like a young girl who cried because her toy is broken, but her emotions are far beyond something so superficial, "My husband¡­ have,"


    She was having trouble speaking; she bit her lip and finished her sentence, "You have been lying to me this whole time?"


    Zixin replied. He appeared unbothered by this, but he was truly hurt, "Yes. There is no more reason for us to keep this relationship going anymore."


    She was shocked, and she instinctively shouted; her mind hadn''t even fully processed his words, but she still shouted, "We have a son!"


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    ¡­


    Back to the garden.


    Zixin coughed up a mouthful of blood. He has lost a week of his already dwindling lifespan. It took him a couple of minutes before finally being able to think.


    Zixin breathed in deeply, his mind going blank as he did. He is doing this to fully focus his mind.


    After focusing, he tried making deductions out of that, This¡­ isn''t my memory, but it fits too well. Well, the woman did say Zixin, and I saw it from a first-person point of view. So, am I that man? No, the current me is here, so who is that? Based on a few things, it might be the future Zixin. So, why did I get this memory then? He sent it back in time to this current me? Why? No, it might be Xiu Ying''s doing too. Wait, Xiu Ying? Where was she in that memory? She usually helps out when people get emotional around the Palace, especially those whom she cares enough about. So, is it not in the Palace? The clothes the woman was wearing were similar to the clothes I saw in the clothing store. So, I married a human woman huh? Wait¡­ Married? Ugh. The fact that I have to process this all is annoying.


    Zixin continued, Matters aside, who is she? I am almost sure that I have never met her before. And I said that I lied. How strange. I''ll set this aside for now. Why was this memory sent now? For a warning? Does future Zixin want to make me prepare for something? Shouldn''t he know of my nature? Why is he? Sigh. Don''t forget that it might be sent here by Xiu Ying or someone else. Sigh. Hmm? Wait¡­ don''t tell me he wants me to correct his mistakes? Is he still fine? I won''t. Though, based on it all, he is truly having a hard time suppressing his emotions. Hmm? Emotions, I wonder if that wasn''t part of the backlash.


    Zixin stood up and tried to calm himself down but¡­


    Suddenly, a rush of emotions hit him. He fell to the ground once more. He coughed up another mouthful of blood which made him lose another week of his lifespan.


    The emotions hit him after he spoke of it. It''s a bit too coincidental but he simply couldn''t care less. Why?


    He felt an immense amount of pain, but it wasn''t because of the blood, no, that is something he could easily endure, but not this pain. His heart hurts, almost as though it is about to explode on its own accord. The intense emotions his Future self has felt was also sent back to him.


    He lightly commented, This... Future Zixin has truly fallen in love... Why did he? No, why did I commit an act to harm her heart?


    Then, he remembered a detail that he completely forgot. His son, no, their son.


    With this, his heart felt increasing pain. The amount of pain is ridiculous; it was tenfold what it was before. He bit his lips as his blood slowly dripped down.


    He huffed, his mind going blank from the pain. He is slowly losing his consciousness, but he still hangs on.


    This intense emotion... This pain... Why have I... Damn it. Control it. Suppress it. I need to keep a calm mind.


    For once, Zixin can be seen struggling to suppress his emotions. He normally does it for a very important reason. A restriction set upon this child, when his eyes woke up in this grimm and dark hell.


    After what felt like an eternity, Zixin was finally free from the intense pain. He fell to the ground, no, he laid himself on the grass, looking like a child playing in a snow field in a cold, warm winter with his friends.


    He sighed deeply, he let his mind wander for a while before standing up and fixing his clothes. After which, he started heading to the main event. The announcement.

 A New Order

    In a grand and luxurious stage that sat above five pillars. Five figures sat at each of their respective seats. Below them was a multitude of different races. Humans, Ice Elves, Dwarves, and Moonlit Fox Spirits were all intrigued and excited about this unexpected announcement.


    At the sound of a bell, Jade stood up. Her elegant yet called beauty made the crowd quiet as if wishing to please her.


    She walked over, and when she was at the very front, looking around, her gaze appeared cold. She sighed deeply in her heart as she spoke, "Everyone, it is a pleasure to meet you all. Yesterday was the day we, the Four Kings And Queens, had the Great Discussion. As you all know, the Great Discussion is a world-changing event, that is why it wasn''t announced, and only a few knew of it. Now, this is the day when it will all be announced. But for now, we, the Four Kings And Queens will speak up to thank you all. I, Jade, the Queen of the Ice Elves, thank you all sincerely."


    After finishing her speech, the crowd clapped at her words. Some cried while others were suspicious, but either way, it all calmed down once Zheng Wang stood up and walked up to the front.


    Zheng Wang, who always appeared friendly, almost like a kitten, spoke, "It is my pleasure to speak with everyone now. I know you all must be wondering who or what will be announced today. But please, be patient. We, the Four Kings And Queens have brought with us a special guest to announce it. You may not be able to see her since the stage is quite high up, but please be interested. And I, Zheng Wang, the Human King, thank you all for all your support."


    Hearing that Zheng Wang called him a woman confused Zixin, but he understood that it was unlikely for anyone to know his gender, especially since his sister had ordered Marshall to make Zixin wear a dress when this happened.


    The crowd''s mood became much calmer, and they were now happy and slightly excited. It seems like the Four Kings And Queens are following the plan and using their character to make the crowd feel the emotions of happiness and maybe even excitement more.


    It was Mason''s turn. Next; he stood up and walked forward; he looked intimidating yet seemed friendly to some of the crowd. He spoke up, "Hello everyone, as you all have heard from Jade, and Zheng Wang, this announcement will create a new order. Don''t simply be happy, be excited! This announcement will be one of the most important historical points. Be excited for it, after all, you will all see the new world unfold before your very eyes. The greatest historical moment will be created here and now. Sigh, I thank you all, for helping us Kings And Queens rule our Lands. I, Mason Eisen, the Dwarf King, give his sincerest thanks to all of you."


    Zixin noticed the bluntness in Mason''s words, but it was rather curious. He has already told the most important part, yet it seemed like he was simply trying to incite feelings of excitement; he is truly formidable.


