“That fucking bitch!” Yurik groaned as he sat on his bed, just recently regaining his consciousness.

  Currently, they were staying at one of the Capital's most luxurious hotels, renting the entire building for themselves, sending away the staff who should be working there.

  “Quiet. We are inside their home! It’s better to rein in your temper.” Sentios scolded him with an even, calm voice.

  “You too, you-”

  “Enough.” He looked down at Yurik, silencing him with a simple gaze as the others stood up, circling Sentios. It was evident that Sentios was this group's leader... which the rest of the Naulins did not take very well.

  “Don’t forget that you may be my great-grandfather’s ckey, but you are not of our bloodline,” Yurik hissed, grinding his teeth, still dizzy from Ren’s attack, as his brain was literally short-circuited by her affinity.

  “And you better not forget that you are not back at home." Sentios shot back at him, "This is the Empire of Aerthus. I came with you because I know this pce better than any of you, and I am the leader of this expedition, appointed by the King himself! Do you dare to question his orders?” he asked, still maintaining his calm expression. “All of you are just soldiers, children of concubines." He looked at the others, "Be gd you inherited the looks of a Naulin!” he released his aura, pushing all the others down by himself, “Most of you only advanced at what… 6th? 7th? Level?” he let out a small smile as his aura kept rising, “I am above you all. You are disposable; it is enough for me to bring back Yurik and Astair, don’t forget that!” he added while fshing a golden stamp decorated with the image of an eye with an amethyst in the middle of it. “Or you really try to go against your King’s orders?!”

  His words and the stamp of King Rudrick made the others finally step down, and only Yurik remained unaffected. At the same time, Astair acted like nothing was going on, looking out the window, munching on a roasted turkey leg, pying back everything that happened in the pace again and again.

  “She needs to pay for the humiliation I received!” Yurik scoffed in the end.

  “She will, but don’t forget why we are here. The marriage is just a farce; nobody cares about it... Your little show just now is even better... It gives us the perfect smokescreen.” Sentios murmured, walking up and down, thinking.

  “You want to use me? Trying to use one of the royal bloodlines?!” Yurik snorted, getting angry once again just at the thought of it.

  “No, I’m not trying. I’m going to.” Sentios nodded, not even looking at him, “It is better if they think we are here for her and the marriage; let them go down that route. You,” he turned towards the others. “Go out and search for clues about the whereabouts of the demon folk. We can’t let them craft any kind of deals or cooperation with them! If they die here, they wouldn’t be able to expin it... Don’t get caught while snooping around!” he said in a firm voice, ordering them, and soon only the trio of him, Yurik, and Astair remained. “You need to keep your temper at bay and learn some humility.” Sentios scolded him again.

  “Shut up, you are just a dog of my family!” Yurik answered, not backing down.

  “Maybe.” He nodded with a provoking scowl. “But I still rank higher than you… If so, what does it make you then?”

  “You-”

  “Uncle, you will never win a verbal fight like this,” Astair spoke up suddenly.

  “You too?" Yurik looked at him with disdain, "Do you think you have anything to say? You are only the son of a concubine from Eldest Brother-”

  “I was granted to be part of the main bloodline because of my talent." Astair cut in without fear, "Uncle, you really are easy to rile up! I’ll be honest, I was not that interested in this marriage scandal, but seeing her and her prowess… now I really want to make her mine,” he finished, munching on the meat.

  “You are way weaker,” Sentios commented, hitting a much calmer tone with Astair.

  “I know. But I have you, don’t I? As you all use me as a tool for your py, can’t I use you too for my amusement?” he smiled at him.

  “We’ll see. Our main priority is the demons. Everything else comes second to that.” Sentios replied.

  “Roger~ I can wait,” Astair ughed with a satisfied look in his eyes, gncing out at the night sky once again, watching the giant, complete pair of moons up there, bathing the Capital in silver light.

  …….…..

