Amidst the celebratory noises of hawking salesmen and jubilant crowd, Zi Yang and Zi Ming finally returned home with satisfaction.

Zi Ming’s whole face was beaming. He was looking forward to when everyone sees his fairy dress.

He learned from Zi Yang that such a dress is worn by fairies in heaven and they look super good.

When he wears it and goes to Yi Hai and says, “hey stable boy, serve me wine”; that would be so cool.

Zi Yang did not disturb Zi Ming’s fantasies as he giggled. He could make sense of his brother’s every being without him speaking what he was thought.

It must another one of his story immersions – most likely pretending to be a fairy official with the new dress and ordering people around.

He blames himself for enrichening his brother’s childhood too much.

It’s alright, he consoled himself. It will get better as he grew up.

Which kid did not fantasize becoming a superman or a power ranger as he grew up.

Did not reality come like a devil smashing their heads with a hammer and shaking them awake?

Ouch.

Zi Yang forgot, that this is a fantasy world where dreams could become reality.

Is he going to have a snobbish second-generation spoiled brat as his younger brother when he grew up?

No, that’s horrible.

He made up his mind to discipline Zi Ming more if he does weird things taken from stories again, especially if he acts like a spoiled young man.

While thinking, he had already led Zi Ming to the center room.

As soon as they entered, a waft of mouthwatering smell ticked their noses and drool flew out unconsciously.

They knew Mama Mei must have something tantalizing today.

“Mama Mei, what did you make?”

Zi Ming was as excited as always.

Mama Mei came out of the kitchen with a tray and gently placed it on the dining table of four in the corner of the center room.

“Here. Your god pa brought home an inferno unicorn rabbit. I cooked with fresh spiritual apples, tangerines, plums and prunes.”

“Wow.”

Even Zi Yang was amazed now.

Inferno Unicorn rabbit is a very miserable beast.

It is not so much as a rabbit as it is fire and plant elf.

It is not a unicorn but has a unicorn horn.

His body is always on roast and its unique scent attracts others to often hunt him, but he is charged by nature to maintain plant activity using his inferno heat in winters.

People hunt it for food.

A proper example of “can’t live, can’ die well.”

But this beast is not the one to give in.

At the moment it senses fatal and sure danger to his life, he explodes with a dazzling inferno.

Its life motto is, “I won’t let you succeed even if I die.”

Goes without saying how rare it is to catch a complete beast.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Uncle Baize, where did you find this rabbit?”

Zi Yang was curious. This rabbit is not native to this region where it could be hunted for food so casually.

Baize answered casually, “I procured it from the beast research center in the city.”

Zi Yang understood.

Uncle Baize probably paid a hefty price to acquire this for the research center.

“Cool, brother. Come. Let’s eat first.”

Zi Ming kept wiping his drool with his sleeves. Mama Mei tapped him lightly and cleaned him with tissues before finally making him sit on the chair.

The family of four had a nice dinner.

While leaving, Baize called for Zi Yang to come with him to his room.

Zi Yang’s house initially only had two rooms and one center room or a lobby.

It was when the daycare center was renovated, that an extra room was built for Uncle Baize near the center and just behind the original two rooms.

The planning couldn’t be worse but for the size of the house, it works.

Zi Yang sat on a chair in Baize’s room and waited for him to speak.

Baize was organizing his words and said, “Zi Yang, it will soon be the 90 months in the contract.”

Zi yang’s heart jumped.

Sure enough, what is supposed to come will come.

He swallowed and was about to say something but Baize preempted again.

“No issues, I liked staying here too. Deception done with harmless intentions can sometimes be forgiven.

Now, you listen to what I want to say.”

Baize turned serious.

“What is it, Uncle Bai?”

“Young master…”

Zi Yang’s raised his eyebrows. Even though Uncle Bai usually calls him young master. Today somehow felt different. Plus, he just called by name and then switched again.

Anyone else might not notice.

Zi Yang did.

Baize continued, “I was never injured by a curse when I applied to stay here. I am actually an attendant of the Void Empress. She sent me to observe you up close and report as she intends to accept you as her disciple.”

Zi Yang’s head exploded.

He did not care about anything else.

His mind only revolved around the words, “Void empress’ attendant”, “accept disciple” etc.

He had no interaction with the Void empress, so how could he even catch her attention to observe him?

Did that not mean he was under lens for 8 years?

He really felt a little scared.

Who knew what kind of temperament a powerhouse might have. Luckily, she did not seem malicious.

“Uncle Baize, no Sir Baize….”

Zi Yang unconsciously stood up solemnly.

Even though Baize knew it would happen. He couldn’t help but feel sad.

The boy had started alienating him.

Most importantly, it is not a conscious act.

Then he heard Zi Yang continue, “from what I know… Void Empress’ residence is quite far from here. When did she ever see me for her to send you for observation?”

Baize continued and informed slowly, “Your mother helped her once and she reciprocated during her childbirth…”

Baize knew he did not have to continue to talk more.

For an observant and precocious kid like him, he should have already understood everything else he wanted to say.

The room was silent for a moment except for the floating voice of Lady Mei’s lullaby from the adjacent room.

After a while, Zi Yang asked, “so anything else?”

Seeing an expressionless Zi Yang, Baize knew that Zi Yang was probably either processing the information or completely disregarding it altogether.

But to his duty, he finished, “Yes, she said she wanted to talk to you tomorrow.”

Zi Yang nodded and said, “Understood. Please tell the empress that I will be there.”

Then Zi Yang strode out.

Soon Baize heard the sound of Zi Yang’s door closing.

He did not know what to make out of it. So, he let it be.

Zi Yang was not as calm as Baize saw him in his room.

Nor was he as outraged as both the Void Empress and Bai thought he would be.

He was, if anything a little confused and a little scared.

He sorted his thoughts.

First, feeling outraged at being observed is superfluous. Will you not allow people to see you and observe you, one might as hole up in a cave.

Plus, before accepting disciples, most powerhouses like to observe for a period of time – that is the worldly knowledge from Xianxia novels.

Moreover, he is weak so he can’t blame anyone else if he didn’t notice being monitored. Becoming strong would be a solution instead of whining about it.

Secondly, the Void Empress did help him a lot. He didn’t think the resources he swindled out of the leafed hat trut or the merit spitting golden toad could escape the notice of an emperor level powerhouse.

The contracts he signed were all void contracts which were made by the power of the Void Empress and she could nullify them easily.

So, he knows that the void empress might already know about merit but still allowed its use tacitly which was adding karma to herself for his sake.

She’s well-meaning.

So, in all – Zi Yang discovered that except an inquisitee gaze that wanted to pry for his secrets – Zi Yang did not feel much aversion to this issue.

Moreover, he did not what happened recently – he remembered that the last time he saw Aunt Jing’s fiery eyes were when she looked at Master Meng and it looked like she would swallow him whole.

After those occasions, it has been same as Mama Mei’s eyes.

Soft and gentle.

He could understand now why she looked at him like that. They both competed for him as an apprentice.

Zi Yang walked over to a mirror and thought to himself, “is it true that handsome people get all the luck?”

The right to transmigrate also belong to them exclusively.

Could this have been the secret all along?

Zi Yang did not realize that he drifted from the topic a little narcissistically.

His biological clock had to take the initiative to control his facial muscles to make a yawn, which made him realize that it was late.

He threw everything to the back of his head.

He will think about everything tomorrow.

In this world, there’s nothing a good night’s sleep can’t solve.