Unfortunately, we had to postpone the third test when Father and Kaylee returned from Icefall City. From their celebratory mood, I could tell that the talks with Prince Eugene and House Icefall had gone well. When everything was finalized, and we started receiving our share of the mythril, our House’s circumstances would improve.

Father’s mood dampened when he saw that we had a guest, and when he realized who that guest was. Mother and I pulled him aside to let him know what was going on. Father expressed apprehension, especially regarding my circumstances. What if Great Grandfather Gabe found out? We didn’t know how he would react if he realized I was actually a reincarnation from Spirit Earth.

On the one hand, he was family. I doubt that he would do anything to harm House Sturm overall. On the other hand, an Immortal’s soul was a valuable resource and I was too weak to defend mine just yet. Worst of all, if he became a Nascent Soul cultivator any time soon, then it was possible he would end up devouring my soul to nourish his own.

All in all, it was better to just avoid that altogether. Even if he found out I was a reincarnation, I would do everything in my power to prevent him from realizing that I was an Immortal reborn.

Despite all this, Father agreed with our reasoning when we told him that we wanted Great Grandfather Gabe to stick around as a guest. My great grandfather’s mere presence would be enough to deter most cultivators from messing with our family. Golden Core cultivators were not to be fucked with lightly.

Our House wasn’t weak, but facing threats on multiple fronts would chip away at our strength. In addition to House society, and all the problems that came with it, we now had to worry about cultivator society and its foibles.

The sooner I passed Great Grandfather Gabe’s third and final test, the better.

According to Mother, the third test involved cultivation knowledge. As long as I met Great Grandfather Gabe’s standards, which were quite strict, I would pass.

Compared to the second test, I thought that this one would be a breeze. I could fill entire oceans with the cultivation knowledge I had forgotten, let alone what I remembered.

Passing a knowledge and comprehension test devised by a Golden Core cultivator would be child’s play.

Kaylee was a bit upset with us, since we had a family meeting without her present. To mollify her, Mother pulled her aside and explained the situation. To make sure Kaylee had the proper context, Mother also explained cultivation and cultivator society to her.

In the meantime, Father and I kept Great Grandfather Gabe company. The man was quieter than before, but still amiable. He livened up when we brought him to see Roland. At first my little brother was confused by Great Grandfather Gabe’s presence, since the filthy rags made him look like a homeless man. However, Roland perked up when we told him that the man was Mother’s grandfather.

He ended up calling Great Grandfather Gabe “Grandpa”. We tried to get him to stop, with little luck. In the end, we let it be. After all, since Father’s parents died a long time ago, and Mother’s parents were all the way back in the Lunarian Kingdom, Roland had never experienced what it was like to have a grandparent.

Actually, the same could be said for Kaylee and I.

Huh.

That alone would have been reason enough to have Gre-…Grandfather Gabe stick around as a guest. I had never had a grandfather before, even counting my other two lives. This should be an interesting experience.

I also took this time to explain to Father my concerns about the House Sturm retainers. While there was some overlap between cultivation arts and wizardry spells, it was obvious that cultivation was a different discipline altogether. The duel earlier, between Grandfather Gabe and I, was a perfect example of that.

Father reassured me that it wouldn’t be a problem. The House Sturm retainers were loyal, and would keep their mouths shut; especially once we explained the situation to Captain Jeffers. With her help, we wouldn’t have any problem. She would also be one of the retainers that we would share cultivation knowledge with. As the captain of House Sturm’s retainers, to do any less would be an insult.

I also told Father my idea of sponsoring Lady Calla so she could attend the Solarian Imperial Academy. While I was certain that House Icefall would eventually betray us, the more we strengthened our influence over them, the longer we could delay this.

Father told me that Kaylee had actually had the same idea, and even brought it up when the two of them met with Prince Eugene and House Icefall. Since Kaylee planned on attending the Solarian Imperial Academy herself, Lady Calla wouldn’t be alone. Add in Annabelle, who planned on eventually returning to the academy, and Lady Calla was guaranteed to have a successful school life.

