With Zixin and Aiko in the carriage and Marshall at the front, driving the carriage, the journey was smooth. There were no obstacles to get through, and Zixin was learning rather quickly; after all, he was being taught by Aiko, the Moonlit Fox Spirit Queen.

…

In a well-lighted room, there sat two figures. One of them was Xiu Ying, with her warm smile, and the other was…

Alice, Alice of Existence. She sat opposite to Xiu Ying and wore a plain expression. She had her long red hair, which was well taken care of. Her red eyes observed her surroundings and moved according to her own will. Her snow-white skin was delicate yet it had a hint of strict and caring aura around it. She wore a long red dress with several strange patterns knitted into it.

She spoke, appearing rather friendly to Xiu Ying, “It has been a while since we last talked. How long has it been? I have already lost count.”

Xiu Ying seemed to ponder over the question until she spoke, appearing confident, “About four years. I have heard that the company business has been going well. I congratulate you and your mother.”

“No, I had little to do with it. It was mostly my Mother's efforts. Sigh, seeing her work so hard makes me smile.” She replied, her words giving a hint of her emotions.

“Has All been doing well? I have heard that she has gone out of her way to cause you all some problems. I sincerely hope that things will go well.” Xiu Ying spoke, appearing rather concerned.

“No, don't bother with it, Father is one child at heart. Well, she has always been playful. It may seem like trouble but it is nice to see both she and Mother getting along well even when she barely helps her.” Alice spoke, she appeared to be rather genuine.

Suddenly, they heard a bell ring. The sound was divine, almost otherworldly. This made both Xiu Ying and Alice look down at the window and see the people before them. Some smiled, some were amazed, and some were cheering. This made them move their gazes to one specific point.

Far away from them was a gigantic Academy. The Academy was towering over all the structures near it, making them look like ants before a human. The structure of the building was well-defined; each carving on the wall and pillars was filled with deep meaning. What was the most eye-catching part of this Academy was at the center of it. At the center, there was a gigantic bell, reaching two hundred meters in height, length, and width. The bell was made of gold-like material but in truth, it was a special ore with special abilities. The bell was inside a well-decorated room with many different statues. The room was with an open roof, and the walls around the bell made the room look like a golden flower. There were four gigantic windows in the room, which were normally closed, and were not wide open.

Xiu Ying then looked back at Alice who was still appreciating the beauty of the Academy from afar. Xiu Ying chuckled and spoke, “It looks like you never had the time to appreciate the Myriad Golden Flower Academy.”

“I suppose. So, based on that, a promotion will soon be given. And a bloodline promotion at that. I wonder who has given this lucky one the chance.” Even though Alice has never been near the Academy, she fully knows and understands everything about it. After all, the creation of the Academy came with a special system.

Xiu Ying chuckled, “Then, how about we go see it for ourselves? Who knows, we may meet an individual with high potential.”

Alice agreed almost immediately, and they both stood up and left the room. Once they left the Palace, the groups of people walking saw and greeted them both with full respect. The walk didn't take long for them and while walking, Xiu Ying and Alice were having small conversations.

Finally, once they reached the entrance to the Academy, they were greeted by Jinhua. Her long brown hair gave her an aura of authority. Her golden eyes were dim yet filled with life. Her skin was snow-white like a true beauty. She wore a golden-colored robe with several patterns upon it.

She kindly greeted both Xiu Ying and Alice, “It has been a while since I last met you two; I came here myself to greet you two. It is a pleasure to meet you both. I assume both of you came here to see the promotion with your very own eyes, correct?”

Xiu Ying nodded and Jinhua guided the way for them. As they walked, Alice observed the surroundings. The pillars were high and mighty, almost like they were the pillars of creation. The walls had several different carvings, but they were all on the edges, with special paintings or trophies inside the center of the walls.

While walking, Xiu Ying senses Zixin entering the Palace and without hesitation, grabs at the air. After grabbing, she pulled and Zixin appeared before her very hands.

…

After entering the Palace, Zixin and Aiko were walking around when suddenly, out of nowhere, Zixin felt someone grab his robe from the back, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared inside the Myriad Golden Flower Academy.

Aiko was a little confused after seeing this; she then asked Marshall, who answered, “Lady has used her ability to grab at the air and pull Lord from any period at present. Right now, Lord and Lady are in the same place. From the looks of things, it is very likely to be in the Myriad Golden Flower Academy. It is the structure with the golden bell at the center if you wish to know.”

Suddenly, a burst of air exploded.

Boom!