    Zixin looked down, he saw the crowd cheering in excitement. It seemed like his turn would be here soon enough, but before that, Aiko stood up.


    Mason went back to his seat as Aiko went up front. Her bright smile was enough to enlighten the hearts of the crowd. This certainly looks like an effect of an ability but it seemed like her natural charm was simply too high. She spoke up, her words sounding like an excited child, "Hello everyone! I don''t know if any of you have ever seen me, so, unlike the other three, I''ll introduce myself first. My name is Takechi Aiko, the Moonlit Fox Spirit Queen. I''m kind of old, so I hope that those who have seen me before are having a good life. Matters aside, the three told me to uh¡­ hmm¡­ what was it again?"


    She looked back, and asked the three like a child, "Hey, what was I supposed to do again?"


    Zheng Wang explained it to her, and she was nodding excessively while listening. This made the crowd laugh, the Moonlit Fox Spirit Queen is a child.


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    After this, she went and looked back down, speaking, "Everyone, I hope you all will be happy to know that I am one of the main reasons the Great Discussion became a success. Well, I suppose, I''ve done my role now."


    She walked back and sat in her seat. Zixin stood up and walked up front. From the crowd''s perspective, he looked like a young woman, maybe around her early 20s. Her long white hair made her feel grand, almost otherworldly. Her deep black eyes made everyone in the crowd see an unyielding person yet one who seemed slothful. Her soft snow-white skin was simple, yet it made the crowd feel calm despite also feeling the pumped-up excitement. She wore a long and elegant white dress, each pattern upon it seemed to have deep meaning.


    Zixin looked down below, he saw Marshall and faked a smile like he did before. He spoke up, "Hello everyone, my name is Zixin, Zixin of Longevity. This is most certainly the first time you have heard of my name. You may or may not be wondering: ''Who is this? And why is he here with the Four Kings And Queens?'' I have already answered the former, but it was rather incomplete. Then, let me tell you all. Have you all ever heard of the Secluded Palace? Yes, I came from said Palace, I am the representative sent to take care of things. And as for why I am with the Four Kings And Queens."


    He chuckled and spoke as his smile widened, "From today forth, the Four Races Alliance is now over."


    This news hit the crowd like a storm crashing its endless rain upon this realm. The crowd went wild as their combined voices sounded like a brewing storm. They were all panicking and confused, after all, they were all thinking, Why, why did this have to happen? Why did the Four Kings And Queens have to be so happy when they were speaking? Have they gone mad?! Haven''t they forgotten why this Alliance was made?


    Zixin then spoke once more, this time, because the crowd was so loud, he had to speak up in a louder and more domineering tone, "Everyone, please calm down. I have great news that all of you will wish to hear. If misfortune arises, won''t fortune come after it? Today, I, Zixin of Longevity, declare the creation of the Five Lands Alliance."


    The crowd went wild. A new alliance? What? So this is why the Five Races Alliance was destroyed. But, five lands? What''s the fifth land? These thoughts were running through all their minds, after all, they only knew of the four lands.


    Zixin spoke once more, explaining to them, "Blessed Land of Isolation, this is the fifth land. Everyone may have never heard of it. Just as the name implies, this land is isolated from the outside world. I was only able to leave our land because of the search for the mysterious Secluded Palace. It is truly a fortunate event, isn''t it? We, natives of the Blessed Land of Isolation, cannot leave it unless an outsider enters and leaves with us. The Blessed Land of Isolation is willing to trade several different goods, from potions to the most exquisite of crafts. I hope that everyone wishing to find an opportunity uses this chance."


    ¡­


    At a grand and large ballroom. Several nobles were celebrating the creation of the Five Lands Alliance, this included the Four Kings And Queens.


    Zixin simply stood in a corner, drinking tea. He would normally drink wine, but because of his condition, he cannot.


    Even though he is a person of high importance, no one came near him; they seemed to be avoiding him. He can''t be bothered to guess as to why that is and simply watch the show. A grand performance was being held by an orchestra with the music soothing one''s rash heart.


    Out of nowhere, Asher, who came with someone, went in front of Zixin. Zixin noticed that Asher was with¡­ Ruby?


    Zixin simply looks at them before greeting them kindly. Asher and Ruby also greeted him.


    Asher seems to notice that Ruby is staring at Zixin with an interested look. This caused Asher to ask her, "Ruby, have you met, um¡­ Lady Zixin before?"


    "Yes, and you should know that it''s not Lady, correct?"


    Asher simply laughed at that like he was caught. But this made him confused. Then, he suddenly realized something.


    He asked, "Lord, did you two meet at the brothel?"


    "Yes."


    "Were you interested? Is that why you entered?"


    Zixin simply explained his thought process, "I was looking for an apothecary. I thought that someone from the brothel or the brothel itself would have a connection to an apothecary. So, I entered not to find pleasure but to find a cure."


    Apothecaries and Healers are all very rare. In this world where each usage of ability will cause a backlash, apothecaries who can make cures and Healers who can heal using their ability are high-priority assets that each Land would heavily focus on. Unfortunately for them, most Apothecaries and Healers are rogue and wanderers. To be chained and locked to a certain group only is a big downside to them. There are so many who will be willing to do anything just to get the help of them, so why should they lock themselves from this opportunity? Yes, the benefits of joining an organization may be good, but the endless opportunities outside are much more than inside an organization. Of course, this is not definite, some of them still join organizations.


    Asher then used this opportunity to ask Zixin about the lullaby he sang to them, "Why did you sing the lullaby that one time in the Palace?"


    "Rather simple really. Remember my body issues? I have been promoted to surgeon, and since I lack the talent to make my cures, I had a change of plans. The moment my eyes spotted you three, a plan emerged in my mind. This plan may sound rude and gross, so, you are free to stop me at any moment while explaining this. The lullaby had the effect of sleep, and when the target is asleep, the second effect occurs numbness. The target would become numb to all sorts of harm to himself. I planned on using this opportunity to cut your body apart and use your vital organs to replace mine. On second thought, it is a bad idea." Zixin simply explained, he seemed indifferent while explaining it.