  “Tell me honestly,” Dermitos said, standing in his bedroom, looking out the window, watching the same night sky as Astair, holding his hands behind his back, while Meishan was standing behind him, trembling, looking down, unable to move her body.

  “I… It…” She stammered, searching for words.

  “You informed my brother about this and gave him an idea, no? Or you wrote directly to the King?" Demitos asked, his tone pained and hurt, "No matter. They are just looking to get back at me for what happened with Anya’s case back then. Same as you... Why are you like this?” he sighed, turning back towards her, stretching out his hand, gently stroking her face. “Aren’t we a pair? Didn't we grow up together?” he asked, raising her head and looking into her eyes.

  “Young… Master…” she choked, with tears in her eyes.

  “Ahaha, it was so long ago that you addressed me this way… My little MeiMei..." He muttered, searching for a past that had gone by already, "When my father picked you for me as my maid, nobody thought you would be my Queen one day. I spoiled you rotten, my lovely little dove...” he leaned closer, giving a kiss on her forehead.

  “I… just…”

  “Sssh… I understand; it’s my fault I made you like this. Don’t worry, everything will be okay from now on!” he whispered, then he just kept hugging her, slowly cutting the flow between the two as Meishan’s body immediately started to age.

  She wanted to say something, but no words came out of her throat; she just looked at Dermitos with fear, trying to hold onto him in panic...

  “Mas...ter…” She choked while her skin dried up and her hair turned white just a few seconds after Dermitos abandoned her.

  “I’ll miss you, little MeiMei… I always loved you.” He whispered with heart-wrenching sadness as he watched Meishan’s eyes dull, little by little. Soon, just as Dermitos kissed her for the st time, life left her eyes entirely, and her body turned into a dried mummy before colpsing entirely.

  Dermitos just hugged her a bit more before gently picking her up and lying down on the bed, covering her with a white sheet. Looking at her, he couldn't help but shake his head before going to his cabinet, taking out a fsk of strong alcohol, opening it up, and downing it completely before colpsing into his armchair.

  “Stupid girl…” He groaned, with a wet face, tears rolling down from his eyes, not wanting to stop, “I told you I can’t choose you over my sons….”

  …….…..

  “Should we interfere?” Carthus asked, sitting in front of Aerthus as they pyed chess deep inside the pace.

  “No. This is a great obstacle for all of them. Let them handle it. Don't do anything.”

  “But Sentios-”

  “Do. Not. Act.” He said again, and with a stern voice.

  “Yes, Forefather.” He gulped back everything he wanted to say immediately.

  “If Dermitos's brother comes for revenge, he can respond in kind. Until then, keep your son at bay... Let Feynor handle the political aspect. Also, I’m pretty interested in how that girl is going to act next. I like her wild nature! If she causes trouble, I’ll help clean it up, don’t worry. This is our territory; even if an old friend of mine from the Kingdom comes, he can do nothing.”

  “Is he still alive?”

  “Of course!" Aerthus snorted, "If I’m alive, he must be too. Sadly, he refused to come with me across the desert. He has fallen behind...” he smiled as he gave a check to Carthus. “It doesn’t matter. Sooner or ter, we will have a conflict with them, especially now that I am back. But let's take things slowly... After the wedding, I’ll meet the youngsters. Until then, let them enjoy a little downtime before they become part of my Sect. I expect strong resistance from the Kingdom... If not now, then in the future… When we announce my return and my will to make disciples worldwide, they will freak out...”

  “On the other side… is it really that… different?” Carthus asked.

  “Different? No. More advanced? Yes." Aerthus muttered as he leaned back, expining, "There are more Harmony Realm experts there than here. Even Demigods... But there are different structures. Sects are the ruling powers over there; that is why I want to make mine here. I saw their advantages over empires. We may have armies with thousands of body refinement warriors at a high stage, but they are nothing against a strong first or even a beginner, second-stage harmony cultivator. Same with the low-quality harmony experts over here.”

  “Low… quality?”

