"Don't worry, the Traveler is really strong too!"
Seeing the worried looks on everyone's faces, Paimon puffed up her tiny chest with pride.
"Mhm! Big Brother is super strong too!"
Yu Keke nodded earnestly again.
"…"
The three all turned to look at her in unison. Why did that sound so familiar…?
"Ahem~"
A soft cough came from within the courtyard, drawing everyone's attention.
Aether was already seated, and Fire Meow Meow had reverted to her kitten form, lying on the table while he gently stroked her fur.
From the look on Fire Meow Meow's face, she was practically melting from comfort.
It was the first time Aether had ever been so affectionate with her, and she wasn't quite used to it. All that fuss about spirit rings and bones had already flown from her mind like clouds in the wind.
The cough had come from Bibi Dong, who was standing across from them. Her martial spirit and spirit rings had all been retracted into her body.
Her flawless, mature face was now flushed, strands of sweat-damp hair clinging to her forehead. Her eyes carried a complex look, tinged with something unspoken, as she gazed at Aether.
If this were a different setting—perhaps in the quiet of a boudoir, on a bed—her appearance right now might've made for an entirely… different kind of story~
"Your Excellency, I'm sorry…" Bibi Dong lowered her head in apology.
Gone was her former pride and arrogance. Now, her tone held only reverence and fear.
That brief clash had made her realize what she was truly facing.
That overwhelming power left her with a profound sense of helplessness.
Even though she had only activated one of her martial spirits earlier, she knew that even if she unleashed both of her twin spirits and all her spirit rings at once, she would still be no more than a flickering firefly compared to a radiant moon in his presence.
All her previous assumptions and evaluations of this man had been completely shattered.
Things like "he must not be allowed to get even stronger," or "he'll never submit to others"—now, thinking back, all of that made her feel like a joke.
The rumors about him weren't exaggerated at all.
In fact, he was far more unfathomable than the rumors ever described!
"You should be apologizing to her."
Aether pointed at the dazed Fire Meow Meow still lying on the table.
"I'm sorry… I was just making a joke earlier."
As a native-born Spirit Master, Bibi Dong's understanding of spirit beasts was like most others: they were beasts, tools to strengthen Spirit Masters.
But in this moment, she didn't dare show a hint of disrespect. Instead, she solemnly bowed and apologized to Fire Meow Meow.
"Hmph~"
Perhaps learning from Paimon, Fire Meow Meow let out a haughty snort. She accepted the apology, but refused to forgive.
This woman was indeed strong—so strong that she really could have made those earlier threats a reality. If it were any other time, Fire Meow Meow would've had to tuck her tail and run.
But now she had her lord to protect her. With him around, forget about this woman—even a god wouldn't scare her from baring her fangs!
Seeing that Fire Meow Meow had no intention of pursuing the matter further, Aether finally turned to Bibi Dong and spoke calmly:
"Your joke wasn't funny. Don't say things like that again—because next time, I will take it seriously~"
"Understood…"
Realizing that Aether wouldn't push further, Bibi Dong let out a long sigh of relief.
To break the awkward silence, she quickly lifted the teapot and refilled his cup.
Looking at the Pope of Spirit Hall acting like a virtuous housewife, Aether knew his earlier actions hadn't been in vain.
The reason he had struck out so suddenly was twofold: first, her words had been far too flippant.
Second, when facing a strong-willed woman like her, the most effective way to earn her respect was to completely dominate her in the very domain she prided herself on.
"Have a seat. You're a guest, after all."
Seeing her still standing after pouring the tea, Aether gestured for her to sit.
She may have been a tyrant in her own right, but he had no perverse interest in humiliating her. In his memories, he had no fondness for this woman—but he didn't truly hate her either.
One should not offer advice without knowing another's suffering.
In his recollection, her dark past was only ever briefly touched upon.
But what kind of despair and helplessness must she have felt as a young girl?
From that perspective, nothing she did afterward really came as a surprise to him.
What the world hated about her was merely her nature and her way of doing things.
The message Aether left her earlier hadn't been some moral lesson. It was because, with his strength slowly unsealing, he sensed that this world was on the verge of change.
And when that time came, he didn't want this land to become a second Khaenri'ah.
Spirit Hall had deep roots in this continent. It was an undeniable force—and perhaps, it could help more of the common people.
That was why, after much deliberation, Aether decided to tell Bibi Dong something important.
"Your Excellency, the truth is… I came today because I heard you had something to tell me~"
The little confrontation was now behind them, and she had witnessed the depths of his terrifying power. Bibi Dong parted her pink lips and brought up the main issue.
Because of what just happened, she was now taking it more seriously.
If he had something to say to her, it must be something critical.
"Yes. I have a story I want to tell you."
A story?
Bibi Dong was caught off guard. That didn't sound like the grand "matter of great importance" she had imagined.
But Aether didn't seem like the kind of person who would randomly drop by just to tell a story. The real meaning must be hidden within it.
"Please go ahead, Your Excellency. I'm all ears."
Understanding this, Bibi Dong folded her hands in a respectful gesture and focused, waiting for him to begin.
"Is His Excellency about to tell a story?"
"Sis, I wanna hear it too…"
The group standing near the entrance had, of course, overheard the conversation between Aether and Bibi Dong. Seeing the two who were just at each other's throats suddenly preparing to tell a story, the Shui sisters' eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"If you wanna hear it, just go over. His Excellency's not going to scold you~"
Shui Bing'er glanced at her sister with a complicated expression and decided to egg her on.
Her sister wasn't exactly sharp, but she had guts—and that made her the perfect guinea pig to test the waters…
"…Zhuqing, do you want to go too?"
Shui Yue'er's curiosity was piqued even more, but she was still a bit hesitant—so she thought about pulling someone else along.
Her gaze landed on Zhu Zhuqing, who was clearly tempted too.
"Uh… would that really be okay?"
Despite her cold and wild demeanor, Zhu Zhuqing was someone who loved and hated fiercely.
She said it might be inappropriate, but one of her long legs had already stepped half a pace forward.
Their eyes met—each waiting for the other to make the first move
_
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