And Aiko flew at incredible speeds, she was looking for Zixin at full focus. Her speed continuously rose by the second, and when the clock reached one minute, she found the Academy. She can't be bothered to appreciate its structure and flew towards the entrance. The guards of the Academy were confused after seeing someone so powerful and fast daring to head there; after all, Xiu Ying was there, but more importantly, Alice was there, the daughter of…

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

From Xiu Ying’s perspective, she sensed someone flying towards them and chuckled to herself. She made the same motion as before. She grabs at the air and pulls. Aiko appeared before her very hands just like it did for Zixin. And Aiko’s momentum disappeared; the momentum she had built up after flying immediately disappeared after being pulled.

Xiu Ying released Aiko from her grasp and asked Zixin, “My dear brother, do you have any idea who might be getting a bloodline promotion today?”

After hearing Xiu Ying ask, Zixin remembered something but before he could speak, he heard a gigantic roar.

The gigantic roar was like that of an Azure Dragon; the roar reached far and wide; it was as though it was telling all that no one could hide from it.

Fortunately or maybe unfortunately, they were still near the outside, and they saw the sky… be split in half. A gaping hole was at the center as the sky seemed to start falling upon them.

Xiu Ying immediately used her ability and found the cause of all of this. She sighs as though she feels like she caused this to happen because she talked about her. She grabbed at the air for the third time, but this time, there was an added weight. She wasn't simply pulling at the air to pull someone from a certain present period; no, she was pulling someone from the past. She pulled and the young lady appeared before her grasp. Her long red hair was messy, which made her look unkept and improper. Her gem-like black eyes moved according to her will and observed her surroundings. After being released from Xiu Ying's grasp, she looks at her red robe and her ring finger; seeing that she still has her golden ring, she sighs in relief.

The sky was back to normal, it was as though the sky was never split in half. All look around and complain to Xiu Ying, “Xiu Ying, why the hell did you do that? I was just having fun.”

“We two have different understandings of what the word fun means. But, setting that aside for now, splitting the sky in half is not fun for us. Please remember your Father's words: ‘Annoyance is death.’ and, this is not fun for us, which makes it an annoyance.” She kindly explained, yet her warm smile never faded, no, it grew even further.

The young lady pouts, and when she sees Zixin, she greets him, “Hmm? It has been a while hasn't it, Zixin? It's good to see you, though you should start smiling; the use of a stiff face in most situations is little.”

Moving her attention from All to Aiko, Xiu Ying greeted her with her warm smile, “It's good to see a Moonlit Fox Spirit here. It is my pleasure to meet you.” She continued, “My name is Xiu Ying, Xiu Ying of Longevity. I am the Ruler of this Land, I may not be called a Queen, but I take on such a role. My dearest brother and I both hold the ability called Longevity of Time. If you have any further questions about my Land, please, feel free to speak as you wish.”

Aiko, seeing Xiu Ying's politeness, greeted her back and introduced herself, “It is also my pleasure to meet you. My name is Takechi Aiko, the Moonlit Fox Spirit Queen. I am the ruler of my Race. I came here with an agreement with Zixin, I hope we, both Rulers, understand each other well.”

Xiu Ying chuckles, seeing through Aiko’s act. How can she not? Aiko just saw the sky be split in half and she was still calm? Ridiculous. She should be quite shocked at the very least. And she seems to be, or at least she is. This may also be an act she is doing to probe Xiu Ying herself. Either way, Xiu Ying finds her a little bit interesting.

Alice then went forward to introduce herself, appearing rather calm, “It is a pleasure to meet you too. My name is Alice, Alice of Existence. I hope we both get along well since Xiu Ying has already told you to ask her anything; then I hope you will still consider befriending me.”

Aiko smiled back at her, replying, “No need to worry. I am a person who goes out of her way to make new friends. So, shall it begin by today?”

Alice nods, agreeing with her. She was also interested to learn more about her and her race. After all, the gates closed themselves before the birth of the Moonlit Fox Spirit Race.

Jinhua, seeing the new trend, followed suit and introduced herself, appearing elegant yet arrogant, “It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jinhua, the Headmaster of the Myriad Golden Flower Academy. And yes, you are inside it now. Appreciate it as much as you will. If you are interested, feel free to join us.”

Aiko, hearing this, immediately replied, “Yes, this seems like a golden opportunity. I’d like to see it for myself.”