    Asher was horrified, while Ruby was intrigued.


    After departing, Marshall came to Zixin and handed him a letter.

 Bothersome Affairs

    Zixin and Marshall headed to the balcony. The scene before them was quite beautiful. The night sky was filled with numerous stars, each of which was a brilliant spectacle to see. The forest beneath was dark and mysterious, contrasted with the mystic feelings of the stars above them.


    Zixin opened the letter and saw Xiu Ying''s words. The letter stated the following:


    Dear Zixin, have you expected me to have another letter to give you? Maybe not, who knows. Setting that aside, congratulations on creating the Five Lands Alliance. Well, how could I not realize your naming sense? I doubt those four even bothered about a name. I mean, it''s an alliance of high significance, why should they bother about names when the fate of the world relies on this? Either way, my dear brother, how was it? Did working hard finally pay off for you? I don''t care about that now. I knew you''d be able to do it; I mean, trust, right? I doubt you think it''s because I trust in you. I didn''t even have an extra letter just in case you fail to do it. To be quite honest with you, the only reason this all is working well is because of spring. Spring is near. You remember Zheng Wang, right? Please, remember him well. Marshall already has all the materials. Well, I suppose that''s all I have to say for now.


    Sincerely Xiu Ying of Longevity.


    Zixin was suspicious of Xiu Ying''s motives but couldn''t do anything about it. Zixin looked at Marshall and gave him the compass which took him to the apothecary. Marshall quickly understood what Zixin wanted him to do, and he left.


    Once Aiko saw Marshall leave, she immediately went to the balcony and talked with Zixin.


    "Zixin." Once Zixin heard his name being called by a child-like voice, he slightly glanced at his back and saw Aiko.


    Zixin quickly asks, "Is there something you need me for?"


    "Nothing much, I just wanted to have a nice little chat with you."


    Aiko walked forward, and her size seemed to increase to a late teen.


    "Well, shouldn''t I be speaking with you? After all, didn''t I say we are friends in the announcement? If I don''t keep up the act, people won''t believe me. Neither will they believe you. You still have yet to build up trust between you and the rest of us and our citizens. The only reason the Five Lands Alliance was formed is because well, Spring is near." Aiko kindly explained.


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    "That''s why, I''ll be following you around for a month. After that, we can still meet each other. We just need to keep up this friendly act. Don''t worry, my ancestors also did this. Are you fine with it? Oh, don''t worry about me, my Land has exceptional people. They will be fine without me for a month. Even in years or decades, as long as autumn doesn''t come, which is very unlikely." She added further details. Even though Zixin was curious, he couldn''t be bothered to ask now. He is still trying to compose himself after obtaining the future memory.


    Even though Zixin was suspicious, just like with his sister, he couldn''t do anything about it. Even if he can, he can''t see the path forward. He is currently not in a creative state where he can come up with an outside-of-the-box plan.


    ¡­


    The next day, Marshall gets back and gives the compass back to Zixin. Zixing then used the compass to head towards the apothecary.


    The night streets that he saw before were completely calm with no crowd at all. There were only a few people in the streets and the shops were all mostly closed. Zixin followed the compass and reached the bookstore. Aiko was following him all the way here.


    Aiko was curious about where the compass would take them, and when she saw the bookstore, she was a bit curious. Once she and Zixin entered the room, she saw a very plain-looking bookstore.


    Zixin went and saw a specific book and bought it almost immediately, and he left the bookstore quite quickly. Aiko followed him, and he saw the wall, which turned into a door which they entered.


    While going down the stairs, her curiosity and her excitement were increasing by the second.


    Once they left the stairs, they saw the room. The room was filled with several bookshelves, each filled with strange and curious-looking books. The room was dimly lit with glowing green light from the nearby lamps which filled the room with an atmosphere of mystery.


    They saw two people in the room. One was a young man, while the other was a hunched-back middle-aged lady with a silver monocle.


    When Zheng Wang saw Zixin and Aiko, he was a bit surprised. He was talking to the old lady about his injuries due to the Fertility Demon.


    Zheng Wang went up and greeted them. They gave him the greeting back.


    Zixin couldn''t be bothered about Zheng Wang for the moment, even though he had been told to remember him well by Xiu Ying.


    He immediately asked the old lady, "The materials, a man named Marshall came here last night saying I ordered him to bring the materials here. Now, is the cure completed yet?"


    The old lady nods as she speaks, "Yes, someone did come here yesterday. The amount of materials was also good enough for two people."


    Zixin was shocked, but he kept his composure as the thoughts ran through his head. Two? Two¡­ Hmm? My dearest sister knew that I would use her to lie. Sigh, how predictable am I to you?


    After that, Zixin was handed over the two cures. The cure inside was mystical; the color of it was ever-changing, never being the same color for long. The bottle used for it was very small. It was enough to fit in Zixin''s pockets.


    After this, Zixin asked Zheng Wang, "What is the Fertility Demon? This is the first time I have heard about it."

 Road of History

    "I first need to explain a few important details. Even though they may not be connected they are all important details that I may not be able to tell you later." Zheng Wang spoke, appearing calm while he observed Zixin with full attention.


    Zheng Wang then started to explain, "At the very beginning, after several races rose to existence, a new order was made. A fateful event, a Destined Calamity fell upon the first unfortunate Land. The races who lived there were completely wiped out; the only reason we even know of their existence is that they were the first race who rose to power yet fell once the calamity struck them down."


    "The first Destined Calamity brought endless fear to all the surviving races. Even though helping each other at the time was the best course of action and even assimilating every race is the best course of action, none of them did it. It was rather simple why the other races weren''t even fully established at the time; in fact, most of them were still using stone tools. Even the strongest race, which was wiped out, only had metallic weapons, and the quality was all very bad. The worst part about it is the fact that they haven''t even learned how to fully utilize their abilities. If they knew, they would have probably survived¡­ but such words are only hope, hope that even learning how to use abilities could cause us to have hope of survival. This was their greatest regret before finally succumbing to their demise." Zheng Wang''s tone slowly became more and more saddened as he continued.


