In the outer hall, Eddie, Sophia, Yehken, Hessian, and the Ly brothers stepped out into the living room.
Usually, as juniors, they wouldn't have the privilege to sit and discuss matters with the elders.
However, Inan's relatives specifically requested to see Eddie, so he couldn't just hide in the inner courtyard. Seeing Princess Jean and his cousin Rue also there, Eddie felt a bit nervous.
With Princess Jean, the fierce lady, around, there were things he felt uncomfortable saying.
It seemed like Princess Jean was deliberately staying to cause trouble and watch him squirm.
Eddie's mind flashed back to the glimpse he caught of Princess Jean on that day, imagining how he could outsmart her, though he maintained the appearance of a well-behaved child on the surface.
Mother Grace was quietly conversing with a veiled lady. Eddie, with his improved hearing, could tell they were speaking in a language he had never heard before and couldn't understand.
Little Frost nestled in Mother Grace's arms, eating sweets messily. Seeing Eddie, she immediately jumped down and threw herself into his arms.
She insisted on stuffing half of her brown sugar rice cake into his mouth, despite already having eaten some herself.
As for Sophia, she merely pretended to offer some, but quickly withdrew her hand, teasingly denying her sister and not willing to share.
Sophia gave her a stern look and reached to pinch Little Frost's mischievous nose, but the little girl giggled and dodged, running around the room.
The two sisters chased each other, bringing warmth, life, and joy back to the cozy house.
In the room, besides Princess Jean, cousin Rue, Mother Grace, and the veiled lady, there were also the Old Fox and the sharp-eyed Rambo.
Hessian, who was initially quite smug, changed his demeanor upon seeing Rambo. He almost retracted his head into his neck like a turtle, showing he had a tough time under Rambo's training, even developing a psychological shadow.
Yehken and the Ly brothers hurriedly paid their respects to the Old Fox and their tutor, Rambo, acting like polite kids.
They greeted Mother Grace and the others, then squeezed into a corner of the room…
Eddie knew he couldn't rely on them for help; their presence was merely for onlookers.
When Mother Grace saw Eddie entering, she waved him over and introduced him.
"Eddie, this lady here is the aunt of your 'brother Inan.' Actually, Inan is a girl. You always hide at home and can't even tell the difference between boys and girls. If word gets out, it would be quite embarrassing."
"I did feel something was off about Inan. No man dislikes beauties, like Hessian drooling over them. So Inan is a girl!"
Eddie knew he couldn't act too surprised, especially since Sophia had already mentioned it earlier.
Pretending to be clueless but not overly so was the best approach, just enough to let the elders save face.
"How can you speak like that? Quickly greet Inan's aunt properly!"
Mother Grace immediately scolded Eddie upon hearing his words, reminding him to greet elders with proper manners.
"Yes, yes, Aunt Inan, please have some tea," Eddie said, playing the good boy better than his combat skills.
He picked up the teapot to brew tea for the veiled lady and personally handed a cup to Mother Grace.
Mother Grace knew Eddie wasn't usually this attentive, but seeing him so well-behaved in front of others and serving her tea made her heart warm.
She quickly took it and softly reminded him to serve tea to the Old Fox and Rambo as well.
The Old Fox accepted the tea with a sense of entitlement, while Rambo, seemingly aware of Eddie's Innate status, stood up to receive the tea, despite Eddie being his nominal student.
Although his expression remained unchanged, his sharp eyes betrayed a hint of pride.
Being served tea by an Innate master was a first in his life, a privilege others could hardly dream of.
Once Eddie returned to sit beside Mother Grace, Inan's aunt began to speak.
She had been observing Eddie, increasingly pleased with what she saw, though she kept her approval hidden. Secretly, she thought Inan had good taste.
"I, along with your mother and Mother Grace, come from the Butterfly Hundred Flowers Valley. Although we're from different clans, we are like sisters. I'm older than Mother Grace, so you can call me 'Second Aunt' or 'Aunt,' just like Inan does. Inan is your distant cousin," Inan's aunt explained.
Eddie realized then that Mother Grace was also from the Butterfly Hundred Flowers Valley, which explained her common language with Inan's aunt.
Mother Grace gestured for Eddie to come over and introduced him, "Eddie, this is the aunt of your 'brother Inan.'
In fact, Inan is a girl. You stay at home all day and can't even distinguish between boys and girls. It's quite embarrassing to say it out loud."
"I did think there was something off about Inan. No man dislikes beauties, like Hessian drooling over them. So Inan is a girl!" Eddie knew he couldn't act too surprised, especially since Sophia had already mentioned it. The best strategy was to play dumb just enough to let the elders save face.
"How can you speak like that? Quickly greet Inan's aunt properly!" Mother Grace scolded Eddie, emphasizing the importance of greeting elders with respect.
"Yes, yes, Aunt Inan, please have some tea," Eddie said, skillfully playing the role of a good boy. He poured tea for the veiled lady and then respectfully handed a cup to Mother Grace.
Mother Grace knew Eddie wasn't usually this attentive, but seeing him behave so well in front of others warmed her heart. She accepted the tea and softly reminded him to serve the Old Fox and Rambo as well.
The Old Fox accepted the tea with an air of entitlement, while Rambo, aware of Eddie's Innate status, stood up to receive the tea, his face expressionless but his eyes revealing a hint of pride. Being served tea by an Innate master was an exceptional honor.