Prince Eugene seconded this idea, and said that he would use his influence to help Lady Calla enter the Solarian Academy. The proceeds from the mythril mine would pay for her tuition. According to Prince Eugene, Lady Calla had impressed him during dinner the other night. He didn’t want her genius in magical theory to go to waste. For the sake of the Solarian Empire, it needed to be nurtured.

From what Father told me, when Lord Icefall heard all of this, the man teared up a little. It was clear that Lord Icefall loved his daughter, and was proud of her academic prowess.

Annabelle went back to cultivating. At the rate she was going, I believed she would form her dantian sooner than I had anticipated. When Annabelle said that she wanted to become a cultivator as soon as possible, she meant it. I didn’t mind. In fact, I admired that about her. Her dedication towards her passions was one of the things I loved most about her.

Lorelei and Corie arrived not too long afterwards, coming back from visiting friends in Icefall City. I pulled them aside and explained the situation to them regarding Grandfather Gabe.

“Is he going to help train us?” Lorelei asked when I finished.

That was something I had considered as well. While I didn’t think he would share any of Clan Leone’s secrets, I think it was possible that he would take part in helping us train our disciples and retainers.

Lorelei in particular would benefit from his tutelage. While I could fight hand to hand when I needed to, I didn’t specialize in it. Grandfather Gabe did. If he agreed to give Lorelei some pointers, then it would be an immense benefit to her.

Hell, I think the same thing could be said about all of us, myself included. Improving my hand to hand skills wouldn’t be a bad idea. I would need to bring that up after I passed Grandfather Gabe’s final test.

Speaking of my disciples, I returned Crimson Fang to Leroy after talking with Father. While he wasn’t obvious about it, Leroy relaxed when he had his sword in hand again. It was as if a piece of himself had been returned.

Mother and Kaylee emerged hours later. My little sister was in a bit of a daze. I didn’t blame her. Her entire world had been turned upside down, and it would take her some time to get to grips with it.

She looked at me in a new light, though I couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. Time would tell.

At that point, it was late enough that we had a family dinner first before going ahead with the third test. Annabelle and my disciples attended as well, since I considered them part of the family. My parents had no objection to this, since I secured their permission beforehand, though it was clear from Grandfather Gabe’s body language that he found this odd. However, he didn’t say anything.

During dinner, Grandfather Gabe regaled us with tales from Mother’s childhood, to her embarrassment. Since everyone at the dinner table knew about cultivation, he even told us a bit about Mother’s cultivation mishaps. One story involved Mother’s attempts at Spirit Earth alchemy, where she ended up making a stink bomb by accident.

I ended up almost choking on my food when I heard that part. My disciples all gave me dirty looks, as if to remind me of my own failures in alchemy. Like mother like son, I guessed.

Before it got too bad, Mother deflected by turning the situation on me and Kaylee. She told the others embarrassing stories from our childhood, and the shenanigans the two of us got up to; she included incidents that I thought no one else knew about. After our initial embarrassment, Kaylee and I took it in stride.

These stories aroused Aurora’s interest, I could see her making note of all the stories that embarrassed me the most. My intuition told me that she would bring these up in the future, when she wanted to mess with me.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Annabelle observing all this with a contented expression on her face. Something flashed across her eyes, and her smile dimmed. I guessed that she was thinking about House Thorne, and how much she missed them. She ran away from home, and said she would leave them for my sake if necessary, but I knew that she loved House Thorne and they loved her.

This made it all the more imperative that I earned their approval. I didn’t want to see Annabelle’s smiles grow dim, now or in the future.

Since I wasn’t seated next to Annabelle, to my disappointment, I couldn’t reach over to offer her some comfort. However, our eyes met and we shared a look. I tried to convey my thoughts to her without a word. Once I reached a high enough cultivation level, I could do that with my divine sense. Until then, a simple look would have to do. It must have worked, because her smile brightened.

After dinner, when everyone except our family had left, Grandfather Gabe asked me to join him in the library for the third test.

Alone.

“Is that really necessary, Grandfather?” Mother protested.

Grandfather Gabe nodded.

