It was 5:30 AM on Saturday, July 18, year 657. Jia lay in her bedroom, gazing calmly at the ceiling without uttering a word.
Yet, her eyes spoke volumes about the thoughts weighing on her mind. Seventeen days had already passed since the start of the six-month summer break—a vacation she would only get to enjoy for five of those months.
Not that the duration—five months or even three—mattered much; what mattered was having a moment to breathe, a respite from the dual pressures of being a student at Versalkin Academy and the daughter of the Magic Emperor, Aster Guilford.
Life within the Casiral family wasn't bad at all. Despite the whirlwind of events that had unfolded in such a short time, it was still far better than life with the Guilford family.
There was a sense of freedom and the ability to move about with ease; no one cared where she went, and no one was watching her every move. It made her wish she could live in the Casiral household forever.
Yet, that was impossible. In four months and two weeks, she would head to Versalkin Academy for a two-month stint before eventually departing for the Heavenly Immortal Academy in the other, ordinary world.
A whole year of uncertainty lay ahead, yet she felt no fear of the challenge. She knew she would have to face hardships and obstacles to attain true inner and outer strength.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them once more. She sighed deeply, then rose from her seat and walked toward her room with heavy steps—steps that mirrored the weight of the thoughts filling her mind and leaving her utterly exhausted. After all, physical fatigue fades, but the exhaustion of the mind and soul does not vanish with mere rest. Physical rest comes from sleep, while mental rest requires shedding worries and ceasing the overthinking that plagues the spirit.
As Gia wandered the corridors of the Casiral family mansion, her gaze fell upon Athena, who was pacing the halls with that same heavy, weary gait.
It struck Gia as odd—when had Death become so anxious? It was strange, yet ironically amusing: Death, feeling guilt over the destruction it had wrought—a rare sight indeed.
Deciding to ignore the matter, she continued on her way out of the mansion. Athena glanced at her for a few moments before pretending not to have seen her—a ruse that did not escape Gia as she descended the stairs.
Another deep sigh escaped Gia's lips as she headed for the exit. She stepped out into a night sky still draped in a black velvet blanket studded with stars—stars that were beginning to fade one by one as the sun prepared to lift the heavy cloak of darkness.
Gia sighed again, her expression shifting to one of slight annoyance at the constant sighing she had been unable to suppress for days. She turned her gaze toward the greenhouse, where someone sat—a stranger she had never seen before. It was neither Yuta Casiral nor anyone she recognized.
It was a man. He possessed attractive, well-defined features and waist-length, pinkish-crimson hair tied in a ponytail. His eyes featured irises shaped like lotus flowers, and he wore *Hanfu* robes blending charcoal black with crimson red.
The Venerable Lotus, Jihao Yuxuan, was sipping tea while gazing calmly in her direction. This left her puzzled as to why he had come, though she ultimately paid it little mind.
She walked toward him, intending to find out who he was—whether he was an acquaintance of Yuta's or someone who had been watching her. She had noticed his relaxed posture; he leaned back in his chair as if he owned the place, sipping his tea with an ease that suggested no one dared trouble or question him.
She was surprised when Chloe and Madeline, who had been standing behind her, moved toward him with happy, gentle smiles—making her realize he had been looking at *them* all along.
She felt deeply embarrassed, yet she decided to play along with the pretense that she had been heading toward him for a reason unrelated to her suspicion that he had been watching her.
Meanwhile, the Venerable Lotus, Jihao Yuxuan, patted both girls on the head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "How are you doing, 'Sweet Chloe' and 'Naughty Madeline'? You both seem incredibly excited, don't you?"
Neither said a word, laughing happily instead, until Chloe looked up at him and spoke: "Did you think we wouldn't realize you used your 'Debt-Collector's Wing' ability? It's what rendered the Great Story Merchant, Stefan Tilmore, unable to fight, which..." "Venerable Great Sky-Isle Elizabeth kills him easily."
Venerable Great Lotus-Flower Jihao Yuxuan said nothing, though he was surprised to be exposed so easily; his faction stood in opposition to that of the Venerable Great Story-Merchant Stefan Tilmore.
Nevertheless, he felt satisfied with a catch he hadn't expected to make. Securing an entity like Venerable Great Story-Merchant Stefan Tilmore would normally have been impossible due to the power gap, and the likelihood of complex complications arising from such a figure was virtually nil.
Flashback
In a beautiful garden—or rather, a place within the Market of Mysteries that resembled a garden yet possessed extraordinary beauty—Jia, Madeline, and Chloe were strolling along.
