"Yating! What message are you sending to your son? If your own brother's daughter was just a nobody, then it is alright to do to her whatever your son wants?" Shouted Zedong.
"That is not what I meant, you bastard. Nevertheless, it is true if she was a nobody, then it would have been her good fortune for my son to take an interest in her." Replied Yating.
Zedong pulled his arm away from Yating. "You have not changed, have you? Still the same old hypocritical weasel. I thought you genuinely cared about your brother, but it was all because he is well connected."
"I do care about my brother. We may be heading toward a bloody war, and if we were able to secure an alliance with the Eternal Rain Palace, our position would be more secure in Cai County." Explained Yating.
Zedong burst out in laughter. "It will never happen. Let me add more to your misery. It is not just Annchi who is a disciple of the old witch, but both Yao Gui's other daughters are her grand-disciples.
Ally with us? We will be lucky if they stay out of the fight for Count Cai's scraps when he abdicates because I'm sure as hell they will be standing opposite to us courtesy of Annchi wanting to spill more Yao blood."
Yating exhaled out loudly. "If you already know this, then why are you up in my case? Won't it be better if we could bury the hatchet and move on from that dark page of our past? The Rain Banshee tortuously killed enough of us that day; then, my niece killed more when she grew up to be a woman of her own.
My Yao clan prestige and blood became so cheap over the past decade because of one single incident. You have left the main branch with Gui, you know him better than I do, is there no way we could make up for the past? Our Patriarch would reward us immensely for it."
Smirking, Zedong moved his index finger left and right negatively in Yating's face.
"One thing I do not understand. If Yao Ning is such a big deal, why is she marrying a nobody?" Asked Delan.
Yating frowned, looking at Zedong for an answer.
"Gui is free to marry his daughters to whomever he fancies. He did not tell me anything about it, though, so I doubt you heard right." Said Zedong.
Delan looked at the three young men in the room, Bai, Yi, and Hua.
"Some of the maids working at Gui's mansion told us about it. Ning has been seen continuously accompanying uncle Gui's guest, and they think uncle Gui plans to marry the two." Disclosed Yi.
"Oh! young master Yi, son of our beloved Fifth Elder, please do tell your uncle Zedong why are Gui's servants talking to you at all about what goes on in their master's home?" Questioned Zedong.
"Umm..." Yi face changed colors.
Zedong switched his gaze to Mei. "Talk or I will spank your bottom in front of everyone here."
Mei instantly spilled her guts. "Bai pays the maids to inform him of anything concerning Ning."
"Good, very good." Zedong marched towards his son, fully intending on rearranging his son's entire skeletal structure.
***
Yao Gui's Mansion, Guest Wing, Amon's Room.
Nuan stared at the bleeding, shivering body of Amon sprawled on his bed, surrounded by crystal dust. She did not know what to do. This is like how they found Amon on his room floor previously but much more severe.
"What have you done to yourself?" Said Nuan while placing a hand on Amon's chest, inspecting his body with her Source.
Nuan grimaced. She did not understand what is going on with his body. To her, it appeared Amon's Source was constantly destroying him from the inside.
She felt a hand grip her wrist. "I'm fine...I won't die...I just have to hold on."
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Asked Nuan.
Amon wanted to say he had nothing to do with any of this. It was all his heart's doing. The Heart of Entropy was not doing anything Amon wanted, it had a predetermined course to follow, and it will never hasten for Amon's haste or switch direction. It could not anyway, Amon's body must be continuously adjusted to complete their merger.
The former Phoenix started to understand something crucial, for his body to house Entropy, for Entropy to gain life, he must suffer for it. A price that must be paid to overcome the natural order of the universe that does not allow Entropy to acquire life.
Nuan sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Amon did not answer her. He just blacked out again.
***
The Next Day, Yao Gui's Back Garden.
"How is he, Lady Nuan?" Inquired Yao Gui.
"He is still bleeding every now and then from his Profound Entrances and only stays awake for a few minutes. Last night he broke through the Nascent Realm, and he appears to be steadily rising in levels. I honestly never seen anything like it before. I don't even believe my own senses when I examine him. Nothing about him makes any sense; what I know about cultivation does not appear to apply to him at all." Replied Nuan.
***
Outside Yao Gui's mansion.
"What do you mean the young misses have disappeared?" Said Bai, his face is barely visible from the bandage covering it after his father was done with him.
The young maid shook her head. "I don't know young master Bai, both Lady Ning, and Lady Ling, have not been seen in the mansion for the past four days."
"They have perhaps returned to the Eternal Rain Palace." Guessed Delan.
Bai bit his lips. The idea that he may not lay eyes on Ning again troubled him. "What about Gui's guest?"
"Ah! Young master Amon is still here. He has been sick and bedridden." Reported the maid.
A smile adorned Bai's ugly mug. "Is he dying?"
"I don't know. He does not look good; he has been bleeding a lot. Master Gui did not call for a doctor for him. He only ordered us to change his bedsheets every day while a veiled lady took care of him." Said the maid.
Delan frowned. "A veiled lady? Who is she?"
"I don't know. Lady Ning had veiled ladies visit her all the time, and I don't know who is who. Only Butler Chang is allowed to interact with them." Said the maid.
"Here, take your silvers and go away. If anything changes, send for me." Bai stuffed a coin bag in the maid's hand and shooed her away.
"Well, that was a waste of time. I was hoping to meet my cousin, but apparently, that's not happening before we have to leave." Said Delan.
Bai ignored him, as he was rooted in his own thoughts.
"Oi stupid Bai, what are you thinking about?" Said Delan.