  “Do you think I made a family rule to only advance at the 9th level because I was joking around?" He snorted, "Anything below that can’t be called a true harmony expert; they are only fake ones. They will be blown away by a true cultivator who pressed his cultivation to the limit. You see what happened today; that idiot was no match for my precious disciple.”

  “Already a disciple, huh?” Carthus sighed, “But… not everyone has the talent to advance to the 9th level before advancing.”

  “Bullshit. Talent makes you reach it quicker! That’s all." The Forefather snorted, "What you need is determination. Not giving up, hypnotizing yourself, and saying you can’t do it is the worst outcome! Just keep at it. Grind it. Bear the pain and hardships, and you will succeed and catch up to any genius. Everyone has the same chance to reach the same heights; the only difference is how long it takes them to do so.”

  “Then in a sect-”

  “We award those who put in the effort. I’m not saying we will waste our resources on anybody. I already have the outline of the tests we will conduct when accepting disciples. When we do so, the resources they can get will depend on their efforts.”

  “I see.”

  “Mmm. Go, check on your son,” Aerthus said, standing up as he gave a checkmate to Carthus.

  “Which one?” he asked with a wry smile, looking up at him.

  “Both,” his Forefather smiled a little before disappearing, leaving him alone.

  …….…..

  “You never change, huh?” Leinor ughed, lying on his back in Ren’s bedroom, holding her close to his chest, gently stroking her long hair while they snuggled on the bed, wearing thin, silk nightwear.

  “He was getting on my nerves as soon as he dared to scold my mother! Next time he speaks up like that, I’ll make him into a eunuch.”

  “Ruthless, aren’t you?”

  “Hmf." She snorted, pouting, "They dare to barge in after sixteen years of absence and cim I’m their blood and whatnot? Please! I may look like this, but I’m not a naive little girl they can take advantage of! They are just here to py the political game and get revenge on my mother because she chose my father and not yours.”

  “I’m gd she did, or I wouldn’t have you!”

  “Who knows, maybe we would be brother and sister then. You would look good with silver hair, not gonna lie!”

  “What are you saying?” Leinor ughed, "I'm not into incest!"

  “Ahaha~ Big brother~” She giggled, saying in an innocent voice.

  “Stop it. It gives me the creeps!”

  “Biiiiig Brotheeeeer~”

  “I’ll spank you.”

  “Hauuuu, don’t hurt me, Big Broooo~ Little Ren is innocent; she didn’t mean it!”

  “You!” Leinor rolled his eyes, grabbing onto her butt, pulling upwards, and kissing her to silence the pyful fiancé of his. “You are going to be my wife; act more like that, please!”

  “Ahaha, okay~! I like it when you are more assertive. Say,” Ren ughed as she sat up on top of him. “What do you think? Can I get pregnant?”

  “Why ask it now?”

  “I was thinking about my mother..." She grimaced, "They had a hard time before I was born. Maybe we will have the same problem...”

  “Why is it a problem?”

  “I thought royal families are quick to demand an offspring.”

  “We have long lives… There is no demand here!” Leinor sighed, rolling his eyes.

  “Ehehe, maybe. But it seems after the first one, it speeds up... My sibling is already on the way, ahaha~! Honestly… I’m pretty interested in making a new life with you~!”

  “I noticed that. Still, can you wait for the wedding night?” Leinor asked, suddenly blushing.

  “I know, I know… I’ll honor your wishes~” She sighed as she wore an innocent smile. “Still, isn’t it awesome?”

  “What?”

  “That my body can produce another living being! No gods can do the same!”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course!" She nodded, "No God can point and create life, no matter how much power they have, how omnipotent they think they are… and here I am, ready to create one.”

  “I get the feeling you are more interested in the process of it.”

  “That’s just the extra benefit~!” She giggled, leaning closer. “Let’s py~! We need... practice!”

  “The usual?”

  “The usual~!” She ughed, and soon they were out of their clothes, wrestling on the bed until morning, only then falling asleep, still hugging each other.