"So, you own the whole Secluded Palace?" The young man asked courageously; a little shaken by the current scenario.

"Yes, I do. But calling it the Secluded Palace is inappropriate. The name of this Palace is Heavenly Palace." She answered and added further information with a smile.

"Heavenly Palace... Don't tell me this is a path to the AfterLife?" The young man asked in absolute shock.

"No. The AfterLife is far from here. How can the AfterLife be in a physical realm? It's a realm that can't be described by words such as big, tall, or small. After all, the AfterLife is a formless realm." She explained clearly with her smile not wavering.

"I see..."

"Matters aside. May we know more about this Heavenly Palace?" The young lady asked of the group asked.

"It will be a pleasure to do so. Roland, bring them to a comfortable room for visitors. Preferably the same room design as Eule's." She spoke plainly.

"As you wish. Come, guests, please follow me."

"Then, I shall go, I'll see you all later." She spoke with a warm attitude, and her voice was soft as snow. She walked elegantly as she left them behind.

"Ehem, gate open," Roland spoke plainly and the gate opened on its own.

The opening of the gate was quite grand, to say the least. The large metallic gate moved on its own when Roland spoke. The majestic, grand, and divine gate was moved by the mere words of a mere servant.

"Follow me, dear guests."

The group of three followed closely behind him.

As they walked through the gate, they saw a lush green garden. It was filled with all sorts of flowers, bushes, trees, and much more. It made the Palace in front look even more majestic than anything else.

"This is a good garden. I doubt that the viscount of nature has a garden as good as this." The middle-aged man said in awe.

As they continued to move forward, they spoke of multiple comparisons and multiple praises, all of which became fluttering noises for the garden and Roland.

Once they reached the front of the Palace, the door opened and they entered. Once they entered, they were met with a group of ten maids. The interiors of the Palace are luxurious yet plain. There was a red carpet on the floor and the stairs before them.

"Please follow us." The ten maids spoke together in unison.

The group of three naturally followed after them. Their walk allowed the three to see more of the Palace and appreciate it more than ever before.

After a while, they stood before a door. Once they entered the room, they were met with Xiu Ying who sat in the main seat with a table and a set of chairs before her. She was casually taking a sip of tea.

"Welcome; this is one of my study rooms, as you call it." Xiu Ying spoke plainly, her warm and kind smile never disappearing.

At a closer look, one could see that the walls were shelves filled with all kinds of books. The books inside seemed to be written by people who ahs never been heard of in history or may have been lost in time.

"Have a seat."

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The group of three sat down. As for the maids and Roland; they brought out snacks and teas for everyone.

"It is rare for there to be any visitors to my dear Palace. I am quite pleased with this. Thank you for visiting my Palace." She spoke with her gentle and heartwarming voice.

"I'll be honest with you. I won't say that we came here for good reasons. The main purpose of our job is to find the exact location of this Palace. From then on, the government of well... Nobles like me will take part in sharing the resources of this land." The young lady spoke with an honest expression.

"So, it is an invasion?" Xiu Ying pondered and spoke bluntly which was quite unexpected to hear from such a beauty

"No. Calling it an invasion is a bit of an exaggeration. If possible, we nobles would like to trade goods and materials with you all and create a trade route for us." The young lady explained.

"I see. It doesn't sound that bad. I won't mind doing business with you all but I still need someone else's opinion." Xiu Ying replied as her gaze landed on the door.

"That's fine, but who?" She asked.

Suddenly, the door opened and someone entered the room. Taking a walk and taking a seat on Xiu Ying's left.

She had long white hair, snow-white skin, deep black eyes, and wore a white robe that flowed like river water. She was a beauty comparable to Xiu Ying in looks.

"I'm assuming you are her twin?" She asked.

"Me? Yes. Why call me here for?" She asked calmly. Her eyes and expression not letting anything be read. She sat down on her prepared seat.

"We have visitors. They wish to trade with us for our resources." Xiu Ying explained, and her smile seemed to grow even warmer.

"More importantly, introduce yourself." Xiu Ying added.

"I suppose." She stood up. "My name is Zixin, Zixin of Longevity. Holder of Longevity of Time that is shared by me and her. To clear things up, I will be speaking of a four-word sentence." Zixin said, "I am a man." He said plainly.

The group of three was suddenly confused. The young man asked, "A man? But, you look like a beauty, a woman."

