The door swung open and a thin, elderly man stepped in through the frame, bringing with him an oppressive aura of perfection, as though he was carrying the will of the world. His Cloudborn servant robes were swept up from beneath his knees in a single motion, as he gathered himself and gave a slight bow, before lifting his head.

Even without the martial aura, from a glance Muro would have recognized him. He was one of the few people who his brother had mentioned before he left.

Oka Loro. The Watchdog of the Cloudborn.

Once Yoren had assumed control of the secular family, he had become Yoren’s watchdog.

Oka Loro was a Martial Grandmaster with strength equivalent to a late Nascent Spirit Expert. Naturally, the Totem Protector who had been assigned to Muro could easily dispatch of him, but he was still an intimidating presence in the Kingdoms.

Muro’s eyes were drawn to the smooth, black sword at Oka Loro’s hip. From the faint runes engraved on the metal, he could tell that it was a transcendent treasure, a peak creation of a grandmaster craftsman in the mortal world. In the sect, it was the rough equivalent of a spirit artifact.

Muro’s mind wandered.

Yoren was at the fifth stage of Nascent Spirit, placing him in the late portion of the realm, and he was armed with spirit artifacts of his own, not to mention the fact that he had birthed a Superior Spirit.

It made Muro wonder which among Yoren and Oka Loro was stronger.

The master or the watchdog?

At the same time, Oka Loro made eye contact with Yoren and gestured subtly in Muro’s direction.

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Yoren shook his head slightly. Through the motion he signaled that Oka Loro should report honestly.

Yoren had no certainty that he could conceal the Family’s operations, at least those that were being conducted within the kingdom. He also did not want to take any risks with a Totem’s soul sense watching over the manor.

“That is the younger brother of a senior,” Yoren said. “His much beloved brother. If you so much as touched him, you would be signing a death warrant for thirteen generations of the Oka Family, and dooming me as well. As for why he is here, it is my responsibility to give him an education in the matters of the world.”

Sect members were prohibited from informing even their subordinates of the existence of the sect, so he was forced to convey most information crudely.

“As you say, my lord,” Oka Loro said smoothly. On the surface, it appeared that Yoren’s words had not affected him, but Muro saw the Watchdog’s eyes linger on him for a moment.

Muro felt uncomfortable hearing his brother referred to as a senior.

Even though there were only three people in the room, there was a fourth presence that they were all forced to nod to. Oka Loro didn’t even know his name, and he was still bending to him.

Everything else was a facade.

Muro’s strength was insignificant and yet he was being treated gently by powerhouses. He was being groomed to assume the responsibility of leading a Totem influence. He even had a Protector who could rip through the true Cloudborn Family, to say nothing of the devastation she could wreak at the Cloudborn Manor he was staying in.

It was all because he was the favored brother of Lu Seaborn.

Muro had been dealing with it for his entire life. The halo that surrounded Lu Seaborn made him impossible to ignore. Everyone around him, his siblings, his uncles, his parents, even officials and sentinels of the sect, they were all ants before his talent.

Muro had long speculated that even other Paladins found him to be intimidating, and that only an Archon could look down on him.

Totems existed for him to order around.

It made Muro feel that his own life was just a piece of driftwood being swept up and thrown around in the wake of his brother’s actions.