Jia, however, was puzzled by the atmosphere around her. She felt a slight pang in her heart that lasted a few seconds before vanishing, deepening her bewilderment.
She glanced at the two girls, who were walking silently—rarely uttering a word—which made her deeply suspicious. In a calm voice tinged with confusion, she asked, "Do you love Master Stefan Tilmore, the head of the Market of Mysteries, or would you like to come with us to the Casiral family estate?"
The two girls stared at her for several minutes without speaking, fueling Jia's suspicion. She noticed something in their hair—an object resembling a hair clip, yet it looked peculiar—so she reached out and removed it.
Then, she repeated the question, her tone shifting to one she hadn't realized she was capable of: "Do you want to come..." "Listen, Madeleine and Chloe—I mean this seriously. You know who I am. Ultimately, telling the truth is better than covering it up and living to deeply regret it."
Both Chloe and Madeleine remained silent for a few moments. Then, Madeleine spoke while resting her head against Jia's chest, and Chloe followed suit: "We don't want to stay in this place; we've come to loathe it. We are merely tools used to achieve the goals of the Great Creator, Yuto. Please, help us. Life here is hell; he has used us repeatedly to serve his own interests and desires, turning us into sexual objects, but he...""We have always stood by him."
Jia did not utter a single word; she had been flustered ever since entering this place. Everything here left her either bewildered or unsettled. Her gaze was drawn to Yuta—whose facial features were obscured—while the face of the "Venerable Great Story-Merchant" Stefan Tilmore was completely shrouded in darkness.
Yuta stood there, surrounded by an overwhelming, bone-chilling aura of black and red, fixing a gaze upon Stefan Tilmore with eyes as black as an abyss.
Stefan Tilmore—the Venerable Great Story-Merchant—thought to himself as he met Yuta's terrifying, murderous stare: "What the hell is happening? How did things turn out like this?"
He cursed his luck and his decision to enter the story of *The Dragon Angel in a World of Fantasy*.
Shock washed over him as he looked at a message shaped like a blood-red lotus flower. It stated that the time for restitution had arrived—a demand from a figure he recognized instantly.
Anxious and tense, he thought to himself, realizing that an adversary far worse than Yuta or BO-00-01 was approaching: "Damn it, damn it all... why do misfortunes never come singly?"
[Venerable Great Story-Merchant, you are required to make restitution to the Venerable Lotus Flower, Jihao Yuxuan, for failing to return what was lent to you and for stealing various items from the treasury of the Ruler's Path—assets considered his by both right and law.]
Before he could fully grasp the situation, the Venerable Great Story-Merchant found himself... Stefan Tilmore found himself in the dark, solemn realm of Venerable Lotus Flower Jiehao Yuxuan. The latter gazed at him calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He spoke in a quiet tone, yet his words carried an undercurrent of murderous intent that struck fear into the heart of the Great Story-Merchant, Stefan Tilmore. "Great Story-Merchant Stefan Tilmore, you have robbed the Imperial Palace multiple times and seized items that were never meant for you."
"Nevertheless, I must thank you, for today I shall exact the compensation I deem fitting. The time has come to settle the debts you owe me. It is truly poor form to steal what you desire without paying the price—especially when taking from me. That is absolutely unacceptable."
Elsewhere, the Great Story-Merchant Stefan Tilmore's eyes burned with rage. Having just faced Yuta and BO-00-01, he now felt deeply humiliated by the threats coming from Venerable Lotus Flower Jiehao Yuxuan.
He unleashed a burst of power sufficient to shake Jiehao Yuxuan's realm. Yet, the Venerable's expression remained unchanged; his goal had been to provoke Tilmore into attacking.
Jiehao Yuxuan parried the Great Story-Merchant's attack, though the force of the clash shattered both his arms and sent him flying backward with tremendous violence. Despite this, the smile never left his face—for he had achieved exactly what he intended.
A system screen appeared. He glared at Venerable Great Story-Merchant Stefan Tilmore; his anger surged, turning his face a deep, furious red.
[A physical assault—a blow—was unleashed against Venerable Hundred-Petal Lotus Jihao Yuxuan because Venerable Great Story-Merchant Stefan Tilmore refused to pay compensation for a theft that was supposed to have been a loan.]
Before Venerable Great Story-Merchant Stefan Tilmore could utter a single word, the Hundred-Petal Lotus appeared behind him, unleashing chains with terrifying speed. Unable to dodge them, he was completely bound, and a significant portion of his power was sealed.
