A strange atmosphere descended upon the room.
Eve Lowell suddenly shrieked, "Impossible—Morgan, how can you like her? She’s from a minor family..."
Alvin Morgan’s lips curled. He picked up the box of candy, glanced at it, and tossed it to Eve Lowell. "Thank your brother for the kind thought, but my Aurora doesn’t like sweets."
"You... Impossible... Impossible! You can’t like her, because I... ugh..." Provoked to the point of a breakdown, Eve Lowell was about to confess her feelings when a sharp pain shot through her neck. The world spun, and after a mont of darkness, she fell completely silent.
Hugo Lowell quickly withdrew his hand and caught her body. His expression was grim as he said, "My apologies, Young Lord Morgan. Eve isn’t feeling well. We’ll be taking our leave now..."
"Take care—"
Beta Morgan imdiately escorted Hugo Lowell out the door, but when he turned around, he was t with his master’s gaze, which clearly said, ’You get out too.’ He rubbed his nose, took the hint, and retreated two steps before closing the office door.
Aurora Sinclair pulled her arm away from his grasp. The tips of her ears tinged red as she sat back down in her chair. She picked up her spoon and silently focused on her food, though she was eating much faster than before.
"Aurora..."
"The third rule of the Radiant Void Sect: no Sect Leader, throughout all generations, may marry." Aurora Sinclair cut him off abruptly. Her gaze flickered, and she didn’t look at him.
"..."
Alvin Morgan watched her eat with what seed to be perfect composure. He gave a self-deprecating laugh and sat back down across from her. "It was just a convenient excuse. Don’t worry about it."
Aurora Sinclair suddenly looked up, her mouth still stuffed with chicken, puffing out her cheeks adorably.
Alvin Morgan’s throat tightened. He pushed the juice toward her and averted his eyes unnaturally. "The Lowell Family places great importance on bloodline inheritance. With your high aptitude for martial arts, you’ll beco a target for them. Saying that was the best way to ensure your safety. If you mind... I can go clarify..."
The light in his eyes dimd slightly, but he kept his gaze fixed on hers.
But Aurora Sinclair shook her head, thanking him with a look of relief, "Thank you, Morgan." Then she lowered her head and continued eating.
She no longer seed as tense as before.
Alvin Morgan gave a bitter smile to himself. After watching her for another mont, he stood up again. "I’m going to step out for a bit," he said, his voice sounding a little strange.
Aurora Sinclair nodded.
Beta Morgan, who was standing guard at the door like a statue, suddenly heard it open and saw his master walk out with a dark expression.
"Got a smoke?"
"Huh?" Beta Morgan quickly patted himself down, then gave an embarrassed grin. "Master, I don’t smoke."
Alvin Morgan: ...
***
Soon after, the first-year students of the College of Physics were suddenly hit with a weekly quiz.
The students stared at the densely packed test paper, their faces long as they looked up at the man on the podium, who was clearly in a bad mood.
They thought college would an fewer tests, but they never expected weekly quizzes.
’Professor Morgan is so brutal!’
"You have thirty minutes. This grade will be counted toward your coursework score."
"Ahhh..." A collective groan of despair echoed through the classroom.
Aurora Sinclair looked at the paper, a flicker in her eyes.
’When did Morgan have ti to write this quiz during lunch?’
On this weekly quiz, with the exception of Aurora Sinclair who scored full marks, every single student failed.
Seeing his master radiating a ’keep your distance’ aura, Beta Morgan assud it was because the students had done poorly on the quiz.
He never expected his master to suddenly ask, "If you were rejected by a woman, what would you want to do most?"
"Hm?" Beta Morgan’s eyes went wide. He was speechless for a long mont, until his master cleared his throat twice.
Beta Morgan furrowed his brow, quickly recalling a scene from a TV drama. "Get drunk, then block her on everything."
Seeing his master shoot him a disapproving look, he imdiately corrected himself. "Blocking might not be the best idea. If a woman rejects you, it usually ans she has soone else in her heart. You could secretly get rid of your rival."
"There is no rival."
"No? Then how about pestering her endlessly?"
But Alvin Morgan shot him a glance, and Beta Morgan imdiately swallowed the rest of his words.
"Get the car ready..."
"Master, are you going out for a drink?"
Alvin Morgan said coolly, "To the Lockwood Residence..."
***
「The Lowell Family.」
Eve Lowell slowly regained consciousness. Seeing Hugo Lowell not far away, she sat up in a rage and yelled, "Grandfather, why did you knock out?"
