The Hope Base was full of tension and quietness. Yun Suisen's words just this afternoon had made everyone realize that the real leader of this base is someone called Ximen Xueya.
The commoners and civilians reacted calmly. To them no matter who the leader is, they don't care as long as they can stay at the base and live here peacefully. They only need to complete the tasks and missions they were given and continue their everyday lives.
Unlike the unconcerned reaction of the civilians, people from the military, the side of the government and clans from the noble line had all taken a hit. A true face slapped from reality. They were too greedy and did most things just so they could take control of the base authority and control with them knowing that they were stealing the things from the devil itself.
Ximen Xueya. The master of the Ximen Family who works as this country's shadow leader. Calling him the shadow leader isn't right. Everyone who had higher positions in both the military and the government knew who had the real power in the country. Both the former State Head and the Prime Minister can be considered a relative of Ximens. After all, the former leaders before them were all of Ximen bloodline. Only when the Ximen Family was left with just Xueya and his son, Chino, that the Ximen Family stopped occupying the peak authority in the country.
But just because Ximen Xueya didn't take the honorable seat of the leadership doesn't mean the Ximen Family had lost its power. When Ximen Old Couple and Old Master were still alive, they already started making preparations to let their subordinates take cover of their standing as the real leader of the country. The former State Head Sun used to be the oldest butler that served the Ximen Family while the Prime Minister Xu, is the Ximen Family's former household accountant before. In short both the Sun and Xu Clans were vassal's that served the Ximen Family. They were both their subordinates and sworn family friends. This is the real reason why the State Head and the Prime Minister doted upon Ximen Xueya. He is really their Master at the same time their nephew is not related by blood.
Since Xueya didn't want to become a public figure, the State head and Prime Minister had made all information about the Ximen Family highly classified. No one but only the two of them could view this information. Even Cao Junye with his General status was allowed to reveal this information. The two old men had chosen Cao Junye as their successor, once they were gone it was planned that Cao Junye would take their place as the leader of the country but his real job is only to protect the Ximen Family. This is the reason for the countless summons the General had received before.
But who would expect that the apocalypse was about to begin and that the successor they had chosen would become interested in the ones he would be protecting in the future. Moreover according to the information they had received, Cao Junye's interest towards his future master isn't normal curiosity but a feeling or emotion beyond interest. This is why these two old men told General Cao that they didn't know where Ximen Mountain was. They wanted to separate the two. But it seems that fate isn't willing to let them go.
After the sun had set and the sky had darkened to pitch black, Shi Moye and Yun Suisen helped Su Liye check on everyone's recorded registration in the base. They were helping him look for his family members and that person who had taken his family out of the house during the apocalypse. They were at the office looking through piles of papers on the table.
After looking through those piles of papers for hours, the three had still not found any of Su Liye's family members' names on the list. The expectations within Su Liye's eyes had dulled with depression. This is the last base in the whole country that accepted ordinary civilians as survivors. Su Liye really felt extremely down with this bad news.
Su Liye murmured, "They are not here either."
"Brother Su don't be sad. We can keep asking the other base about your family members. They might just haven't joined any base yet." said Yun Suisen.
"Old Su! I haven't found any of your family members' names but that other man you said who had taken your family is here. That police captain Liu Ling. He is here!" said Shi Moye.
This news made Su Liye happy.
Su Liye, "Where is he? Can I talk to him?"
"Liu Ling? You don't mean the leader of Dawn Squad?" asked Yun Suisen, there's an obvious frown between his eyebrows.
Su Liye and Shi Moye both noticed the ugly expression on Yun Suisen's face.
"Is there something wrong, Xiao Yun?"
"Sui-chan, this man? You know him?"
"Well… Yes, he is notorious but I don't think Brother Su would be happy hearing this."
Su Liye could somewhat understand the meaning of Yun Suisen's words.
"Say it, Xiao Yun."
"This man… named Liu Ling is nicknamed fisher. He is infamous for using his teammates as bait to escape."
A fist fell on the table with a bam sound resounding in the whole room. Shi Moye and Yun Suisen didn't complain even after Su Liye had broken the table with his fist. Su Liye is a dual ability user of metal and strengthening.
