Amon blinked several times, gazing at Yao Gui's serious expression. A swirl of emotions overwhelmed Amon; his face displayed a range of silly expressions, given away to the conflict that started in his heart, part mortified, and another flattered. He was not one to lie to himself; he knew he desired Ning. The young lady is astonishingly gorgeous, more so when he knew she would only continue to grow prettier with time and Source.
Nevertheless, he was no fool. He knew the young lady had no romantic interest in him or anyone else. Even if she did, in the end, it won't matter, she was not qualified to be Amon's maid, let alone be his wife. While he personally did not deem her 'unqualified,' he knew both his mothers did, and won't approve of her.
Letting out his struggle between his heart and brain in one hot exhale, Amon spoke. "I get why she is doing this, but why are you on it when you know full well Ning is not doing this out of any interest in me or have the desire for any sort of commitment?"
Yao Gui turned his head to the side, looking back at his city. "Because I'm getting old and losing my daughters one by one. Even my youngest will probably spend her adult life scouring the land for a cure so she may accompany her sisters'. I'm not a practitioner, and I doubt I will get a second chance to watch one of my daughters adorn their mother's wedding dress.
Having said that, I'm still not willing to hand my daughter over to anyone I don't entirely approve of. Otherwise, I would have accepted the many attempts to court one of my girls in the past. Your mannerism, attitude, and the way you carry yourself have already won me over and assured me that at a bare minimum, you are more than just a decent man.
More than that, you have won Ning's respect, something no man aside from me, her own father, has managed to accomplish. I even think she likes you. Ok, 'like' might be too strong of a word when it comes to my Ning'er, but it is something."
Amon stood up. "Uncle Gui, it is highly improper for Ning to be married without your presence and approval, it is the same for me, without my parents' presence and support I cannot move forward. Allow me to speak to Ning first thing in the morning, and we will sort it out between us." He thought this is the gentlest way he could reject his gracious host without offending him. It signified the truth too, between his mother and ancestral mother, Amon would not dare claim a wife without their consent. He could picture his ancestral mother annulling whatever marriage he brings to her on the spot.
Yao Gui stood up and nodded. He was not offended but showed a clear understanding, and his opinion of Amon rose even higher. He knew how hurt he would be if one of his daughters walked home with a husband in her hands whom he did not approve of and did not preside over their wedding ceremony.
***
Yao Gui's Mansion, Guest Wing.
Yawning tiredly, Amon opened his room's door. Looking around, he found a covered tray on the dining table and a small chest next to it. Sitting down, he uncovered his now cold meal. Taking a quick bite to sedate his hunger, he switched his attention to the small chest.
Opening it revealed glittering blue crystals, they were grade one Chipped Source crystals. "Ah! Sweet Ning'er, aiming for my heart through my Ethereal Veins." Chuckling happily, he took two crystals in his hands, intending to immediately start the Fourth Verse of the Untainted Zealot manual, a profound dance meant for absorbing Source.
Just before he took the first step, his heart contrasted, and his instincts froze him. Impulsively and without thinking, he returned the two crystals to the chest and placed his right index finger on the crystals pile.
"Obey"
The hard, solid crystals immediately turned to dust, leaving behind their Source rushing towards Amon index finger and swirling around his arm, heading towards his heart instead of his Ethereal Veins.
The Heart of Entropy collected the energy, compressed it, and started to release it into Amon's bloodstream with each pulse instead of his Ethereal Veins. Staggering, Amon fell on his knee, overwhelmed by the influx of Source energy his young body is introduced to for the first time.
Feeling light-headed, Amon staggered towards his bed, and, with a bit of difficulty, he managed to seat himself on his bed. Closing his eyes, he tried to sense the Source energy movement in his body. It was traveling from his heart through his blood arteries, nourishing his organs, flesh, and bones, then returning to his heart through his blood veins. Every time his heart would recompress the Source energy and send it back out gently, making several rotations throughout his body.
After the ninth circulation, the Heart of Entropy finally sent the remaining Source energy to Amon's Profound Ethereal Veins in one harsh push, which promptly knocked Amon out from the blow his infant Ethereal Veins received.
***
Groaning, Amon sat up. Stretching and yawning, he looked around to find two ladies sitting at his dining table. He stood up and walked towards the water basin in his room. After washing his face and drying it with a towel, he walked towards the dining table and served himself a cup of tea from the prepared pot.