“Yes, Claire,” he said. “The test is for the bo-…The test is for Gabriel. Don’t worry. It won’t take long.” He chuckled. “The final test is merely a formality at this point.”

Mother still looked worried, despite this. I touched her arm.

“It will be fine, Mother,” I said.

After a brief moment, she nodded.

“Very well,” she said, before turning towards Grandfather Gabe. “Don’t keep him up too long.”

He chuckled again, assuring her that everything would be fine.

I noted that Father didn’t say a word during all of this. Neither did Kaylee. She looked like she wanted to, but followed Father’s example and kept quiet. It seemed that he would leave everything related to cultivation up to Mother and I. Perhaps that was how things would work out. Father and Kaylee would deal with the wizardry side of things, while Mother and I would deal with business related to cultivation.

House and Clan. I had been using the terms interchangeably when referring to the Leone family, and so had the others, but there would be times when they meant two different entities. Was that something that the families who were both Houses and Clans had done?

I would have to ask Mother or Grandfather Gabe about it.

Speaking of Grandfather Gabe, the two of us went to the library. Night had fallen at this point. Despite this, the library was well lit thanks to magelamps placed at strategic locations. It wasn’t that much dimmer compared to day.

Rather than sit at the table in the center of the library, like I expected, Grandfather Gabe walked over to one of the windows and looked outside, leaning against the wall. I leaned my hip against the table and waited. I wondered what was going through his mind. Was he thinking of a suitable test for me?

“Who are you?” Grandfather Gabe asked. He spoke in a quiet voice, one with an undercurrent of menace.

Ah, so that was why he wanted us to be alone.

Fuck.

Rather than ask him what he meant, I took my time before responding.

“I am Gabriel Sturm,” I said. “I swear this on my soul.”

Like the other times I swore this oath, I felt a soundless click echo through my soul. I was getting real tired of this.

“I see,” Grandfather Gabe said. “But you are not just Gabriel Sturm, are you?”

With that, he looked away from the window and faced me. He hadn’t unleashed his aura, but I still felt pressure from the weight of his gaze. My intuition told me that I was in danger. One wrong word, and I might end up dead.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“Don’t play stupid with me,” Grandfather Gabe said. “I started to suspect something when we talked in the library. You and your mother’s attempt to evade the truth would have fooled anyone else, but not me. I know Claire too well. It’s obvious to me when she’s trying to hide the truth, but doesn’t want to lie about it.” He pushed away from the wall and turned to face me fully. “Our duel earlier deepened my suspicions. Despite your low cultivation level, you managed to hold your own against me. Even though I held myself back, you still should have lost. Instead, you won, displaying a high level of skill and understanding. The formation you used was unlike anything I had ever seen before.”

I grimaced at this. Damn it, he was right. I should have taken that into consideration. Instead, I tried my best to beat him and pass his test. In short, I did too well and revealed more of my hand than I intended to.

I was laughably bad at keeping a low profile.

“I am the Chosen of Lord Tempest,” I pointed out.

I had hoped that would be enough to assuage any suspicions he might have. After all, a god’s level of understanding far surpassed that of any mortal’s.

“Be that as it may,” Grandfather Gabe said. “Your knowledge exceeds that of someone who has been cultivating for a few months, even with Lord Tempest’s tutelage.”

He…had a point. Yep, I was really bad at keeping a low profile.

“Given what I know,” Grandfather Gabe continued. “There are only a few things that can explain what is going on. So, I ask again. Who are you?”

I let out a sigh. Well, if the cat was already out of the bag, then there wasn’t any point in trying to hide things any longer. At this point, I needed to do some damage control.

“I’m not possessed or sharing my body with another soul, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I said. “I’m a reincarnation. My soul originated from Spirit Earth, or the Land of the Golden Dragon as you might call it, and ended up here on Lumina.”

Grandfather Gabe studied me for several long seconds.

“I see,” he said. “And are your parents aware of this?”

I nodded.

“Of course,” I said. “They’re my parents. I didn’t want to keep something like this a secret from them.”