    "Lands, you should remember the name of the Four Lands, right? The Cursed Land of Frost, The Cursed Land of Heat, The Cursed Land of Fertility, and The Cursed Land of Illusion. Each of these four Lands only has one race, because every other race has already suffered the consequences of not preparing enough to survive their corresponding Destined Calamity." Zheng Wang continued to explain, "Destined Calamity, as the name implies, is a certain event. Unavoidable by all means and measures to do so. Trust me when I tell you how many died trying to uncover the way to stop all Destined Calamities. But to get back to what I was saying, yes, Destined Calamities will only appear at certain periods."


    "For Cursed Land of Frost; Winter; for Cursed Land of Heat; Summer; for Blessed Land of Fertility; Spring; and for Blessed Land of Illusion; Autumn. Yes, our respective Lands are the reminder of when we will¡­" Zheng Wang appeared rather saddened by his words.


    Zheng Wang slowly smiled, it seemed like an interesting part of history was about to be told. Aiko noticed his smile and looked at Zixin, who understood this and paid his full attention to the following words.


    "For the Cursed Land of Frost; The God of Frost and Winter waved his snow-white hand and the blizzards calmed down, and the towering mountains made of condensed frost was born."


    "For the Cursed Land of Heat; The God of Heat and Summer calmed the sun, and fused it to his being, essentially turning the sun into an eye that oversees the light of day."


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    "For the Blessed Land of Fertility; The Goddess of Serenity and Spring touched the land and danced with full joy. Her moves made the grass beside her grow, and the plants near her grew to such size that they reached the clouds high above. Seeing her dance, the natives, who were us Humans at the time, completely forgot about all our troubles, only feeling peace for the first time in the long road of history, no, for the first time in our lives. They saw a true act of God before their own mortal eyes."


    Zheng Wang paused for a moment and gave Aiko a look. Aiko understood what he meant as her smile brightened. Zixin, seeing this, placed even more of his attention on Zheng Wang''s upcoming words.


    "For the Blessed Land of Illusion; The Goddess of Moon and Autumn flew high into the night sky. The falling meteors stopped their advancement at her mere gaze. She then controlled the meteors and crushed them all continuously together until high up in the night sky, the object that still exists to this very day was born the moon. The moon effectively became her eye that oversees the endless night. The moon also allowed for the formation of a certain race, the Moonlit Fox Spirits."


    Zixin found the story very interesting; he was, after all, a man who finds knowledge a core aspect of existence. There would be nothing without knowledge since power must come with knowledge. At least, that is his perspective on the topic of an omnipotent god who created the world.


    Zixing then asks, "This history is rather intriguing, but what does it have to do with the Fertility Demon, which I have heard of?"


    Zheng Wang''s smile seems to turn more serious as he speaks, narrating more of the long road of history, "After the Four Gods appeared, they helped the Four Races to create a suitable environment that will allow them to be able to withstand the might of the Destined Calamities to a certain degree. After this, they entered the mysterious door to the After Life. As you know full well, the After Life is a strange part of our world, an anomaly if you would. Even today we have yet to figure out its current location or if it even has a set location at all. Setting this matter aside, after the Four Gods left, the Four Demons appeared. Each one corresponds to their respective Lands, almost like the gods¡­"


    Zheng Wang''s seriousness seems to increase, but his friendly aura never even wavered, "The demons were later called the Four Demons, or, at our current time, the Four Ancient Demons, but this name is rather inaccurate. The Four Demons brought immense disaster to their respective Lands but thanks to the help the gods had provided, we were all saved. The Four Demons were not at all a threat; in fact, they were, at most, only an annoyance. But every one of them must not be allowed to reach certain situations, or their strength would become too overwhelming." Zheng Wang continued, "For the Blessed Land of Fertility; The Fertility Demon. Just like the four other demons, the size of this demon is immense, reaching the skies with its mountain-sized body. This demon is terrifyingly strong, having the ability to give birth to its new body every year. The new body will be born with resistance to the most harmful substances to its body before. This is its strength and weakness. This allows it to continuously be reborn and have resistance to the harmful abilities that caused the death of its previous body. The greatest weakness of this is rather simple: the newborn body will have lost the previous resistance that its former body once had. My ancestors used this to their advantage and killed the demon, but it, unfortunately, was able to give birth, and the newborn demon was able to escape. Even now, this caused the birth of the current demon."


    Zheng Wang looked down and sighed, this was the first time that Zixin had seen Zheng Wang sigh, and he understood that the demon must certainly be causing him trouble too.


    Zheng Wang then spoke out words that Zixin found rather shocking, "A few days ago, I went out to try to slay the demon, yet a miraculous light saved it. I was unsure of that at the time and was rather injured too, so I can''t be bothered to think about it at the time, but now, I have a bad feeling, a really bad one." Zheng Wang continued, "But to set this aside for now, the other demons, I know of them but not as clearly as the Fertility Demon. You can ask Aiko about the rest, she has seen the other three before."

 The Fox

    After a few seconds, Zixin was finally able to fully absorb all the information that Zheng Wang had told him. He was very interested in this new world; he knew that this world would be different from the Palace, but he didn''t know that the difference was that big. Gods? Demons? He couldn''t care less for them, but the historical significance they held filled him with excitement. But he bit his lip and suppressed his excitement. What matters now is to absorb this information a little bit better and learn more about the language first.


    He then asked Zheng Wang and Aiko a very interesting question, "Then, are the four races a natural creation?"


    Hearing him ask this made Zheng Wang''s smile widen. As for Aiko, her eyes shined in excitement. To think that Zixin asked a question that had little to do with the knowledge that he learned. But they both understood why, it was when Zheng Wang spoke about the creation of the moon which led to the birth of the Moonlit Fox Spirit Race. This small detail caught his attention more than the gods and demons. This thought ran through their mind, they understood why, or at least were able to guess why. Zixin is either interested in the world itself, or that gods and demons don''t interest him. These are the two possibilities the two thought of, of course, there are more possibilities, such as Zixin wishing for knowledge in general. Either way, they understood Zixin a little bit more, and his straightforwardness towards the knowledge he wished to hold.