"Ling is a little girl, walking into a man's room and doing whatever she wants could be attributed to her age, she is no woman after all. However, you two? What should I feel? Flattered? Offended? Or should I just count it as you Ning getting overly excited for the idea of being my wife while you Annchi are here to make sure no line is crossed before the wedding night? Or maybe! Ah! You want your fair share of poor old me?"
Annchi seized the filled cup of water in front of her and immediately drenched Amon's face and clothes with its content.
"Ok, I deserved that, but you two should not be here while I was peacefully sleeping. What time is it anyway?" Said Amon while turning around to locate a window.
"It is past noon. You missed breakfast and lunch again. Chang will deliver your meal to your room once you are ready for it." Said Ning softly.
"Thanks. Now, what can I do for you?" Said Amon.
Annchi humphed and spoke. "Why did you not run away?"
Amon shrugged. "I'm not into wasted efforts. I don't know my fingers from my toes on these lands, and there is no running from a noble while I'm just a lowly Elementary Realm rascal. I also believe me making the first move, by running away, will also trigger a paranoia on your side, causing a violent chain reaction heading my way."
Ning leaned her head and creased her eyebrows at Amon, which immediately caused his heart to skip a beat from her cuteness. "That was not the full truth." Commented Ning.
Amon curved his lips in displeasure. "You can detect that too? Damn, I wonder if your gift is an indication of a unique physique. Anyhow, you are right. The complete truth is that in addition to all that I said, if I'm forced to pay the ultimate price, I want your sister to pay the ultimate price too if she dares do anything."
Annchi sneered and tried to stand up.
"Annchi...please, we had an agreement. We did not come here to argue or fight." Said Ning while holding her sister's hand.
Sighing, Annchi buried her anger.
"I'm intrigued, let's hear why I was graced by the veiled beauty." Said Amon while drying his face with a napkin.
Annchi gnashed her teeth, doubting her earlier decisions and what she figured as incoming humiliation. Ning firmly held her sister's hand in reassurance.
"I have questions. I will pay you for answering them." Said Annchi while extracting three small chests from her storage ring, two filled with Chipped crystals, and one filled with Crude ones.
"We will see, ask away." Said Amon.
"Tell me all you know about nobility." Said Annchi.
"No." Said Amon immediately.
Ning pressed her lips. "You said you used to be a noble, and you appeared to know a lot about it. What do you want for sharing with us what you know?"
"Nothing. Why should I go out of my way to help a woman who showed me nothing but unreasonable contempt?"
Annchi promptly stood up and left the room without even taking the three small chests she offered Amon.
Ning watched her sister leave without saying anything.
"Don't hold it against her, it is not you who she hates. Lowering her head to a man is more painful to her than anything else. My father is not a practitioner, neither he or my mother could protect her when she was as young as Ling from men who were beyond my father's small sphere of influence.
Only when her master to be showed up did her life take a turn for the better, and the unbearable pressure she was living under was released. Until the day she broke through the True Realm and became a Baroness. She never wanted it, never wished for it, all she ever wanted is..."
Ning sighed. "My sister is not living, but slowly dying from worry and fear. The pressure she tasted when she was young is a small gentle breeze compared to what she is currently under every waking moment. It only takes a rumor, a whistle, before every practitioner of the Profound descends on her like rabid dogs, aiming for her dignity and honor. I think what she fears the most is dragging Ling and me down with her because we too won't be left alone if her secret is ever exposed."
Amon closed his eyes. He could not help but picture his zealot of a father looking at him disappointingly. He recalled his father's words to him when he was a little chick. 'Annihilating Devils is not my only duty. Protecting their likely victims is part of it too, each one I ignore will give birth to a new devil or strengthen an old one.'
"If she can drop her attitude and stop treating me like I'm her mortal enemy, I will consider guiding her for a price. Both she and your master must accept the fact that not every living being is out there to get her. As a matter of fact, if my father was here, he would have protected Annchi under his wings, raised her, trained her, and when she no longer needs his protection, he would have offered her a place in his prestigious Order."
Ning slightly bowed towards Amon in thanks, she stood up and went after her sister.
Looking at the three small chests in front of him, Amon smiled, he stored the grade two Crude crystals in his heart's void and decided to fill his veins with the other two.
Placing his hands on both boxes, he tried to do what he did last night. Both piles of Chipped crystals immediately crumbled, and the Source within them answered Amon's heart call. Just like last time, he felt light-headed, and his heart took control of the Source energy. After nine circulations throughout Amon's bloodstream, the Heart of Entropy harshly pushed the remaining Source towards Amon's Profound Ethereal Veins, knocking him out cold on the spot.