Earlier that day…
"Ufufufu… it's been so long since we last shopped together, Sister Yuechan." Retsu's soft laugh carried a teasing warmth.
"Yes, it has…" Little Fairy's voice was calm, her smile faintly hidden beneath her veiled hat. "I admit, it feels nice to walk side by side with you again."
Little Fairy was quietly amused by the veiled kasa hat resting upon her head. Normally, she could hardly take a step in public without being recognized; even with a veil, people would still gawk, drawn helplessly to her beauty. Yet now… no one spared her a second glance.
It was almost surreal. The bustling crowd flowed around her as though she were nothing more than an ordinary passerby. Not a single curious gaze lingered. Not even Mio or Retsu, who walked at her side, with beauty out of this world, seemed to be noticed by passersby.
Her lips curved faintly beneath the veil. What kind of hat is this, to so easily erase me from the world's eyes?
Little Fairy wore a light blue kimono patterned with delicate flowers, tied neatly with a pure white obi. At her side, Retsu contrasted her in a soft pink floral kimono with a pale pink obi, her graceful steps as serene as always. Mio, however, remained faithful to her signature black kimono—the very one Yun Che had personally designed for her—paired with the ever-present hand fan in her grasp.
Yet, these were no ordinary accessories. Even their fans carried Yun Che's touch of ingenuity, upgraded into refined tools that emitted a gentle stream of cool air beneath their veils, like portable air conditioners. Combined with the unique veiled kasa hats upon their heads, it was as though each of them moved within their own small, air-conditioned capsule, untouched by the sweltering heat of the outside world.
"You knew Ret-chan that well?" Mio tilted her head curiously. This was the first time she'd spoken so openly with Little Fairy.
"They met me back in New Moon City," Little Fairy explained. "I've followed them since. And you, Sister Mio? How did you come to be with him?"
"Me?" Mio's lips curved into a playful smile. "Danna-sama rescued me from a trial ground."
"Ah, the dragon trial Sister Yue mentioned?" Little Fairy recalled the story Cang Yue once told her. Should she stayed at that time, she might be able to meet Mio but, she had to go back to the Asgard whether she liked it or not.
"Yes, that very trial," Mio replied, her tone dipping into nostalgia. "Believe it or not… I am the Spider of Calamity."
"The… Spider of Calamity?" Little Fairy's steps faltered slightly, her voice tinged with surprise.
"Mio-chan is no ordinary being," Retsu interjected gently, clarifying. "She was once a legendary spider in the celestial realm—a spider whose venom and strength could annihilate an entire city."
Mio clasped her cheeks with both hands, her tone suddenly dreamy. "But Danna-sama poured all his love into me… and little by little, he turned me human. Ahh, sweet love~."
"Love?" Little Fairy's eyes narrowed slightly beneath her veil, her tone both confused and wary.
"She feeds on Yuu-kun's unique energy," Retsu explained calmly. "Through that bond, she grew a human form… and comes with the strength of a Peak Sovereign Profound Realm."
Little Fairy's eyes widened in genuine astonishment as her senses brushed against Mio's aura — calm, immense, and unmistakably that of a Peak Monarch. What startled her even more, however, was not the power, but the form it took.
A beast… with a human body?
Her lips parted slightly in disbelief. She had seen spirit beasts transform before, but this was something else entirely. Mio wasn't just human-looking — she was breathtakingly beautiful, her every movement carrying the effortless grace of one born divine.
But… does it have to be a woman?
The thought slipped through Little Fairy's mind with a quiet pang. She let out a soft sigh, catching herself before it showed on her face. A contracted beast — no, Yun Che's contracted beast — had beauty that rivaled, perhaps even surpassed, her own. And to think Mio wasn't even from the Dead Spirit Realm… how in the heavens did she gain such perfection?
"What about you, Yuechan-san?" Mio leaned in with a mischievous glimmer. "Did Danna-sama weave his charm around you too?"
Little Fairy hesitated for a moment, her serene composure cracking just slightly. "…He is indeed a mystery. I won't deny that. At first, I despised him… but before I realized it, my heart betrayed me far faster than my mind."
"Ufufu… she lost to Yuu-kun when they first met," Mio said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, fanning herself lightly. "Long story short, she fell for him sooner or later. Isn't that right, Sister Yuechan?"