Since I planned on becoming an Immortal again, I also knew that my efforts would catch their attention. That being the case, it was better to be honest with them about it than try to keep it secret.

“And given your ineptitude when it comes to any form of subterfuge,” Grandfather Gabe said, as if reading my mind. “They would have likely figured out that something was wrong anyway.”

“Hey,” I said. “There isn’t any need to be insulting.”

“But I’m not wrong, am I?”

I rolled my eyes.

“What do you want?” I asked, changing the topic. “I assume there’s a reason why you wanted to meet with me alone, unless it was just to figure out my secret.”

“What I want is to figure out exactly who you are, and what you want. Your goals, your motivations, your plans for House Sturm.” Grandfather Gabe unleashed his aura. This time, he didn’t hold back. I grabbed onto the table to remain standing. “Most importantly, I want to know if you’re a threat to Claire. She is my most beloved grandchild, and I will not let any harm come to her or her family.”

Let me at him, Aurora said, incensed. How dare this old fogey bully you?

‘No,’ I said. ‘He will either destroy you, or take you away from me if you try. Let me handle this.’

Aurora radiated discontentment at this, but nodded.

Fine, but if he tries anything, I’ll bite him, she said. I don’t care what you say. I won’t stand by while this fossil hurts you.

I found it funny that a former World Serpent, who was likely older than the Solarian Empire itself, called my great grandfather a fossil.

“You and I are on the same page then,” I said out loud, speaking through gritted teeth. It took all my strength. “I love my family, and I don’t want any harm to come to them either.”

Grandfather Gabe snorted at this.

“You expect me to believe that?” he asked. “Over the centuries, I’ve met two reincarnations from Spirit Earth, as you call it. Neither of them gave a damn about their families here on Lumina. One refined her family to create pills, while the other just abandoned his.”

I stared at him in horror.

“That’s monstrous,” I said.

Back on Spirit Earth, Cultivators did all kinds of fucked up things, even the so-called righteous ones. However, few would go so far as to refine their own family members into pills. It was obscene.

“Indeed,” Grandfather Gabe said. “The cultivators from Spirit Earth who end up here in their own bodies aren’t that much better. Only a few showed any regard for the lives of those here on this world.”

“I’m not like them,” I said, putting as much sincerity into my voice as possible. “I love my family. I do not see them as expendable. They are not tools to be used, or ingredients to be refined into a pill. They are my family. This I swear on my soul.”

A soundless click echoed throughout my soul. Swearing an oath like this was a drastic step. However, after hearing how the other two reincarnations from Spirit Earth that my grandfather had met had treated their families here on Lumina, I needed to take a drastic step to prove my sincerity to him.

It helped that every word I spoke was true, so there was little threat to me. I loved my family, and I would never treat them like that. Fuck. At worst, I would walk away from them for Annabelle’s sake, or to pursue my cultivation. I would never harm or kill them. I clenched my fists at the thought of it.

When Grandfather Gabe saw that I was still fine, despite swearing a soul oath like that, he relaxed a little and retracted his aura. It took me a moment to adjust to the sudden lack of pressure.

“I believe you,” he said. “Only a fool would swear a soul oath like that and not mean it. While some of…many of your actions thus far have been foolish, aren’t a complete fool.”

“Thanks,” I said in a sardonic tone.

“However, that doesn’t mean I trust you,” Grandfather Gabe said. “While I no longer believe that you would intentionally harm your family, you could unintentionally harm them.”

“Anyone can do that,” I interjected. “I’m not any better or any worse than everyone else in that regard.”

Grandfather Gabe nodded, conceding the point.

“True,” he said. “But the harm you could cause exceeds that of most people.” He said the next sentence in a dry tone. “Your reckless nature doesn’t fill me with confidence.”

I took a moment before responding.

“Then perhaps this will,” I said. “I have my own ambitions and goals. I won’t deny this. I intend to walk the road to immortality and reach the heavens. However, I also wish to see my family thrive and prosper. I wish for us to achieve the heights we reached before and become a Great House again. Ever since my duel with Lady Annabelle, I’ve worked hard with that goal in mind.”

