243 Start of a New Beginning

The first dawn after the battle against the Imperial Clan's invasion arrived. The Entertainment Block that received the most damage looked and turned into a place unsuitable for crops. Although buildings could still be established, since the lands around it turned infertile, the Entertainment Block would most likely be unable to reach the peak that it once achieved.

Juliet and Zieve stood beside each other with a aggrieved and solemn expressions on their faces. The Entertainment Block apart from the Outer Disciples Region was the most memorable place for them in their hearts. It was the place where they soared towards the skies and achieved their dreams, yet right now. It became a deserted place, with nothing standing on its vast plains.

"Everything that happened these past several months has been such a dream... Even the collapse of the Entertainment Block and the invasion of the Imperial Clan felt so dream-like to me..." Zieve blurted out loud as he stretched his taut body.

Juliet who stood beside her lightly laughed and nudged him with her elbow: "Yeah, everything has happened too fast, we started as a small restaurant, eventually to a business that sold soup, we clashed against the Imperial Clan, franchised our product to others and eventually soared through the skies and prospered..."

When she spoke of these, her voice turned melancholic and her eyes sparkled with tears. Witnessing the downfall of the pavilion whom she worked hard to establish made her feel stifled and sour. Suppressing her emotions. She glanced at Zieve and said.

"You know that we could still build our company from scratch, you know? And it's not like it's the end of us already. Remember that we expanded throughout the entire Academy...."

Zieve nodded his head to Juliet's words as he turned his torso around and silently wiped a tear that fell from his eye. Turning back to her, he patted her head and ruffled her hair, making it run through her fingers as he sweetly smiled.

"Yeah, with the two of us together. We're invincible and impeccable. After all, we're a duo... Partners in business and Partners in life..." Zieve mumbled but his eyes quickly widened in realization. Standing there like a statue, he noticed that Juliet didn't seem to react to his words as he slowly turned around.

She found Juliet standing there with a crimson sheen spread on her cheeks. She stood stiffly like frozen. Her heart madly pulsated within her chest. As someone who lived through horrendous conditions back in her childhood, Juliet was a precocious child that knew about the relationship between men and women.

Yet even with her strategic mind, she didn't expect that Zieve would say such a bold thing. After all, she's just ten years old, you know? Even when her body already looked so developed due to the help of Heavenly Ingredients and the nurturing of pills from her father, she was still a little girl in heart.

Zieve also knew this fact, but he never denied what he said. He just stood there, awaiting for Juliet's reply. As the wind swept past their bodies and made them shiver. Juliet eventually broke out of her trance and slowly lifted her head to stare at Zieve whose expression completely flushed in embarrassment and shame.

When their gazes met, none of them spoke a word yet they reached a mutual understanding that resonated not only with their hearts but their souls. Holding Zieve's sleeve. The two turned around and walked towards the direction of the Fragrant Peak Pavilion.

At the highest mountain peak of the Academy stood a residence that was considered as a Forbidden Ground for any unauthorized personnel. Not even Core Disciples who had the highest authority among disciples were allowed to visit the area.

Within a highly protected room enveloped by dozens of formations enough that not even a rat could enter, stood the figure of Mathias with a tranquil and composed expression on his face. Before him laid on the bed was a familiar figure clad in clean white robes.

Though his eyes were tightly closed, his chiseled face made everyone who looked straight at him feel intimidated. Paired with the dignified aura that wafted out of his figure, one could tell that he was someone that enjoyed high status in life.

it was none other than the current Emperor of the Empire of Eternal Faith. Yesterday, after using the Final Brilliance of the Dying Sun, Danilo Duterte was left incredibly weakened. But due to Mathias's history with Danilo, the former decided that it was disrespectful to kick such a respected man when he's down.

Killing the Emperor would cause so many problems that he would have to personally solve. But of course, the general public and his disciples that experienced the terror of yesterday's events still needs something to vent on so Mathias publicly executed the entire Golden-Clawed Guards, effectively removing the claws of the Imperial Clan.

Now that the Imperial Clan has lost some ferocity, Mathias felt at ease once more. Staring at Danilo, complicated emotions surged in his heart. Mathias understood why Danilo acted that desperately when attacking his Academy.

The death of his direct descendant may have been the trigger but it wasn't the same cause. It was because back at the time when the Paradyne Academy first arrived at the Continent and tried establishing their influence, they chose the center of the Continent for it had equally close proximity in all extremities, enabling ease of travel for everyone.

Back then, Danilo ruled over a vast Empire of Eternal Faith. Unfortunately, since the Continent where his Empire stayed on lacked resources compared to the other continents, the cultivators and the fighting force that Danilo had couldn't even compare to what Mathias brought with him from the other continent.