When Eddie returned to sit beside Mother Grace, Inan's aunt began to speak.
She had been carefully observing Eddie and was increasingly pleased with what she saw, though she kept her approval hidden. She secretly thought Inan had chosen well.
"I, along with your mother and Mother Grace, come from the Butterfly Hundred Flowers Valley. Although we're from different clans, we are like sisters."
" I'm older than Mother Grace, so you can call me 'Second Aunt' or 'Aunt,' like Inan does. Inan is your distant cousin," Inan's aunt explained.
Eddie realized then that Mother Grace was also from the Butterfly Hundred Flowers Valley, which explained her common language with Inan's aunt.
The language they had spoken earlier didn't sound like any from the Dragon Rising Continent, something Eddie had never heard before.
It appeared that Mother Grace and Sophia's biological mother had some mysterious secrets, explaining why the Myriad Demons targeted Mother Grace to unlock the 'Heavenly Ladder.'
What was the Heavenly Ladder?
Another Heaven-Reaching Tower, or a different dimension like the Demon Abyss?
Dragon Rising Continent seemed ordinary on the surface but harbored many mysteries.
Why did so many Innate masters train their successors here instead of taking them to the Heaven-Reaching Tower?
Why did they release the tower's beasts into the continent for training?
There were so many secrets and mysteries, such as the Ruins of the Gods, the Heavenly Ladder, the Demon Palace at Mount Loka, the Myriad Demons, the Four Great Sects, and now even the Butterfly Hundred Flowers Valley seemed far from simple.
Inan's aunt's revelation about the valley managing a country and their downfall due to the Demon Palace and Myriad Demons' joint attack added another layer of complexity.
Eddie wondered what the name of this once-powerful country was, as it must have been formidable to withstand attacks from such powerful organizations.
"Our country was originally called 'Dawn,' commonly known as 'Brightness' or 'Ming' by outsiders," Inan's aunt said with a hint of reluctance.
"What?" Eddie almost jumped in shock.
He was familiar with the country known as 'Brightness' or 'Ming.' Ming was a large country, ranking among the top five on the Dragon Rising Continent.
Surprisingly, it was averse to war and was ruled by women. The rulers of Ming preferred to pay substantial 'peace fees' to neighboring countries each year rather than engaging in warfare.
Even the smallest neighboring states could legitimately demand money from Ming.
Ming was the only country on the Dragon Rising Continent that did not attack independent city lords.
When other countries invaded, they would send strong individuals to persuade the invaders to retreat, offering large sums of money in exchange.
If a city lord declared independence or if a city was captured by enemies, Ming was the only country to pacify its people, encouraging them to follow their new rulers and live well.
They also used considerable funds to redeem citizens willing to return to Ming.
If there was a country that upheld righteousness and morality as its sole standard, it was Ming, governed by women.
Such a country was ideal for ordinary citizens, but it was frustrating for warriors as there was no thrill of battle, just enduring attacks without retaliation.
A country as 'weak' as Ming should have quickly perished, yet it had a history spanning a thousand years.
Aside from the three great nations of Daxia, Tianluo, and Zijin, Ming had the longest history.
Moreover, Ming produced countless strong individuals, surpassing even the talents of Daxia, Tianluo, and Zijin.
Despite its shrinking territory, Ming's number of strong warriors kept increasing.
To foreigners, Ming's situation was laughable: despite having several Innate masters, it was invaded by countries without such masters, and it never retaliated afterward.
For unknown reasons, over the last hundred years, Ming, still ranking among the top ten in terms of national power and territory on the Dragon Rising Continent, suddenly disintegrated.
City lords and lords declared independence, and Ming was reduced to a small country with only a prosperous capital remaining.
Fifteen years ago, the capital of Ming was conquered by a coalition of countries, leading to its downfall.
The royal family of Ming did not seek protection from the three great nations, nor did they harbor any thoughts of restoring the kingdom.
They were taken away by the country's Innate masters, their whereabouts unknown.
Eddie had read about this part of history and found Ming very peculiar.
Why would a nation endure attacks without fighting back?
And how could such a country survive for so long?
In comparison to nations like Daxia or Tianluo, where even the emperor would stand up and fight fiercely over minor issues, and where their war gods would threaten to annihilate the enemy, the Innate masters of Ming never spoke of revenge or restoring their country.
Were all those Innate masters made of tofu?
If Ming's governing philosophy was flawed, how did it manage to last a thousand years?
Had it not suddenly disintegrated, Ming would likely still be among the top ten nations of the Dragon Rising Continent, possibly with the most prosperous economy.
What happened over the past hundred years that led to Ming's disintegration?
What occurred fifteen years ago that resulted in Ming's downfall?
Eddie felt there must be some reason, possibly even related to him – no, to Cup Guy. After all, Cup Guy's parents passed away fifteen years ago...
Could Cup Guy's real identity be connected to the fallen Ming?
Eddie remembered the diaries and secret records left by Cup Guy's parents, which likely contained some information.
Perhaps they could reveal the truth about Cup Guy's origins and explain why so many powerful individuals would conspire against a recluse living in White-Stone City.
With these thoughts, Eddie suddenly became eager to review those diaries...