“And is that the best thing for your family?” Grandfather Gabe asked. “Wouldn’t a quiet life in the countryside, away from the intrigues of House politics, be safer?”

I stood up straight.

“A quiet life in the countryside might be safer,” I said. “As long as everyone leaves us alone, and no one bothers us. However, that won’t be the case. House Sturm has made many enemies over the years, and if we slink away to the countryside, those enemies will see it as a sign of weakness and attack. We might be able to fend off one or two of them, but eventually they will overwhelm us.”

I shook my head.

“No. Even if our family’s enemies leave us be, which I doubt would ever happen, there is always the chance that a new threat would appear. Living a quiet life does not guarantee one’s safety.” I narrowed my eyes at Grandfather Gabe. “Besides, we are House Sturm. We were never meant for a quiet life in the countryside. The only way to guarantee my family’s safety is to ensure that we become so strong that no one would ever think of challenging us. We need to make the price of attacking us too steep to bear. That is when we will be safe.” I gestured in the direction of Icefall City. “Take House Solaria, for example. Only a fool would think of attacking them.”

“House Solaria has the support of the Sun Emperor,” my grandfather pointed out.

“And House Sturm has me,” I said. “I will do everything in my power to see my family prosper and thrive. We were once a pillar of the Solarian Empire, and we will be one again.”

After I finished speaking, Grandfather Gabe studied me for several long moments. I faced him without flinching or back down. Now was not the time to show any hesitation or weakness. If he thought that there were any doubts in my heart, then I would lose any chance of convincing him to help us.

“That was quite the speech, Gabriel,” Grandfather Gabe said. “However, you are merely an Energy Condensation cultivator. What can you do against the forces that will test and challenge you?”

“For now,” I said. “I am an Energy Condensation cultivator for now. It’s only a matter of time before I reach my previous level of power.”

Grandfather Gabe snorted.

“‘Time’ being the keyword in that sentence. The world isn’t going to stand idly by, waiting for you to get stronger. Sooner or later, you’ll face a threat that you won’t be able to handle.”

“You’re right,” I said. “Which is why I need to rely on the strength of others, until I’m strong enough to shoulder the burden myself. Your strength, to be exact. This is why I’m working hard to get you to stay, to help shield my family until we are strong enough to shield ourselves.”

This was a lesson I learned back on Spirit Earth; find someone strong to rely on until I was strong enough to rely on myself. When I first started out, I was a rogue cultivator. It was a difficult and dangerous time in my life. Things changed when I joined the Blossoming Lotus Sect, and met my first Masters. I relied on them, and the Blossoming Lotus Sect as a whole, until I became strong enough to rely on myself. In time, I became strong enough that others came to rely on me.

“Your mere presence is enough,” I continued. “But if you actively helped us, that would be even better. Even if you only restrained yourself to teaching and training, that would be an immense boon. I’m not asking you to betray Clan Leone or reveal any of its secrets; only to help us grow our own strength until we can stand on our own.”

When Grandfather Gabe didn’t respond right away, I took that as a good sign. At the very least, it meant that he was thinking about it. If I gave him another push, maybe that would be enough to tip him over the edge. Perhaps, he just needed the right incentive.

“Of course,” I said. “I’m not asking you to help for free. If you do decide to stay, and help with teaching and training, then I am willing to give you a technique in trade.”

At this, Grandfather Gabe perked up.

“What sort of technique?” he asked, before shaking his head. “Wait, no. I can’t believe I’m actually thinking about this. Despite all these grandiose claims, I don’t actually know if you’re telling the truth or not. For all I know, this could all be some sort of long con.”

I snorted at that.

“You’re at a high enough cultivation level that you should be able to tell if I’m lying or not,” I said. “As you said yourself, I’m inept at subterfuge.”

Grandfather Gabe tilted his head from side to side.

“Fair enough,” he said. “What sort of technique?”

“The Dimensional Edge technique. Have you heard of it before?”

He pinched his chin between his index finger and thumb.

“No. What sort of a technique is it?”