"That bastard!!! I will kill him!" spoke Su Liye between his teeth.
—
On the other hand inside the Dimensional Space of Ximen Xueya.
Everyone except for Xueya and Junye were in the mansion waiting for dinner to be made. Lou Lan and Wang Lei were looking after the Little bun Chino while Uncle Wu was cooking. The other soldiers were at the living room watching recorded movies Xueya had saved for their family use.
Lou Lan asked, "Xiao Chi you don't like the movie?"
"NO! Chi-chan doesn't watch horror. Daddy says horror movies are boring~"
Wang Lei smiled a bit as he ruffled the little bun's hair. "That is also true. Because ghosts and ghouls were just spirits in the end."
"Un! Oreo~ play with Chi-chan~" Chino said as he ran towards Oreo and hugged the big dog. But the dog is too big that even if Chino hugged it with both his arms and legs, it would be impossible to hug it completely with his small body. He just looked like a koala trying to wrap his arms around a big tree trunk but unable too.
"Baby~ where are your daddy and father?" asked Wang Lei as he hadn't seen the couple ever since they entered the space.
Chino moved only his head to look at his Uncle Wang before replying. "Father is sleeping in the spring to heal. Daddy stayed to watch. Chi-chan actually wants to stay too but daddy says that it's too cold outside. Chi-chan can't stay out and sleep outside the mansion. Chi-chan is still a baby after all."
Then they heard that silent young man speak as if translating Ximen Chino's words, "They are outside at the special spring inside the space which can help promote healing faster. The general is soaking inside as sleep and Master Xueya stayed over to protect him. But since the spring had no roof nor walls, the young master isn't allowed to stay with them since it's cold during the evening. Sleeping under the sky is impossible for a baby."
After hearing the explanation of this silent boy who introduced himself as Ximen Xueya's distant cousin, the rest believed him as his words coincided with Ximen Chino's weird explanation.
Wang Lei and Lou Lan no longer asked much after hearing this explanation. Though they knew who the young man was, they couldn't just tell the rest who he was. After all, Zhi Yue is not an original resident of this world nor a world hopper like them. He is a system that serves Ximen Xueya. What is left in disbelief is that Zhi Yue is able to materialize without the heavenly laws of this world correcting his existence. This could only mean that Ximen Xueya had already gotten this world's heavenly laws under his control. Which is why it turned a blind eye towards Zhi Yue's materialization.
"Dinner is served!"
Uncle Wu finally went out of the kitchen pushing a tray of dishes for five people. These four people were adorable little bun Chino, Lou Lan, Wang Lei and the youth called Zhi Yue. The food of the rest of the soldiers were left in the kitchen to serve themselves.
"You guys get your own food in the kitchen!" said Uncle Wu to the soldiers.
"Yes, Instructor!"
Afterwards when the dinner was served for the four of them, Uncle Wu left the dining area leaving the four to enjoy their dinner on their own. He doesn't need to stay as the youth called Zhi Yue was personally left by Master Xueya to look after the young master.
Zhi Yue said, "Xiao Jing, wash your hands. It's time for dinner!"
"Yes, Uncle Yue~~" responded Chino.
When Chino's real name was called neither Lou Lan nor Wang Lei reacted weirdly. They knew what the little bun's real name was. Ye Jingxia, nicknamed Xiao Jing. This is the young master who possesses the bloodline of both Hei Anjing and Ye Xiajie. In short their own real young master.
Seeing Wang Lei's obvious eyes on him, Zhi Yue erected an invisible film which isolated the sound of the room to be only heard by them. Chino didn't react much and just sat beside his Uncle Yue after washing his hands. He needs to eat dinner properly as his daddy says he wouldn't grow if he skipped a meal.
Zhi Yue served food for the baby as if he didn't do anything. "Eat slowly, Xiao Jing."
"Yes~ Uncle Yue~"
Wang Lei finally spoke after observing the invisible dome that protected the room. His eyes turned a bit stern and aloof as if he had another persona.
Wang Lei spoke, "Executioner 13, how's the lord? Did he fully awaken? I've seen him overdone it before."