He snarled in rage, glaring at Venerable Hundred-Petal Lotus Jihao Yuxuan, who returned the look with a calm, provocative gaze.
He activated his unique "Great Story-Merchant" main aperture—along with 1,342,000 sub-apertures. A disk appeared bearing the symbol of a merchant selling books and noble bookseller attire; behind this primary aperture disk loomed a colossal disk, filled with the patterns of the sub-apertures he had acquired through the Eight-Path Wars and battles spanning both the Eighth Era and the present.
His power surged so immensely that the world within Venerable Hundred-Petal Lotus Jihao Yuxuan's aperture began to crack and teeter on the brink of collapse. Yet, Venerable Hundred-Petal Lotus Jihao Yuxuan remained unconcerned as he watched him.
Several chains shot toward the disk, completely sealing his aperture's abilities and nullifying the sub-apertures, forcing his powers back to their natural level—whereupon... The Venerable Lotus, Jiehao Yuxuan, shifted from being a mere provocateur to a terrifying figure in his eyes—leaving him utterly shocked.
Then, another message appeared before him, instilling a fear far greater than what he had felt when facing Yuta at full power. It was the chilling realization that his life was ending and death was imminent.
Having lived for nearly nine full eras, the prospect of death was incredibly difficult for him to accept—especially at the hands of someone eight full eras his junior.
The message took the form of a blood-red lotus flower, bearing the following inscription:
[Thief's Name: Stefan Tilmore
Thief's Title: The Venerable Great Story Merchant
Gender: Transcendent of Genders
Race: Absolute Entity
Age: Approximately 9 Eras
Primary Faction: The Great Story Merchant
Victim's Name: Jiehao Yuxuan
Victim's Title: The Venerable Lotus
Gender: Transcendent of Genders
Primary Faction: The Hundred-Petaled Lotus
Race: Absolute Entity
Age: 70,000 Years
Items stolen by The Venerable Great Story Merchant Stefan Tilmore from The Venerable Lotus Jiehao Yuxuan:
The theft of 12 manuscripts dedicated to the Fragments and Lineages of the 12 Narratives and the Absolute Guardian—specifically from the Faction of the Holy Scribe, the Faction of the Supreme Observer, the Faction of the Cosmic Arbiter, and the Faction of the Master of Classifications.] - Wings of Order and Balance; Wings of the Primal Dao; Wings of the Master of Trials; Wings of Narrative Chaos; Wings of the Assassination Concept; Wings of the Fog of Mystery; Wings of Narrative Time; Wings of Absolute Imagination; Wings of the Absolute Protector.
Stolen: 34x World-Fantasy Demon Gems (Recovered).
Stolen: Empress Xiao Yi's Robe.
Stolen: The Seal of the Forgotten Library of the Alkentai Kingdom.
Stolen: A book of unknown origin; Records of the First Path Wars; 10x Pre-Apocalypse Era records (Eras 4 through 15); Records of Imperial Affairs (First Ruler Path); Documents; Private diaries of the Venerable First Queen of Hunters, Felix Corvus; 5x Minor narrative diaries.
Stolen: Map to one of the ten forbidden locations (Narrative Glitch Desert); Map to the First Primal Gem.
Stolen: A complete suit of unknown origin.Theft of 24 units of a material of unknown origin.
An attack on the Venerable Lotus Flower, Jihao Yuxuan, causing serious injuries.
Threatening the Venerable Great Architect, Yuto, and attempting to assault "Kind Word" Chloe and "Bad Word" Madeline.
The penalties imposed upon him:
1) Payment of a fine amounting to 67% of his power, due to his refusal to pay compensation and his insult toward the victim, the Venerable Lotus Flower, Jihao Yuxuan.
2) Surrender of all his subordinate wings—estimated at 4 million wings.
Since Master Stefan Telmore—known as the Venerable Great Story Merchant—refused to pay compensation, attempted to harass "Kind Word" Chloe and "Bad Word" Madeline, and assaulted and sought to kill the Venerable Lotus Flower, Jihao Yuxuan, the latter is free to do whatever he wishes with the Goblin Ruler, Cavlior.
Given that the demand made by the Venerable Lotus Flower, Jihao Yuxuan, is for the soul of the Venerable Great Story Merchant, Stefan Telmore—thereby fulfilling the official condition and the "Sole Wing" penalty—the document attesting to this business transaction will be annulled.