    Aiko, the eldest one in the group, spoke up, appearing like a wise guardian, "Yes and no. Yes, because it is nature who caused our creation, but no, because there seemed to be something at play. The greatest example would be the birth of my Race. It was the moon that caused our birth, but it was the Goddess who created the moon. The birth of the Four Races is a rather private topic. Zheng Wang and I are willing to tell you if you wish to know."


    Hearing this, Zixin understood that Aiko was trying to lower Zixin''s interest in it. Zixin doesn''t know why and so, he simply stops. Zixin tried to think of a way to change the topic and finally spoke, "Would it be impolite to not drink this cure?"


    The old lady shakes her head; Zixin smiles her way as thanks for helping him change the topic. Zixin opens it and observes the cure once more. The more he looked at it, the more amazed he became. He smiles, though it is rather forced, and drinks the cure.


    As the liquid enters his mouth and flows down his throat to his stomach, he feels a sense of warmth. And when the liquid reached his stomach his whole body felt immense warmth, almost as though he stood at the crater of a volcano. The feeling was only mental, and after a few seconds, it faded away. He breathed in deeply, not wasting a second to catch his breath.


    He inspected his body, and he felt nothing¡­ but he soon realized that it was a cure; why would it bring any more effect? He didn''t make the recipe for it to have any side effects; it was, at most, the warm feeling of being near a volcano''s crater.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Not long after, Zixin departed with Zheng Wang. As Zixin and Aiko walk through the streets, he notices details he didn''t bother with before. The natives walking and riding the carriages in the streets weren''t all just Humans. There were also those from the other three races. The Ice Elves were calm and moved as though they had a goal in mind. The Dwarves were mostly in bars filled with dozens of liquor, but Zixin was unable to read any of the text, which he found a little unfortunate. There were fewer Moonlit Fox Spirits in the streets; in fact, most of them seemed to be gathered up in the sky. Flying with speeds breaking the sound barrier. Fortunately for those below, the streets were made of special materials with varying effects. One of which is to set a restriction on the streets, making it so that only a certain loudness can be heard. The Moonlit Fox Spirits were also of varying looks; some had Human-like faces, while others were covered with fur. What interested Zixin the most were their tails; some had three, even eight, but none ever reached nine or above.


    This piqued Zixin''s interest enough for him to ask Aiko, "What are the tails of Moonlit Fox Spirits for? Moreover, why do they stop at eight as the maximum number?"


    Hearing Zixin ask this made Aiko smile, she was always keen to tell people about her race. She once taught and wrote a book about it, which sold as one of the best-selling books for that period of time.


    "It''s rather simple. We Moonlit Fox Spirits all have at least one tail. Our tail symbolizes many different things. One is talent; the more tails we have, the higher our talent for abilities is, but the more likely for us to¡­"


    Seeing as her mood seemed to darken, Zixin tried to lighten up the mood, "Then, what historical significance do they hold? Are there any more mysteries about them?"


    "No, there are a few, but mostly of no significance. But, the symbolic meaning of our tails is rather simple. It means that we should wish for our goal to be not longevity, which is a curse, but to be a child. Not in a literal sense but to be a playful child. Aren''t foxes portrayed as childish in most books? I doubt you haven''t seen any. There were a few books about it when you entered the bookstore." Her smile seemed to widen as she spoke. She then turned her back to Zixin and ran like a child. The sky before her exploded as abilities were used. It seemed like the Moonlit Fox Spirits who were flying in the sky were practicing.


    The red, green, blue, and all sorts of colored particles fell in the sky. The lights were beautiful, majestic even.


    Why here of all places? It''s free space, and not only that, it''s in a busty street where people enter and leave by the second. And in fact, their practice became widely known, and this became a new show for the people to enjoy themselves.


    Their walk back to the Palace was quick, but they made stops here and there to appreciate the wide and beautiful streets of the Blessed Land of Fertility.


    Once they entered the Palace, Aiko dragged Zixin to the Library and made him sit down.


    She spoke, "Zixin, I have seen you looking at that certain liquor when we were walking back. And from what I observed, you were unable to read it. I will teach you then, you still have a few days here. In those few days, I will teach you about our language. And I''m not strict enough to the point where you will be forced to read and study with me during those days. I will simply help you learn, the choice whether or not you want to learn is still up to you." She then praised him, "But I have to say. Good job, you were able to learn and speak our language rather fluently. I have heard that you read a few books about our language, and learned from them. I''m praising you because you were able to learn it well, but not enough to be called a native speaker. But for now, I''ll teach you a few things, and we will have our dinner and take our rest."


    The next few events were to be said to be uneventful. Aiko taught Zixin a few basic rules about their language and after a few hours, went and had dinner. After dinner, they both went their separate ways and rested themselves.

 The Young Lady

    Zixin woke up and sat in his bed. He looked around his room and saw Marshall in his bed. Zixin yawned and stood up, going to the desk near him and taking the metal comb. He sat back in his bed and started to comb his hair. He was precise and focused, this is his daily routine.


    Not long after, Marshall also woke up. Nothing much happened, and they went and headed to take their breakfast.


    After breakfast, Zixin went to the Library where Aiko was, reading her book and learning the language from her. This became their routine for a few days until they finally needed to go back.


    Aiko decided to go with Zixin, and Marshall prepared the carriage they used to travel here. After a few more minutes, Zixin and Aiko sat inside the carriage and Marshall made the carriage move.


    Inside the carriage and on the journey to go back, Zixin was still being thoroughly taught by Aiko the language.


    ¡­


    Inside a dimly lit room, there lay a young beauty on her couch. Her long red hair was messy, making her look unkept and improper. She wore a red robe that flowed down to her feet and a golden ring on her ring finger. She was awoken by a sound and her eyes slowly opened themselves. Her black gem-like eyes moved according to her will and scanned her messy surroundings.


