It was still early morning, with plenty of time left before sunrise. The room remained dimly lit, with only a single candle flickering weakly in the center. Shadows stretched across the walls, making it difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish the figures inside.Silence filled the space. Inside the room, three people sat—Jackson, Ms. Yao, and her daughter—each waiting for the other to break the uncomfortable quiet. The awkwardness from the previous night still lingered, suffocating the air between them.The reason for their gathering was Jackson’s doing. He had summoned Ms. Yao’s daughter to discuss his plans. In the dim light, the mother and daughter were barely visible, their outlines blurred by the lack of proper illumination. Had it not been for Jackson’s keen senses as a cultivator, he might have struggled to perceive their presence at all.Both women sat stiffly, waiting for him to speak. The night had clearly been a difficult one for them. Their eyes were likely swollen

The Next Day ~ Jackson stood before Zhang Rou, his expression calm but firm. "For the next two months, I’ll be in seclusion. You won’t see or hear from me during that time." Zhang Rou’s eyes widened. "Two months? But didn't you say your school opens in a week and 4 days! If you don’t show up—" He waved his hand dismissively. "That’s why you’ll go to my Aunt Jenny and let her know my schedule. If I’m late for school, she’ll handle the situation. I’ve already written down her home address and information you will need to pass to her." He handed her a folded piece of paper with an address scribbled on it. "And take this." Jackson placed a small bag of money into her hands. "Enough to take care of yourself for the next few months." Zhang Rou hesitated, looking at the bag in her hands. "This is… a lot." "It’s nothing." His tone was nonchalant, but his eyes carried an unusual depth of pain. Those were money he Rob from those damn thieves! Seeing his nonchalant expression, Zhang Rou bi

A lush of vegetation could be seen below as a Golden Wyvern puppet traversed it. Winds brushed past its metallic wings, yet its passengers did not feel any sort of discomfort. Hours of travel had already taken a toll on their mana reserves, and the long silence on the way was really vexing for them. "We are getting close," Mart Suns said to his other four companions. They had to travel afar from the imperial capital of Skyfire to a city at the edge of the nation for a reason. "Finally. It was stifling on the way here." Carter Suns gave his opinion as he looked at the reason for all of their troubles. At the rear end of the flying puppet was a boy at the young age of fifteen. His features were that of noble birth, with handsome charms under his black hair. The teen's eyes were black and despondent as he viewed the fast-moving scenery below. "Tsk. What a pain!" Mart sneered in discontent when he saw the indifferent attitude of the teen. "Kid, you should at least be thankful. We had

"This house is near the café that serves the best hot cocoa!" she said, describing it like she truly knew every landmark worth visiting.'This house' and 'that house' were spouted in every nook and cranny of the building. Caelum’s brows twitched, unsure if he should laugh or cry at the clerk’s enthusiasm.She even divulged personal information that she was supposed to withhold professionally—like her birthday and the fact that her house was near the school.From what he knew, she had recently turned sixteen and was expecting to enter the next semester at the academy. She was older than him by a month and had siblings.Caelum sighed inwardly. Sister, here I thought you were some formidable smartypants my age. Then you shattered that illusion with your innocent enthusiasm.Be professional here. Be professional! he told himself but couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. Somehow, he couldn’t bear to break her happy expression."Alright, alright. That’s enough, little Aria."A calm voi

"If you agree, I will work for you—cooking, cleaning, and preparing necessities. Basically, we'd be sharing quarters while you laze around, only needing to pay your dues with the money you have," she said, trying to persuade me when she noticed I was still unconvinced. "Since you're new in town, I'm the perfect information broker. I'll even give you the chance to wed and bed me. But don’t get carried away with your wild fantasies—owning my body doesn’t mean you own my heart. You'll have to work for that. This is for my siblings’ future."I raised a brow, unsure if I should laugh or be wary. Information and maid services? I couldn’t care less. I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Even as a former prestigious young master, I had trained myself in various survival skills—cooking, carpentry, even cleaning.But the bonus of only paying a thousand gold coins? Not bad. And as for the prospect of having Aria… well, who was I to refuse when I was a man of culture? Aria would be an