Chapter 28 – The Hidden Patron
The tension in the Shui family courtyard is still thick. The Duke's body is gone, but the shock of Lakan's "Sovereign Judgment" remains. General Kael stands off to the side, unsure if he should arrest a child who just erased a Rank 72 master or run for his life.
Suddenly, a cold, elegant pressure washes over the area. A woman dressed in deep blue robes with silver embroidery walks through the gates. She looks to be in her late thirties, with a face that is both beautiful and stern.
"Headmistress Lin!" Shui Tian, the father, exhales in relief.
This is Lin Xue, the Headmistress of Tianshui Academy. She was rushing here to save the Shui family from the Duke, but she stops dead when she sees the wreckage—and Lakan.
"I'm too late," she thinks, her eyes scanning the broken ground. "But how? The Duke was a Spirit Sage. Who did this?" Her gaze lands on Lakan and his gold-trimmed robes. She realizes the Spirit Hall got here first.
Lakan, sensing her arrival, doesn't act hostile. He knows the Tianshui Academy is the backbone of the Shui family's influence. Otherwise, in the original,story, Shui Bing'er and her sister won't be Safe and sound and be able to Join the Tianshui Academy.
"I assume you're here for the bug spray," Lakan says, sheathing Araw with a casual flick. "Don't worry. The Duke and his son have been... dealt with. Permanently."
Headmistress Lin looks at Lakan's four rings—specifically the two red ones—and her heart skips a beat. "You... you are the Holy Son mentioned in the alerts. I am Lin Xue. The Shui family is under my Academy's protection."
"They're under my protection now," Lakan corrects her, his voice flat. "But I like Tianshui's reputation. Let's talk inside."
Inside the manor's private study, Lakan sits across from the Shui parents, Shui Yue-er, and Headmistress Lin. Ling Yue stands by the door, acting as the silent enforcer.
"The Duke is gone, but the North is still a mess," Lakan says. He looks at Shui Yue-er, who is staring at him with wide, curious eyes. "Yue-er is talented, but if she follows the old way of hunting rings, she'll just be another pawn. I want to try something else."
Lakan leans forward. "Before I say this, everyone in this room will swear a silent vow. If a word of what I'm about to show you leaves this room before I'm ready, the 'Judgment' I showed the Duke will look like a mercy."
They all nod, sensing the shift in the air.
"I'm going to give Yue-er a Soul Spirit," Lakan explains. "It's a living bond. No killing. The beast becomes her partner and grows with her. But for now, the world must think she just found a high-level ring. We won't announce the system until the time is right—years from now, when the winds of war are blowing."
Headmistress Lin leans in, her eyes sharp. "A living bond? If that's true, you aren't just a genius, Holy Son. You're changing the foundation of our world. Why help us?"
Lakan looks at Shui Bing'er and smiles. "Because I don't plan on being a lonely God. A Sovereign needs a foundation, and I've decided the North will be mine."