Lefirius didn't seem to have aged a day since the last time they spoke, which was around eight years ago, when Shui was seven. At that time, even though he was meeting a child, Lefirius made it clear that he didn't like him. He didn't have a problem with Alice becoming friends with him, even if he thought that Shui wasn't capable of standing on the same level as she did. However, as he saw the way they interacted and how much Alice talked about him to this day, he couldn't find it in himself to forgive him.
His brother didn't see it as much of a problem, but Lefirius had kept tabs on Shui, so he no longer thought that he couldn't reach her. Although he didn't know the agreement Shui made with his niece, he also thought that reaching the Earth Realm at his age with the background he had was proof of astonishing talent. It was at the level where if he had a daughter, he wouldn't mind setting up a marriage between them. However, his talent wasn't the only thing that was reported to him.
"I must admit I was a little worried, but I'm glad you still remember me despite us only meeting once," Lefirius said.
"No, I'm the one who should be glad that you still remember a junior like me."
"So are you saying that you think I'm the sort of person to forget my niece's saviour?"
"What? No! Of course not, I just meant that I'm glad that you want to see me."
"Hmm..."
It was only a brief exchange and yet Shui felt like he had just went through a close battle. His back was already getting wet, but he couldn't avoid the sharp and clear gaze that Lefirius aimed at him.
"Well, I must admit, since I made sure to keep my ears open when it came to news about you, it wasn't hard to keep you in my memory. Especially since you've almost died more than once. Every time I receive news of you going missing, I have to wonder when I should break the news to my niece."
'That doesn't really sound like you were worried, but I'll take it.'
"Thank you for your concern, sir. Like you said, I encountered many close encounters, but luckily I was able to overcome them."
"That's good, but, I heard that there was one problem that you've yet to overcome."
Although several things came to mind, Shui raised an eyebrow as he wondered which one he was talking about.
"I'm sorry, but could you specify sir?" Shui asked.
And he regretted asking soon after.
"Sure. I was just talking about your frequent women troubles."
At that moment, Shui looked at the window behind Lefirius and wondered how quickly he could jump through it. If it was basically anyone else, he wouldn't be too bothered by this statement, but of all the people it had to be the uncle of his first love.
'Crap! What do I say?! What do I say?!'
"Uh, well, that's..."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I understand. It can't be helped if you want to fool around with random girls sometimes to relieve stress. It's just-"
"They weren't random girls."
"...What was that?"
Shui's body stiffened as Lefirius' gaze gained intensity, but he couldn't allow himself to back down. Sure, he would have preferred that he didn't know about his previous relationships, but even if this would reach the ears of Alice, he couldn't allow him to besmirch their reputation in front of him.
"I will admit that I wasn't seriously committed in all of my previous relationships, but I never tried to make a fool out of any of them or their feelings. You can say whatever you want about me, but if I actually made a move on someone, there's no way they can be considered a 'random' girl. Every single one of them, are flowers that I had the fortune to admire closely."
Shui was well aware that his aggressive stance could aggravate the other party, but he hated it. If it was trash talk about him, then he could easily ignore it if need be, but whenever it was about those he cared out, he would be encroached by a feeling of powerlessness, and then rage. The same disgusting feeling he experienced for the first time when his mother died.
In response to his statement, Lefirius glared at Shui as if he was ready to blast him out of the room, but instead, he snorted.
"Hmph, at least you didn't become a cowardly rat."
Even though he was prepared for battle, Shui felt relief when he saw that Lefirius was just testing him. However, it wasn't a simple test from Lefirius' perspective. If he had admitted to what was said, Lefirius was seriously planning on killing him if he approached Alice and running him out, and even though there was still some decency in him, Lefirius thought of him as a shameless playboy.
He didn't like him, but it was a fact that Shui was a precious talent that was better than a lot of the suitors that his brother had lined up. Right now, she could retain her freedom thanks to her outstanding strength, but there would be a day when she couldn't run from this problem anymore. Therefore, even if he didn't want them getting together, she could use someone like him as an ally for when that day came.
"Well, that's enough small talk for now."
'That was small talk?'
Shui wanted to complain about how that heart squeezing experience could be considered small talk, but Lefirius did actually move on to a topic that he couldn't ignore.
"Have you heard about 'The Ancient Sanctuary'?"
'The Ancient Sanctuary' wasn't a term that came up frequently in daily conversation, but it would be hard to find a cultivator who hadn't heard about it at least once. Besides the regal mausoleum that was said to be owned by the royal family, this was the secret space that cultivators wanted to enter the most.
Naturally, the reason for them wanting to enter was because it was filled with opportunities that could change a common vagrant into a peerless genius, in exchange for risking their lives of course. The Ancient Sanctuary was even rumoured to hold the inheritances of past Kings and legendary existences that once walked the continent, but there had only been one incident supporting that rumour.
Similar to the secret world that Shui entered in Malirin Forest, there were restrictions on who could enter, but it wasn't too strict. Anyone below the Master Realm could enter and there were no known quantity restrictions, but due to the countless dangers within, only those at the peak of Soul Realm and above were allowed to enter.
Shui did have some interest in this secret realm, but he wondered why Lefirius brought it up.
"Of course, why do you ask?"
"In about six months, the major-level forces responsible for the secret realm will begin screening the hopeful applicants. You have to make it to Ashen Star City in Heavenly Territory by then."
'!'
The date given wasn't too surprising given the opening cycle that the secret realm followed, but Shui didn't know why Lefirius would politely inform him of this.
"Thanks for the heads-up but, why are you telling me?"
"...You, want to meet Alice, don't you?"