"That is because I have drunk a special drug. No need to worry, my sister Xiu Ying is a woman." He spoke plainly and sat back down.

"Now that I have introduced myself, you three shall too. I'm sure my sister didn't ask you all to do so." He glanced at Xiu Ying for a second and seemed to be thinking of something before casting his gaze back at the group of three.

The young lady stood up and bowed. Her voice was polite and well managed, "My name is Flare Brilt. I am an adventurer who is a part of the branch family which is Brilt."

The middle-aged man also stood up. His voice sounded rough but filled with experience, "My name is Andrew Fang. An adventurer who wishes to become a noble one day."

The young man also stood up. His voice sounded soft, almost like a young girl, "My name is Asher Dan. I'm a noble from the Dan Family, also known as the justice-serving family."

"Two nobles and a man wishing to become one? Is the noble title worth this much?" Zixin asked in curiosity, yet his expression seemed to say otherwise.

"Yes, as a noble, we must protect our land, our country, and our people. We nobles are elected by the people; after all, we must satisfy their wishes. For that, all our power is worth just this much." Flare answered in confidence.

Zixin gestures for them to sit down once more. They quickly followed suit, and he also did the same.

He spoke calmly, almost melancholic. His eyelids drooped down like that of a woman's. His voice was soft, calm, and suiting, almost sounding like a mother and her paternal love. His voice also sounded as though he was about to sing a lullaby; combined with his soft, calm, and suiting voice, he sounded like a real mother, "Wealth, power, and fortune? What is the point? Protecting what is weak? Saving those in need? Granting freedom? Bringing justice? Oh, what a sad tale..."

The hearts of the three fell silent, their heads held low. A sudden feeling of sadness grows within their hearts.

What is this feeling? Why am I sad? These thoughts raced within their minds, yet they could not find an answer.

Are his words just that strong, able to make them feel sadness? Or is it something else? Is it because of his voice which sounded like that of a mother? Is it the paternal love felt with his words?

"Enough." Xiu Ying's voice rang through the room, reaching the group of three.

"For what reason have you spoken like a mother?" She asked Zixin, her smile not wavering, but her gaze filled with power and authority.

"I had a good reason. Remember my body issues?" He spoke back to her, his words cold and calm.

"Using them for that? That's your preferred path?"

"No, I had another plan in mind, but they would fix my problem, so why not use them?"

"Learn morality."

"I have already done so."

"It was clearly not enough."

"Was it?"

"Sigh. Don't."

"Hmm... I suppose."

"Now that this matter is settled. Find a cure now. I won't tolerate the possibility of you harming innocent lives." Xiu Ying spoke with a gentle voice that carried absolute authority.

Zixin lowered his head and he looked as though he was pondering over it. He spoke, his voice cold and indifferent, "You owe me a favor for this."

Xiu Ying lightly smiled back at him. Xiu Ying spoke, "Let us continue our discussion, shall we?"

The discussion went on for over two hours and they agreed on one thing. A representative from each side will have to talk things out themselves.

As for who Xiu Ying chose as her representative, it was quite obvious.

"Me? For what reason? I have little interest in politics, that is the main reason why you had the most interactions with All." Zixin spoke, giving his own opinion and trying to not bother with such troublesome affairs.

"Not completely true is it? My interactions with All was of business, not politics." She explained.

"I know, but business and politics collide too much that one cannot separate them apart." He spoke of the truth.

"I agree. But, won't it be good if I owe you two things now?" She smiled.

Zixin's eyes observed her expression with suspicion, but he still spoke, "Sure, I will go. Just tell me when I will depart?"

"You really weren't listening huh? Good. By tomorrow should do."

Zixin didn't reply as he stood and left the room.

"Don't mind him. He's probably off to the library. He studies almost all the time."

"His looks don't fit that of a scholar yet he is one?" Asher muttered subconsciously.

...

At the library, Zixin was reading a book.

From time to time, he would drink the coffee on his table and ponder.

"A representative huh? My dear sister, what are you planning?" He muttered in curiosity.

"Quite a rare sight, isn't it? To see you mutter even the slightest of words. You're usually very quiet." In front of him sat a young girl. She had short white hair, soft snow-white skin, bright purple eyes, and light pink lips. She wore a simple blue dress and a simple pair of shoes.

"Why did you visit me all of a sudden?" Zixin asked, his expression one of indifference, but his words were one of suspicion.