    The floor was littered with tissue papers, and the bed sheet on the bed, which she didn''t lay herself in, was messy. The room was filled with the smell of sweat and¡­


    She soon stood up and left her messy bedroom. Outside her bedroom was a small room, no, a small interior. Her house was rather small; it was not even her''s; it was a rented house. She lazily walked forward to her kitchen and found a container that had a small letter sitting on top of it.


    She then took the letter and read its contents, her voice was truly beautiful, "Dear Father, I hope you will wake up to see and read this letter. Please, get a hold of yourself and take good care of our home. Mother has already left this morning for the company. She has been taking good care of it, her diligence is slowly paying off. Please, be there to see her, please, be there to support her. Setting this aside for now, the food was made by me, I hope you will like it. As for our dear maid, she has yet to wake up. Please, when she wakes up, tell her to clean your bedroom. The smell of your¡­ has already invaded my room next to yours.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sincerely, Alice of Existence."


    The young lady sighs, seeming to be rather annoyed. She then opened the container and saw the meal left for her by her daughter. It was a rather appetizing meal, it was fried rice. The rice was cooked with meat, carrots, and several other vegetables. She wasn''t very picky and started digging into her meal. The first bite made her smile; the food was delicious, but that wasn''t what made her smile. It made her happy that her daughter''s cooking skills have become better over the past few years.


    While eating, a maid entered the kitchen. The young lady glanced at her and chuckled. The maid wore her maid uniform made out of fine silk. Her hair was perfectly combed and with fine ornaments holding them together to not bother her work. Her hair was colored black just like her black eyes, which made her look rather cold and uncaring. Her skin was snow-white, making her look like a beauty standing above men. Her looks alone make looking at her hard to resist, but her cold personality shuts all possibility of romance. But compared to the young lady, her looks are non-existent.


    The maid then entered the young lady''s bedroom with little care for the young lady herself. The young lady simply continued to eat, her smile seemingly eternal in nature. After a good while, the meal was finally completely eaten by her, not a single piece of rice was left in the container.


    And just as the young lady finished her meal, the maid finally left her bedroom. The young lady stole a glance at her bedroom and saw a completely clean room, the smell eradicated, no longer invading the air. The maid carried the pieces of trash with her and slowly left the room. The young lady, meanwhile, stood up and washed the dishes; after she was done, the maid entered the room once more


    "Master, Lady Alice has told me to tell you to not go out for the day. She said that you will likely do something that will be harmful for all of us." The maid spoke, her tone cold.


    The young lady replied in annoyance, her words sounding playful, "Come on now, how many times have I even caused trouble? Two? Three? Maybe even five?"


    Hearing her try to make herself look innocent, the maid replied with a response that made the young lady even more annoyed, "Exactly, twenty-eight times."


    The young lady simply sighed, knowing she had been defeated; her playful tricks never once worked on her maid, yet she kept trying, lessening her sanity.


    She stretched her body for a few minutes and stopped. She looked at her maid and spoke in annoyance, her voice playful, "Oh how annoying. Alice, at least, has some reactions. Are you a cold, calculating demon disguised with the flesh of a human?"


    The maid simply stared at her, not speaking because the answer was obvious enough.


    The young lady sighs, "Ok, got it. By the way, did Alice cook the meal? Wait, she said you were asleep by then, so I can''t ask you huh? Annoying. Hmm¡­ oh, a good idea came to mind; I suppose there is no need to ask her, huh?"


    She grins and runs to her balcony like a madman. She stared down at the beautiful scenery before her eyes. The sky was colored azure, with the clouds colored white dancing in the air. The streets below her were bustling with people, carriages one after the other could be heard. Kids playing in the streets, and a bell?


    The sound of a bell could be heard. The sound was divine, almost otherworldly. The people then look in a certain direction after they hear of it. Some smiled, some were amazed, and some were cheering. The people on the streets started talking about the bell, congratulating the lucky one.


    But the young lady couldn''t be bothered about this any longer, no, she had another plan in mind. She sighs deeply, her mind going blank as she jumps off her balcony, falling her way down.

 Myriad Golden Flower Academy

    With Zixin and Aiko in the carriage and Marshall at the front, driving the carriage, the journey was smooth. There were no obstacles to get through, and Zixin was learning rather quickly; after all, he was being taught by Aiko, the Moonlit Fox Spirit Queen.


    ¡­


    In a well-lighted room, there sat two figures. One of them was Xiu Ying, with her warm smile, and the other was¡­


    Alice, Alice of Existence. She sat opposite to Xiu Ying and wore a plain expression. She had her long red hair, which was well taken care of. Her red eyes observed her surroundings and moved according to her own will. Her snow-white skin was delicate yet it had a hint of strict and caring aura around it. She wore a long red dress with several strange patterns knitted into it.


    She spoke, appearing rather friendly to Xiu Ying, ¡°It has been a while since we last talked. How long has it been? I have already lost count.¡±


    Xiu Ying seemed to ponder over the question until she spoke, appearing confident, ¡°About four years. I have heard that the company business has been going well. I congratulate you and your mother.¡±


    ¡°No, I had little to do with it. It was mostly my Mother''s efforts. Sigh, seeing her work so hard makes me smile.¡± She replied, her words giving a hint of her emotions.


    ¡°Has All been doing well? I have heard that she has gone out of her way to cause you all some problems. I sincerely hope that things will go well.¡± Xiu Ying spoke, appearing rather concerned.


    ¡°No, don''t bother with it, Father is one child at heart. Well, she has always been playful. It may seem like trouble but it is nice to see both she and Mother getting along well even when she barely helps her.¡± Alice spoke, she appeared to be rather genuine.


    Suddenly, they heard a bell ring. The sound was divine, almost otherworldly. This made both Xiu Ying and Alice look down at the window and see the people before them. Some smiled, some were amazed, and some were cheering. This made them move their gazes to one specific point.