Hugo Lowell’s face hardened. "Eve Lowell—"
Frightened by his expression, Eve Lowell felt a sting in her nose as tears quickly welled up in her eyes. "Grandfather..." she cried, "I’ve loved him since we were children. Why won’t any of you approve?"
"His talent is insufficient."
"Talent, talent, that’s all you care about! No wonder First Uncle and Little Aunt wanted to leave this place!"
"Insolence—" Hugo Lowell slamd one hand on the table. With a CRASH, the entire thing instantly collapsed.
"What do you know? The higher one’s aptitude for martial arts, the greater the chance of becoming a supre expert. In this world, only the strong make the rules, because their strength can destroy everything." Hugo Lowell’s voice was severe. Eve Lowell shrank back in fear, clutching the corner of her blanket tightly.
"In Ancient Tis, Ancient Martial Arts were prevalent. Everyone practiced them, and an ancestor of the Lowell Family was one of the three Martial Gods. The rules of the Martial World that have been passed down to this day were established by those three Martial Gods. If the Lowell Family hadn’t maintained its bloodline inheritance, we would have long since declined, just like the descendants of the other two Martial Gods..."
Hugo Lowell glared at her, his expression a mixture of anger and disappointnt. "Only by giving birth to a child of extrely high talent can the Lowell Family return to its peak!"
"But didn’t you say Aurora Sinclair has very high talent? Are you just going to let her beco one of the Morgans?" Eve Lowell asked through her sobs.
Hugo Lowell knew exactly what she was thinking. "Of course, she cannot be allowed to fall into anyone else’s hands," he said in a low voice.
’Even if she marries, she must leave a bloodline for the Lowell Family.’
A vicious glint flashed in Eve Lowell’s eyes. ’If I can’t have him, no one can.’
***
anwhile, a sudden roar echoed from within the Sunstone Mountains.
"AHHH—"
The birds and beasts in the mountain ravines scattered, flying off as if in a great escape.
A monstrous Power erupted from beneath the waterfall. The rushing current actually flowed backward, forming a small column of water that shot upward.
Standing at the peak of Sunstone Mountain, Master Aerion, with his hands behind his back, leaped off the summit. His body was as light as a butterfly, tapping against the rocks as he descended.
Soon, he landed steadily on a large rock.
At that mont, the man who had been sitting cross-legged under the waterfall snapped his eyes open. His gaze was tiger-like and sharp as he stared straight ahead. After a long while, the aura around him slowly subsided.
"I’ve broken through... Hahaha..." His resonant voice, like the striking of a bell, shattered all the water droplets in the air around him.
Master Aerion stroked the beard on his chin, looking fairly satisfied. "You may descend the mountain..."
The man knelt on the ground and perford a kowtow to Master Aerion, the formal bow between a master and disciple.
The water from the mountain waterfall was parted by the Power emanating from the man’s body, not a single drop splashing onto him.
When the man looked up again, the figure before him was already gone. The joy in his heart was replaced by a deep sense of awe and fear.
He was now a First Rank Martial King, yet he still couldn’t sense any trace of the master’s departure. It was clear his Combat Power was far superior.
When Ronan Warner saw Master Aerion climb up from the valley, he said irritably, "Don’t step on my herbs."
A teacup was tossed over. Master Aerion caught it swiftly, took a gulp, and spat. "Pah— Is this just tea dust? Where’s your Da Hong Pao?"
Ronan Warner rolled his eyes. "The dog drank it all."
Master Aerion chuckled. "No wonder Leigh Miles calls you Miser Warner."
He flicked his Daoist robe and sat primly in the chair beside him, then reached out and poured himself another cup.
"So tiring. He’s finally gone."
Ronan Warner shot him a sideways glance. "With the Lowell Family’s character, you’re really giving them a Martial King?"
"It’s about ti Veridia had a Martial King."
"Why not choose the Lockwood Family?"
"The man’s already got one foot in the grave. You want him to go compete?"
"..."
Ronan Warner stared at him in shock. He had assud it was to balance the powers in Veridia’s Martial World, but the reason was as simple as that.
Master Aerion crossed his legs smugly. "Don’t worry," he said, pleased with himself. "With Dawn Miles around, things won’t get chaotic."
"You’re quite confident in that dumb apprentice of yours."
"Dumb? That’s called ’great wisdom appearing as foolishness.’ Besides, with that boy from the Morgan Family around, things won’t get out of hand either."
"..."
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