“It’s a sword technique, though it can easily be adjusted for claw attacks. It’s a slashing technique that can cut through space. It’s a precursor to the Dimensional Slash technique.”

Dimensional Edge cut through space itself, bypassing most forms of defense, making it difficult to block. Dimensional Slash was similar, except that it could be used to target an opponent from any range. Distance didn’t matter, since the attack cut through space itself to reach its target.

One needed to be in the Golden Core stage, at a minimum, to use Dimensional Edge. For Dimensional Slash, one needed to be in the Nascent Soul stage.

“A bold claim,” Grandfather Gabe said. “How do I know that this Dimensional Edge technique is as good as you say?”

“I can teach it to you first, so you can try it out for yourself,” I said. “Consider it a gesture of good faith. If it meets your standards, then we have a deal. If not, then consider it a gift.”

This was a risk on my part, but I doubted that he would lie and screw me over. We were family after all, it was clear just how much he adored Mother.

I had no fear that Dimensional Edge wouldn’t meet his standards. It was a powerful technique that I used a lot during my life as Immortal Celestial Thunder.

Adjusting Dimensional Edge for claw attacks wouldn’t be difficult. At the end of the day, it wasn’t really a sword technique. In truth, it was a spatial technique. That was why a cultivator needed to be so high level in order to use it.

“You can keep your technique,” Grandfather Gabe said. “From your demonstration earlier, and our conversation just now, it’s clear that testing your cultivation knowledge would be pointless. I’ll stay with Clan Sturm for the time being, you don’t have to worry about that. However, I’m interested in something else. If you can help me with it, I’ll actively help Clan Sturm, though I won’t betray Clan Leone.”

I refrained from jumping up and down in celebration.

“What did you need help with?” I asked.

“Before I tell you,” Grandfather Gabe said. “You need to promise me that you won’t breathe a word of it to anyone. I have many enemies. If they find out what I’m about to tell you, then they will come after me. I can let that happen.”

Hmm, based on that, I assumed that he needed help with some kind of weakness or injury. I could see why he didn’t want outsiders to find out about it. Cultivators were like sharks sometimes; if they smelled blood in the water, they would come swarming.

“Fine,” I said. “I promise.” I pointed in the direction of my parents’ room. “But what about our eavesdroppers?”

Father and Mother started at this. Since they were Fourth Circle wizards, their spirit sense was quite developed. Eavesdropping on a conversation within the same manor was child’s play.

I had kept an eye on them with my divine sense during my conversation with Grandfather Gabe, and suspected that they were listening in based on their actions. Their reactions just now confirmed my suspicions.

I assumed they kept an eye on us because they were worried.

‘Are you at the point where you can communicate through your spirit sense yet?’ Grandfather Gabe asked, his voice in my mind.

Hey, that’s my thing, Aurora complained.

I shook my head.

“No, not yet,” I said. “Maybe when I reach the Foundation Establishment stage.”

Grandfather Gabe sighed.

“Fine then,” he said, before looking in my parents’ direction. “Since some children don’t know that it’s rude to eavesdrop on other peoples’ conversations, as long as they promise to keep what they hear to themselves, I won’t punish them.”

From inside their room, Mother sighed.

“Apologies, Grandfather,” she said.

“We were just afraid that something might happen between you and Gabriel,” Father said.

“Next time I’m setting up a privacy formation,” Grandfather Gabe muttered.

Bullshit. Either he knew they would listen in, or he didn’t care that they had. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he set up a privacy formation for a conversation like this in the first place?

“We promise to keep to ourselves anything we hear from this point onward,” Mother said.

Father nodded.

Some people would find it odd to have a conversation with people several rooms away. I just found it annoying that I couldn’t use telepathy yet.

“Very well,” Grandfather Gabe said, before facing me again. “I’m stuck at my current cultivation level. It’s been fifty years since my last breakthrough, and I haven’t made any progress after that. No matter how much I cultivate, no matter what elixirs or pills I consume, nothing happens. I’m stuck. I’ve consulted several people, including a Nascent Soul cultivator, but none of them have been able to find the problem.”