    Far away from them was a gigantic Academy. The Academy was towering over all the structures near it, making them look like ants before a human. The structure of the building was well-defined; each carving on the wall and pillars was filled with deep meaning. What was the most eye-catching part of this Academy was at the center of it. At the center, there was a gigantic bell, reaching two hundred meters in height, length, and width. The bell was made of gold-like material but in truth, it was a special ore with special abilities. The bell was inside a well-decorated room with many different statues. The room was with an open roof, and the walls around the bell made the room look like a golden flower. There were four gigantic windows in the room, which were normally closed, and were not wide open.


    Xiu Ying then looked back at Alice who was still appreciating the beauty of the Academy from afar. Xiu Ying chuckled and spoke, ¡°It looks like you never had the time to appreciate the Myriad Golden Flower Academy.¡±


    ¡°I suppose. So, based on that, a promotion will soon be given. And a bloodline promotion at that. I wonder who has given this lucky one the chance.¡± Even though Alice has never been near the Academy, she fully knows and understands everything about it. After all, the creation of the Academy came with a special system.


    Xiu Ying chuckled, ¡°Then, how about we go see it for ourselves? Who knows, we may meet an individual with high potential.¡±


    Alice agreed almost immediately, and they both stood up and left the room. Once they left the Palace, the groups of people walking saw and greeted them both with full respect. The walk didn''t take long for them and while walking, Xiu Ying and Alice were having small conversations.


    Finally, once they reached the entrance to the Academy, they were greeted by Jinhua. Her long brown hair gave her an aura of authority. Her golden eyes were dim yet filled with life. Her skin was snow-white like a true beauty. She wore a golden-colored robe with several patterns upon it.


    She kindly greeted both Xiu Ying and Alice, ¡°It has been a while since I last met you two; I came here myself to greet you two. It is a pleasure to meet you both. I assume both of you came here to see the promotion with your very own eyes, correct?¡±


    Xiu Ying nodded and Jinhua guided the way for them. As they walked, Alice observed the surroundings. The pillars were high and mighty, almost like they were the pillars of creation. The walls had several different carvings, but they were all on the edges, with special paintings or trophies inside the center of the walls.


    While walking, Xiu Ying senses Zixin entering the Palace and without hesitation, grabs at the air. After grabbing, she pulled and Zixin appeared before her very hands.


    ¡­


    After entering the Palace, Zixin and Aiko were walking around when suddenly, out of nowhere, Zixin felt someone grab his robe from the back, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared inside the Myriad Golden Flower Academy.


    Aiko was a little confused after seeing this; she then asked Marshall, who answered, ¡°Lady has used her ability to grab at the air and pull Lord from any period at present. Right now, Lord and Lady are in the same place. From the looks of things, it is very likely to be in the Myriad Golden Flower Academy. It is the structure with the golden bell at the center if you wish to know.¡±


    Suddenly, a burst of air exploded.


    Boom!


    And Aiko flew at incredible speeds, she was looking for Zixin at full focus. Her speed continuously rose by the second, and when the clock reached one minute, she found the Academy. She can''t be bothered to appreciate its structure and flew towards the entrance. The guards of the Academy were confused after seeing someone so powerful and fast daring to head there; after all, Xiu Ying was there, but more importantly, Alice was there, the daughter of¡­


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    From Xiu Ying¡¯s perspective, she sensed someone flying towards them and chuckled to herself. She made the same motion as before. She grabs at the air and pulls. Aiko appeared before her very hands just like it did for Zixin. And Aiko¡¯s momentum disappeared; the momentum she had built up after flying immediately disappeared after being pulled.


    Xiu Ying released Aiko from her grasp and asked Zixin, ¡°My dear brother, do you have any idea who might be getting a bloodline promotion today?¡±


    After hearing Xiu Ying ask, Zixin remembered something but before he could speak, he heard a gigantic roar.


    The gigantic roar was like that of an Azure Dragon; the roar reached far and wide; it was as though it was telling all that no one could hide from it.


    Fortunately or maybe unfortunately, they were still near the outside, and they saw the sky¡­ be split in half. A gaping hole was at the center as the sky seemed to start falling upon them.


    Xiu Ying immediately used her ability and found the cause of all of this. She sighs as though she feels like she caused this to happen because she talked about her. She grabbed at the air for the third time, but this time, there was an added weight. She wasn''t simply pulling at the air to pull someone from a certain present period; no, she was pulling someone from the past. She pulled and the young lady appeared before her grasp. Her long red hair was messy, which made her look unkept and improper. Her gem-like black eyes moved according to her will and observed her surroundings. After being released from Xiu Ying''s grasp, she looks at her red robe and her ring finger; seeing that she still has her golden ring, she sighs in relief.


    The sky was back to normal, it was as though the sky was never split in half. All look around and complain to Xiu Ying, ¡°Xiu Ying, why the hell did you do that? I was just having fun.¡±


    ¡°We two have different understandings of what the word fun means. But, setting that aside for now, splitting the sky in half is not fun for us. Please remember your Father''s words: ¡®Annoyance is death.¡¯ and, this is not fun for us, which makes it an annoyance.¡± She kindly explained, yet her warm smile never faded, no, it grew even further.


    The young lady pouts, and when she sees Zixin, she greets him, ¡°Hmm? It has been a while hasn''t it, Zixin? It''s good to see you, though you should start smiling; the use of a stiff face in most situations is little.¡±


    Moving her attention from All to Aiko, Xiu Ying greeted her with her warm smile, ¡°It''s good to see a Moonlit Fox Spirit here. It is my pleasure to meet you.¡± She continued, ¡°My name is Xiu Ying, Xiu Ying of Longevity. I am the Ruler of this Land, I may not be called a Queen, but I take on such a role. My dearest brother and I both hold the ability called Longevity of Time. If you have any further questions about my Land, please, feel free to speak as you wish.¡±


    Aiko, seeing Xiu Ying''s politeness, greeted her back and introduced herself, ¡°It is also my pleasure to meet you. My name is Takechi Aiko, the Moonlit Fox Spirit Queen. I am the ruler of my Race. I came here with an agreement with Zixin, I hope we, both Rulers, understand each other well.¡±


    Xiu Ying chuckles, seeing through Aiko¡¯s act. How can she not? Aiko just saw the sky be split in half and she was still calm? Ridiculous. She should be quite shocked at the very least. And she seems to be, or at least she is. This may also be an act she is doing to probe Xiu Ying herself. Either way, Xiu Ying finds her a little bit interesting.