Within the course of a decade, after a bitter fight that severely damaged both sides. The war finally ended with the Empire of Eternal Faith's surrender and the Academy's surrender. But the result was, Danilo Duterte lost his wife and dozens of children from the war.

Ever since that day, Mathias tried his best on getting along with the aggrieved Danilo. It took long for Danilo to move on but he eventually did and the two became brothers, with the help of the Paradyne Academy. The two of them repelled the invasions of the nearby Empire of Dawn and the bandits at the North and the Empire of Eternal Faith finally became prosperous once again.

Mathias thought that Danilo had moved on from the death of his descendants and his beloved wife. But in the end, he underestimated Danilo's train of thoughts. And his naivety was proven today when Danilo personally used his wife's soul as the sacrifice for the Final Brilliance of the Dying Sun.

Deeply sighing, Mathias sat down at the bedside and pulled a quill and a paper. Scribbling down the events of yesterday and today. The dignified Mathias revealed a rare eagerness on his face. His eyes sparkled with hope that burned together with tenacity.

At the Fragrant Peak Pavilion. Dan, Natalie, Grace, Juliet, Zieve, Charlotte and even Vincent gathered together at the backyard. The smell of roasting meat permeated the air as Dan danced before the grill with his hands repeatedly rotating skewers of meat cooking on top of the grill.

"Damn, that really smells good, just how did you learn such culinary skills while cultivating at the same time, Dan?" The voice of a vibrant young man echoed out at the distance. Staring at the source of the voice, Dan saw Vincent working out his body with squats.

"It's just a mere side job, you see? How about you, Vincent? Are you not planning on learning some culinary skills to impress your future wives?" Dan lightly chuckled and Vincent stared at him for a moment before saying with locked eyebrows.

"Stop it, Dan. I'm not such a lecherous man like you, I'd rather focus on the path of cultivation than enter the world of cringey romance..."

Dan who heard his words shook his head in disapproval, "Look at you acting so bitter, you should just find a wife already! With your dashing looks and cultivation base, women will fall head over heels at you..." He teased and Vincent kept his indignance to himself and proceeded to ignore Dan.

Grace who heard their banter lightly laughed, "Dan, stop teasing the poor boy... Romance, that's something that he haven't even heard of! You can't expect him to know something about that, can you?"

Vincent almost choked in his own saliva as his movements instantly stopped. Glaring at Grace's direction, his flushed expression in embarrassment looked too adorable to behold as Grace continued poking fun at the aggrieved Vincent.

At the distance stood Natalie, Juliet and Zieve who talked with each other, discussing future plans about the Juliet's Dreamy House's future headquarters. As they were talking, Natalie felt that her daughter's gazes at Zieve were filled with indescribable emotions whom she was completely familiar with and the realization made her smirk.

Poking fun at the solemn Juliet, Natalie said: "Aiyaaa, my daughter really has matured, to think that she would boldly invite a man over to her parents house... Dear, what should I do, what if Juliet will leave us for this man?"

Zieve and Juliet stiffened like statues and Dan who heard Natalie's sentence fiercely glared at their direction. Specifically, at Zieve who involuntarily gulped a mouthful of saliva after receiving Dan's hostile gaze. Juliet who stood at the side kept her silence, yet her blushed cheeks displayed the emotions that she felt in her heart.

Zieve felt cold sweat dripping down his back, as he lifted a crooked smile towards Natalie's continuous teasing. He didn't deny her allegations. But he also never confirmed them. If he did, that would be tantamount to courting death, who knows what Dan would do to him!

"The barbeque is cooked, guys! Come here and sit! Let's eat already!" Dan shouted at the others and all of them simultaneously darted their gaze at the attractive skewers of meat that glistened mysteriously under sunlight.

"You don't know how much I've been longing for your roasted meat, Dear..." Natalie seductively said and the innocent Vincent who heard her words almost stumbled on his feet, evoking laughter from Grace who made fun of his lecherous mind.

Juliet and Zieve slowly walked together with Juliet revealing a sweet smile on his face and Zieve looking all stiff and nervous. Sitting down together and besides each other, the group of six looked like a one huge family that gathered for thanksgiving.

Handing over the portions, it was clear that Dan favored the women, especially her daughter as Vincent cried out in indignance, "What the hell, bro! I was waiting for this roasted meat all morning but all you're giving me is a skewer? Juliet has at least six skewers and she's a little girl that's younger than me!"