And finally, the young lady went to greet Aiko, seemingly annoyed, “Sigh, it's a pleasure to meet you. Hmm? Weird, I thought you were taller; it must be me imagining things. Anyways, matters aside, I suppose I came up to introduce myself. Sigh, my name is one you’re unlikely to forget. All, All of Existence, that is my name. Find it odd? Unlike the names Alice and Jinhua, my name is rather… unique to say the least. Well, I suppose being born and given a good name is a true pleasure. At least I wasn't hated enough by my Father to name me Name of all things. And yes, the name All has no significance, so don't even bother to try and guess what my Father was thinking when he named me that. I can't even guess it myself, no, I genuinely know. He just can't think of one during the time, yes, a bad Father indeed. Oh, my bad, this is supposed to be my introduction to you, so, I will keep it that way. I, All, am the creator of my own company named Company; yes, I inherited my Father's bad naming sense. I'm married with only one child, Alice. I hope we get along well I suppose?”

Hearing All speak made Aiko confused, Why is she so blatantly rude? Has she not been taught proper mannerisms by her Father? Why did she keep bringing him up? Is this some kind of issue?

Seeing Aiko in such a state, Xiu Ying took the lead and started changing the conversation. She knows full well that Aiko might be acting but she still took the chance because she was genuinely curious as to who has gotten the bloodline promotion.

“Then, how about we continue walking around and appreciating the delicate works of art and achievements of the Academy? I'm sure that Jinhua would kindly explain every one of it to us, right?” Her smile seemed to widen as she cast her gaze toward Jinhua.

Jinhua, finding no reason to refuse, took the chance. She was genuinely proud of the Academy, and so she took the lead at the front and started explaining the fine details of each painting and trophy held within the walls.

Every single step greeted them with several paintings and trophies. There were too many, it made the walk feel like they were inside a museum. And with each painting and trophy, Jinhua fully explained, but whenever they were losing interest, she would immediately change topics. Jinhua didn't feel like a Headmaster anymore but a tour guide.

And while they were at it, they were all talking with each other, filling the halls with laughter. This continued until they were met with the last painting.

The painting was quite big; its width was half a meter, while its length was a full meter. The size wasn't the most eye-catching part, but it was its contents. The painting depicted a garden, under the bright moon. Below it stood a young man, his white hair was long, almost reaching his hips. His skin is delicate, like falling snow. His eyes, gray in color, filled with nothing but intent. His body is small, like a petite young lady. His long white robe flowed down to cover his feet, almost like river water. His face was emotionless, indifferent, almost as though all his emotions were suppressed.

The surroundings around him were beautifully made. The bushes, trees, plants, and flowers all blended nicely to create an aesthetically pleasing effect. But, there was one strange detail that one could not miss when looking at it. The plants, the trees, the flowers, the bushes, they were all dyed with crimson blood. The young man stood upon a puddle of blood. It was a rainy night; the rain fell and touched the young man’s cheeks, making it look like he was crying. Around him were also several figures; each show-like figure surrounded the young man, making him seem like one who had lost all hope. A child, trapped in the chains of Fate.

Xiu Ying chuckles, smiling as she continues to observe the painting, “My dear brother, I can only praise you with this one. A true work of art. And the name, Blooming Garden of Chaos, perfectly fits it.”

Zixin simply ignored her, seeming to not be bothered about it. Accepting the past, like he has accepted his end.

They continued to move forward, and Jinhua tried her best to brighten up the mood, but since Zixin wouldn't even speak, she didn't bother to use him. Instead, she used Xiu Ying to brighten up the mood. Xiu Ying, seeing no reason to refuse, helped brighten up the mood.

After a while of walking, they finally reached it. Zixin’s full attention was caught by the one before him. The one who will soon be promoted. She had long white hair, making her seem like a part of the bloodline she would soon be promoted in. Her snow-white skin was delicate, like a blooming flower petal. Her purple eyes shined brightly at this very moment, her excitement cannot be concealed. She wore the standard uniform of a scholar of the Myriad Golden Flower Academy. Her uniform was white, and her skirt was black.

Zixin finally understood it all, knowing why she was getting a promotion. Seeing that Xiu Ying was looking at him for answers, he plainly explained, “The day before my departure, I studied in the Library, and fell asleep there. The next day after, I was woken up by her. I was rather sleepy at the time, so I gave her the coin.”

Seeing an opportunity open up before her very eyes, Xiu Ying chuckled, appearing to be in the mood to tease Zixin, “Oh? So, it was love at first sight that caused you to give it to her? Hmm… rather suspicious isn't it? Don't tell me… that you plan on marrying her into our family?”

Knowing that Xiu Ying was just teasing him, Zixin decided it would be

best if he closed his mouth shut. After all, Xiu Ying would not stop until she was satisfied with teasing Zixin.