Shock and sheer terror were etched across the face of the Venerable Great Story Merchant, Stefan Telmore, as he gazed at his own death warrant.
He could have defeated the Venerable Lotus Flower, Jihao Yuxuan; however, he was not merely fighting him—he was facing the Wing itself, and his defeat was an absolute certainty.
He attempted to break free from the restraints that... He struggled, attempting to survive, yet he could do nothing; his end had already arrived. His physical body had been destroyed minutes earlier by the Venerable Lotus Sky, Izlabith.
Any attempt to flee was rendered futile as lotus flowers rapidly enveloped his entire body. He was left unable to do anything but gaze at the Venerable Lotus, Jiehao Yuxuan, during his final moments.
Before he lost his sight—along with the rest of his senses and combat abilities, all of which had been completely drained to offset the cost of the operation—he realized that what had been stolen from him was truly irreplaceable.
The lotus flowers completely covered his body, forming a beautiful cocoon made of blossoms.
"It is done. The eleven withered lotus flowers will regain their strength and the ability to unleash the petals of the Hundred-Petaled Lotus sixty-six times without needing to recharge. Who would have expected me to land such a 'big fish'—the Great Story-Merchant Venerable, Stefan Tilmore?" the Venerable Lotus, Jiehao Yuxuan, remarked with satisfaction.
The Great Story-Merchant Venerable, Stefan Tilmore, had lived through eight eras and was nearing the completion of his ninth. He had slain twenty-six Venerables from the Story-Merchant Pavilion in succession, granting him a terrifying level of power—energy that the Venerable Lotus, Jiehao Yuxuan, had never imagined he would obtain prior to the War of Paths.
He then decided... He turned his calm gaze toward Merta's cocoon, transforming into a gigantic black dragon exuding an aura of death—as if he were Death incarnate.
In a single gulp, he devoured the Great Story-Merchant Ruler, Stefan Tilmore, thereby eliminating the greatest traitor on the Ruler's Path—a figure who had made victory in the War of Paths impossible. He then reverted to his original form, his eyes resting on the Lotus Flower.
[Energy is currently being converted into the Celestial Lotus Wing. We ask the Great Lotus Flower Ruler, Jihao Yuxuan, to wait two full years.]
Jihao Yuxuan gazed at the message for a few moments before dismissing it. His expression remained calm; he had anticipated that his wing would require a long time to assimilate the energy of an entity like the Great Story-Merchant Ruler, Stefan Tilmore. Had it happened any faster, it would have been highly suspicious.
[End of Flashback]
He spoke, looking at Chloe and Madeline, who sat on his left and right respectively: "There is no need to thank me, my charming ladies. You simply need to behave yourselves and listen to the Great Creation Ruler, Yuto, and the World-in-Turn. Understood?"
Chloe and Madeline both nodded in agreement. He gently patted their heads before turning his gaze toward Jia, who was watching him calmly, her eyes holding a look of bewilderment regarding his identity.
He met her gaze with a calm look that carried a hint of mockery. He poured tea for Jia while speaking in a calm tone: "One or two spoonfuls of sugar, Lady Jia Caserford?"
Jia remained silent, recalling the words of the Last Domain Venerable, Ping Tao Xin—the very same words he had spoken to her before the battle against the Beast Ruler.
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The Last Domain Venerable, Ping Tao Xin, rose from his seat and looked toward Jia; he clasped his hands and gave a slight bow. "I wish you a pleasant evening, Lady Jia Caserford."
With that, the Last Domain Venerable, Ping Tao Xin, vanished instantly without saying another word.
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She took a deep breath and looked at the Lotus Flower Venerable, Jihao Yuxuan, answering his question: "I like it sweet; please add four spoonfuls of sugar, Lord Jihao Yuxuan."
The Lotus Flower Venerable, Jihao Yuxuan, gazed at her for a few seconds before adding the sugar to the coffee cup. She, meanwhile, looked at him in bewilderment; she had spoken his name spontaneously, despite not knowing him—this was the very first time she had ever seen him in her life.
Yet, he seemed incredibly familiar to her: crimson hair with a pinkish hue reaching his waist, tied in a ponytail, and eyes with irises shaped like lotus flowers. There had been a child with these exact features in her dreams, though she had never known his name—not even the child's name—yet she felt as though she... However, the fact that the individual was male made it impossible to understand the situation, rendering the hypothesis implausible at present due to a lack of sufficient evidence.