"This might be god's well, a gift from the heavens. We can kill him while he is bedridden and get rid of this menace before Ning returns."' Said Bai.
"Have you gone mad? Did you not hear what the maid said? A veiled lady is watching him and taking care of him. I'm almost sure she is from the Eternal Rain Palace." Said Delan.
"So? It is even better. If we can pull it off under her watch, then we will dodge all blame, and no fingers will be pointed at us." Said Bai.
Delan shook his head. "How about you just pray that whatever is ailing him, kills him, and you stay out of it. We cannot become the sinners of our Yao clan by bringing a calamity over our heads. We don't know enough about him or his link to the Palace for us to be able to take any risks. Let it go, Bai." Said Delan.
Bai gnashed his teeth. "Fine, but if an opportunity presents itself, I'm going for it. I know the layout of Gui's mansion like the back of my hand, I just need a chance."
Delan sighed, coming here with Bai was a mistake, the young man is not right in the head.
***
After Sundown, Amon's Room.
"Fourth Nascent Realm. You are not awake, and your body is steadily breaking through. No wonder Ning'er only calls you by your other name, it is much more fitting." Nuan washed Amon's sweating face with a wet towel, still not realizing she has been reduced to a full-time maid and guardian to a man she hardly knew.
Nuan abruptly stood up. Her head darted left and right as an uneasy feeling gripped her heart. Without her noticing, her breathing became more labored. She sent her Source out, inspecting her surroundings, but there were nothing and no one around her she could detect.
She walked out of Amon's room towards his small courtyard, and from there, flew upward. Looking below her at the small city, she noticed other practitioners walking out of their homes have the same look on their faces as her, a mixture of uneasy feeling and puzzlement.
Yating and Zedong both flew upward, they soon noticed Nuan flying above Gui's mansion, and she, too, saw them.
Across the continent, the same thing was happening in every city, every sect, and any place that had Practitioners of the profound. Those who can fly flew upward-looking around themselves and those who couldn't just kept their eyes fixed on the clear night sky.
Only the Wise Races, the beasts that gained wisdom and intelligence, knew better, they hid away in their caves and holes, embracing their young ones protectively. Their instinct screamed at them to run, to flee to the end of the world, but there was nowhere to run from the presence they felt.
Soon it came. A mighty Lion's roar reverberated across the continent. It stunted every living being and forced their bodies to drop down to their knees. Count Cai and others like him, for the first time in their relatively long life, were forced down on both knees shaking in fear.
The night sky soon illuminated brightly, like a white sun descending on the world, a magnificent enormous white Lion emerged, illuminating the lands like daylight.
Nuan, her master, her sister-disciples were the only one that knew what they were looking at, thanks to Amon informing them of the mighty Lion existence.
The Radiant Lion looked up at the starry sky, a hint of longing in his eyes that no one could detect or see. He then looked down and growled loudly.
"Humankind! Heed my words carefully and imprint them in the most profound depth of your minds. I'm the last spirit fragment of the once Venerable Sovereign, High King of the mighty Primordial Radiant Lions Clan, Alexios! An ancient ally of Humankind."
All creatures on Vicia were paying attention, except for one single lowly human. He struggled with his body to move, cackling madly to himself. "My chance! The heavens are on my side!"
With shaking legs, Bai struggled to stand up. He slowly got a grip over himself, then he started walking, then running with all his might while laughing out loud. He took out a small dagger he has been preparing all day by dipping it in his excrement, anticipating any chance to come his way.
"Many cycles ago, the Primordial clans alone occupied the highest Celestial Realms. From there, they ruled the rest of creation and acted as their lords and guardians." Said the Lion.
Bai continued his deranged charge towards Gui's mansion. He cared not for the Lion or what he had to say. His feeble mind only focused on one thing, the demise of the one person he hated the most at his own hands.
"From where they did not know, the mighty Primordial lords faced a ruthless enemy, a close equal in might. All Primordial clans stood firm and drove back the enemy. However, our numbers were always few, and our enemy was like the ocean, no end to their numbers."
The deranged boy scaled Gui's mansion tall walls, heading straight towards the guest wing. He was careful not to be seen; anticipation and excitement filled his soul.
"The war continued for an entire cycle with no end in sight. As the Primordial clans were preparing to sacrifice more, the rest of creation rose in their aid. They were led and headed by a Human Sovereign, a valiant man unlike any other human before him or after him. He soon led the charge against the common realm enemy, bringing chaos with him as he was the Lord of Chaos."
Bai saw Nuan in the guest wing small courtyard, her full attention focused on the Lion. He carefully walked past her, heading for Amon's room. It was not hard for him to know which one it was since it is the only lit room in the guest wing.
"Together with all races ancient and young, we annihilated the enemy, and we claimed victory! The realm was finally safe from its most terrible enemy, and peace returned after a long struggle." Said the Lion.
Bai slowly opened Amon's room door with a shaking hand from heightened emotions. He stepped forward, his head darting left and right until he saw Amon's bed.
"However, peace did not last a day. A single Primordial clan, the most powerful one, turned its focus back at Humankind. Instead of gratitude, the Dragons bore their claws at all humans, fully intending on eradicating their entire race." Said the Lion.
An ugly smile adorned Bai's face. He ran towards Amon's bed, jumped on it, and started stabbing it with all his might. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" shrieked the senseless boy.
"An unprecedented massacre took place, worse than what an entire cycle of war brought on the whole realm. The dragons were cruel, brutal, and showed more anger and hatred than they showed against the enemy that killed more of them than anything else in their long history. Children, Woman, Men, old and young, it mattered not to the Dragons, they wanted all of humanity eradicated." Said the Lion.