Dan raised an eyebrow as he replied, "So what? Are you my daughter? If you want another skewer, you can pay me five Spirit Stones! You do know that I used rare ingredients from the Great Wilderness of Torb! And they aren't cheap!"

Vincent froze for a moment before sighing in retreat. Zieve who heard Dan's words stared at the skewer on his plate as a bitter smile emerged on his lips. Just the surface of the meat and the smell that it emanated indicated that it could compare to the chiefs at high-class restaurants at the Core Disciples Region.

If this happened several weeks ago, Zieve wouldn't be so aggrieved, but since the Dreamy House was in the middle of reconstruction. Funds were tight for him so Zieve wouldn't have any other choice but to make do with a single skewer.

Juliet detected Zieve's thoughts and lifted up three skewers from his plate towards his plate. Garnering the attention of Dan who harshly glared at the former and said, "Sharing of food is forbidden, return those skewers to your plate, Juliet!"

Dan's words sounded harsh and deflated Zieve's heart but Juliet didn't back down and replied with knitted eyebrows that astonished both of her mothers, "Didn't Papa give these skewers to me? Since they are mine, it is my right on what should I do with them, not Papa's!"

Dan instantly froze like a statue and his countenance visibly aged by several decades. His wives that saw his bleak countenance moved closer and patted both of his shoulders.

"That's fine, my dear. You do know that Juliet is a growing girl, I think she's in that phase now..."

"Dear, don't worry too much about Juliet, she's a young woman now. We should let her do whatever she wants in her life as long as it's not something bad for her..."

Grace and Natalie whispered into the ears of the heartbroken Dan. Vincent who observed at the side all this while revealed amusement and schadenfreude on his face as he lightly chortled and teased.

"So even the domineering Dan of the Fragrant Peak Pavilion is under the skirt not only to his wives but also his daughter? What a news! I bet if I sent this information to the Newspaper Pavilion, it would definitely sell off!" He said as he bit at the meat attached on the skewer.

Dan glared at him and revealed a challenged smirk, "Vincent, I saw your heartbroken expression earlier when you realized that you only had a skewer of meat. I graciously offered you five Spirit Stones for a skewer but since you're challenging my authority, I'm raising the price to ten Spirit Stones!"

Natalie and Grace who witnessed his shameless actions erupted into chuckles as Vincent's countenance considerably paled, his figure stood stiff like a frozen statue before standing up and pouncing into the air, sweeping his wrist at Dan's direction, a small bag flew towards Dan's hands as Vincent landed on the ground and deeply bowed.

"There are fifty Spirit Stones in that bag, please give me more roasted meat skewers!" Vincent swallowed his pride and kept his indignance to himself, the delectable taste of the tender meat and the explosive combination of spices and herbs was something that he couldn't possibly pass by even if it meant abandoning his pride.

Dan coldly snorted, but his eyes sparkled upon counting the Spirit Stones. Handing it over to the manager of his funds, Grace. He stood up and cooked more meat for his guests.

The afternoon went like that, teasing here and teasing there. It was a joyful day for everyone within the Longinus Family. When night arrived several hours later, Dan, Natalie and Grace laid besides each other with Dan at the center. Staring at the ceiling, all three contemplated about what happened to their lives in these several months.

"Dear, what do you think about Zieve?"

Natalie asked with an uncertain tone and Dan who was in the middle of his trance was jolted back to reality. Staring at Natalie's visage for a moment, Dan sighed and revealed his true feelings.

"If that bastard really loves my daughter and Juliet loved him the same, then is there anything that I could even do in the first place? Apart from supporting them, it would be too cruel to separate the two if the feelings really are mutual, and it's something that even the shameless I could do..." Dan sighed for a moment before continuing.

"But Juliet is still really young, maybe in the next several years, I would let her run free but not right now. Even when she grew that fast, in the end, she's still a ten years old child that recently struck puberty..."

Natalie and Grace nodded their heads together and snuggled into his chest, these past two months of cultivation meant that they were lonely and never felt the touch of their husband. Like chicks looking for the warmth of their mother's touch, the two snuggled and Dan smirked.

"Did the two of you really think that I wouldn't notice you guys squirming under the sheets. So that's the reason why you two kept your silence ever since we laid here?" Dan said in an ambiguous voice and the two simultaneously blushed.

"Don't be so embarrassed, you two... It's not like you guys are the only one that has been missing it... This little guy here has been missing it too..." Dan directed his gaze at the tent that formed at his lower body. Natalie and Grace stared at each other for a moment before nodding their heads.

"Thirty minutes each, alright?" Dan placed both of his hands under his head and enjoyed the sensation that Natalie and Grace brought to him after their two months of longing.