    Alice then went forward to introduce herself, appearing rather calm, ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you too. My name is Alice, Alice of Existence. I hope we both get along well since Xiu Ying has already told you to ask her anything; then I hope you will still consider befriending me.¡±


    Aiko smiled back at her, replying, ¡°No need to worry. I am a person who goes out of her way to make new friends. So, shall it begin by today?¡±


    Alice nods, agreeing with her. She was also interested to learn more about her and her race. After all, the gates closed themselves before the birth of the Moonlit Fox Spirit Race.


    Jinhua, seeing the new trend, followed suit and introduced herself, appearing elegant yet arrogant, ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jinhua, the Headmaster of the Myriad Golden Flower Academy. And yes, you are inside it now. Appreciate it as much as you will. If you are interested, feel free to join us.¡±


    Aiko, hearing this, immediately replied, ¡°Yes, this seems like a golden opportunity. I¡¯d like to see it for myself.¡±


    And finally, the young lady went to greet Aiko, seemingly annoyed, ¡°Sigh, it''s a pleasure to meet you. Hmm? Weird, I thought you were taller; it must be me imagining things. Anyways, matters aside, I suppose I came up to introduce myself. Sigh, my name is one you¡¯re unlikely to forget. All, All of Existence, that is my name. Find it odd? Unlike the names Alice and Jinhua, my name is rather¡­ unique to say the least. Well, I suppose being born and given a good name is a true pleasure. At least I wasn''t hated enough by my Father to name me Name of all things. And yes, the name All has no significance, so don''t even bother to try and guess what my Father was thinking when he named me that. I can''t even guess it myself, no, I genuinely know. He just can''t think of one during the time, yes, a bad Father indeed. Oh, my bad, this is supposed to be my introduction to you, so, I will keep it that way. I, All, am the creator of my own company named Company; yes, I inherited my Father''s bad naming sense. I''m married with only one child, Alice. I hope we get along well I suppose?¡±


    Hearing All speak made Aiko confused, Why is she so blatantly rude? Has she not been taught proper mannerisms by her Father? Why did she keep bringing him up? Is this some kind of issue?


    Seeing Aiko in such a state, Xiu Ying took the lead and started changing the conversation. She knows full well that Aiko might be acting but she still took the chance because she was genuinely curious as to who has gotten the bloodline promotion.


    ¡°Then, how about we continue walking around and appreciating the delicate works of art and achievements of the Academy? I''m sure that Jinhua would kindly explain every one of it to us, right?¡± Her smile seemed to widen as she cast her gaze toward Jinhua.


    Jinhua, finding no reason to refuse, took the chance. She was genuinely proud of the Academy, and so she took the lead at the front and started explaining the fine details of each painting and trophy held within the walls.


    Every single step greeted them with several paintings and trophies. There were too many, it made the walk feel like they were inside a museum. And with each painting and trophy, Jinhua fully explained, but whenever they were losing interest, she would immediately change topics. Jinhua didn''t feel like a Headmaster anymore but a tour guide.


    And while they were at it, they were all talking with each other, filling the halls with laughter. This continued until they were met with the last painting.


    The painting was quite big; its width was half a meter, while its length was a full meter. The size wasn''t the most eye-catching part, but it was its contents. The painting depicted a garden, under the bright moon. Below it stood a young man, his white hair was long, almost reaching his hips. His skin is delicate, like falling snow. His eyes, gray in color, filled with nothing but intent. His body is small, like a petite young lady. His long white robe flowed down to cover his feet, almost like river water. His face was emotionless, indifferent, almost as though all his emotions were suppressed.


    The surroundings around him were beautifully made. The bushes, trees, plants, and flowers all blended nicely to create an aesthetically pleasing effect. But, there was one strange detail that one could not miss when looking at it. The plants, the trees, the flowers, the bushes, they were all dyed with crimson blood. The young man stood upon a puddle of blood. It was a rainy night; the rain fell and touched the young man¡¯s cheeks, making it look like he was crying. Around him were also several figures; each show-like figure surrounded the young man, making him seem like one who had lost all hope. A child, trapped in the chains of Fate.


    Xiu Ying chuckles, smiling as she continues to observe the painting, ¡°My dear brother, I can only praise you with this one. A true work of art. And the name, Blooming Garden of Chaos, perfectly fits it.¡±


    Zixin simply ignored her, seeming to not be bothered about it. Accepting the past, like he has accepted his end.


    They continued to move forward, and Jinhua tried her best to brighten up the mood, but since Zixin wouldn''t even speak, she didn''t bother to use him. Instead, she used Xiu Ying to brighten up the mood. Xiu Ying, seeing no reason to refuse, helped brighten up the mood.


    After a while of walking, they finally reached it. Zixin¡¯s full attention was caught by the one before him. The one who will soon be promoted. She had long white hair, making her seem like a part of the bloodline she would soon be promoted in. Her snow-white skin was delicate, like a blooming flower petal. Her purple eyes shined brightly at this very moment, her excitement cannot be concealed. She wore the standard uniform of a scholar of the Myriad Golden Flower Academy. Her uniform was white, and her skirt was black.


    Zixin finally understood it all, knowing why she was getting a promotion. Seeing that Xiu Ying was looking at him for answers, he plainly explained, ¡°The day before my departure, I studied in the Library, and fell asleep there. The next day after, I was woken up by her. I was rather sleepy at the time, so I gave her the coin.¡±


    Seeing an opportunity open up before her very eyes, Xiu Ying chuckled, appearing to be in the mood to tease Zixin, ¡°Oh? So, it was love at first sight that caused you to give it to her? Hmm¡­ rather suspicious isn''t it? Don''t tell me¡­ that you plan on marrying her into our family?¡±


    Knowing that Xiu Ying was just teasing him, Zixin decided it would be


    best if he closed his mouth shut. After all, Xiu Ying would not stop until she was satisfied with teasing Zixin.