"Still sleeping, Venerable Lord Hei is looking after him. I don't know if the lord had fully awakened but during that time when the young master was in danger he must have forcefully awakened himself. The spring should be enough to heal even his soul." replied Zhi Yue.
Wang Lei frowned for a moment, "Would a simple dew heavenly spring in this small world be enough to heal the lord's soul?"
"Yes. Because Venerable Lord Hei put his true qi in the spring and refined it. It's no longer an ordinary heavenly spring but a divine ranked one." answered Zhi Yue like what he had said is a matter of fact instead of something special.
A refined heavenly spring with a true qi from a Celestial God would no longer just be a simple spring. It is a spring made of elixir which could cure most injuries, both physical and spiritual. Even a half dead God state would be revived if he is thrown inside such spring.
"What?!" exclaimed Wang Lei.
Hic!
When Wang Lei suddenly yelled, Chino who was eating his dinner silently in the corner had almost choked in surprise.
"Don't shout. You've startled the young master, Warden Lou." reprimanded Zhi Yue.
Wang Lei helped Chino wipe the soup on the corner of his lips with a handkerchief which came out from nowhere.
"Sorry, Xiao Jing. Did you choke?" asked Wang Lei worriedly.
Chino shook his head and replied, "It is bad manners to shout during dinner~ Uncle Lou is bad~"
"Haha~ don't worry uncle won't do it again." said Wang Lei with a smile on his face.
Lou Lan remained silent the whole time. He is nothing but a prisoner Warden Lou is observing to complete the trials. He eats his dinner in silence like Chino. The smile on Wang Lei disappeared when talking with Zhi Yue and the latter seems to be used to it.
"By the way how could you materialize without the heavenly laws warning you?"
"Don't ask something stupid. Clearly it's because Venerable Lord Hei's memories are getting unsealed. I wouldn't even be surprised if he told me his full memories are unsealed."
"If his memories are unsealed then why… Why is he still staying at the lord's side? Their standing had been different from the beginning. In the first place the lord's state had become like this because of him."
"Stop blaming him! Don't you ever forget that if it wasn't for him the lord would be long gone! The one at fault of this everything is the old lord. Venerable Lord Hei and Milord are victims."
"Enough! I know what you meant. I spoke the wrong words just now. Let's stop talking about this."
Wang Lei finally returned to his seat dejected. He started eating his dinner in a powerless manner while Zhi Yue had taken down the barrier he made around the dining room. There is nothing but silence in the dining area.
—
Outside the Mansion, in the spring within the forest.
The spring isn't that large. It just looked like a circular pool that had a diameter that could fit 3 to 5 people soaking at the same time. Surrounded by Wisteria Trees, there are scattering wisteria petals on the ground making it look like a light violet carpet surrounding the spring. Since Xueya had isolated the spring from the outside, there's a wall made of ice surrounding the whole spring 10 meters away from the center.
The water inside the spring is so clear that one could even see through the bottom and depths of the pool. Within the pool lies Cao Junye with his eyes close to the world. His whole body is immersed under water and no one knew how he could be breathing. He is completely bare from top to bottom, only the white fog made by the spring covers his private area for the others to see.
At the edge of the spring is Xueya looking at the sleeping Junye without any emotions in his face.
"Take your time and heal yourself. I am here. I would protect you even if they come over in this world as well." murmured Xueya as his eyes softened while looking at Junye.
It was at this moment that someone had appeared to this place when it was close to impossible to enter this separate space without the owner knowing but this newly arrived man did it. He broke the space itself and invaded this special space without Xueya permission.
"An, your ability to control space elements is still sealed? It can only mean you haven't fully unsealed your current soul." said the man in green robes. This is the person who appeared before Xueya out of nowhere.
Ximen Xueya stared at the man in greed robe without any change in his emotionless face. He only stared at him languidly.
"Letting your clone follow me around again. You really have a talent of being a stalker. Don't think I would forgive you easily for trying to kill my husband twice, Jue-ge." his tanzanite eyes instantly turned to silver which means that Xueya is extremely angry at this moment.