"I won't deny it," Little Fairy replied, a faint smile curling at her lips. It had been months since that fateful meeting, yet she couldn't help but admit—her rascal hadn't changed one bit.
"Moshi-moshi… Nee-sama, can you hear me?"
Without warning, Nemu's VSD Prototype One swept in, its phantom-quiet rotors barely disturbing the air as it hovered beside Retsu. The little drone was cloaked—virtually invisible against the afternoon bustle—so casual passersby gave no thought to the tiny machine buzzing just above them.
"Ufufu… loud and clear, Nemu. You can join us, you know?" Retsu replied, amusement in her voice.
"Deepest apologies, Nee-sama. I must prepare what Yuu-sama requested. Don't worry, desu… I'll follow at a discreet distance." Nemu's voice piped through the drone, all business but somehow still polite.
Retsu let out a soft sigh. "That Nemu…"
"Mio-neesama, remember to buy cookable ingredients this time," the drone chimed, absurdly earnest.
Mio grinned and flicked a strand of hair back. "Nemu-chan, you better be ready to be tied up in my webs when I get back."
"Kyaa— I am sorry." Nemu's tone remained flat, but the small mechanical hum of the drone seemed almost sheepish as it hovered obediently beside Retsu.
"Your sister is certainly an amusing one," Little Fairy giggled softly.
"Yes, she's the cutest sister ever," Retsu replied, a fond smile tugging at her lips. "A little too clever at times, though. She's second only to Yuu-kun in that regard."
"When did she come by?" Little Fairy asked curiously. Retsu had never mentioned this Nemu in any of their past journeys.
"She first contacted us while we were in the Phoenix Clan's village," Retsu explained. "But she wasn't ready to appear then—she was still undergoing her transformation in the Dead Spirit Realm. We picked her up once we returned to the Imperial City, and she has been with us ever since."
"She's remarkable," Little Fairy admitted. "So versatile in these… technologies of your realm."
Retsu nodded in agreement. "Yes. She serves as Yuu-kun's assistant. His explanations tend to be… long-winded, and truthfully, most of us don't understand half of what he says. But Nemu always translates it into something simple."
Mio let out a theatrical shiver. "Ugh, don't remind me. Danna-sama once sat us down for an hour just to explain how a toaster works. Nemu simply slipped in a piece of bread—ding!—done."
Little Fairy chuckled at the image, shaking her head. "I suppose each of you has strengths and weaknesses."
"Indeed," Retsu said softly. "But still… we all revolve around him. Without Yuu-kun, none of us would be here together."
Her voice grew warm, almost wistful behind her veil. She was summoned out of Hell. Mio was freed from a prison without end. Nemu was reawakened. Cang Yue trained under him from the New Moon Profound Palace. Kon was summoned into this world. Then they met Little Fairy and her sister. They found Jin Mulan, Xue Ling, Lin Yueru, and forged ties with the Jin Family and even the Phoenix Clan back then. They crossed paths with Lin Xin, little Xueli… and Xiao Lingxi, back in those early days.
Now, they were even beginning to befriend their old rival—Xia Qingyue.
Retsu paused, her gaze growing distant as memories flickered through her mind, before a gentle smile formed. "It's strange, isn't it? All of us… so different, yet somehow drawn into his presence."
"Yes, it is…" Little Fairy replied softly. "I owe that rascal my life. And my sister… she owes him hers as well, even if she doesn't yet know who he truly is." She sighed, thinking of Yueli's ignorance. If only she knew the same rascal that she was wary off was the same Mihawk…
"The same goes for us, Sister Yuechan," Retsu said warmly. "Both Nemu and I owe him our lives. Even Sister Yue herself."
"Don't forget me~." Mio fanned herself playfully. "I plan to repay his kindness with lots and lots of love."
"Mio-neesama only wants to make his stomach hurt again," Nemu interjected flatly through the hovering drone.
"Mouu… Nemu." Mio's smile tightened into a half-annoyed pout.
The drone drifted a little further from her, as if seeking safety.
"Ufufufu…" Retsu chuckled. "No man in this world could ever match even a fraction of what he is capable of."
"Indeed." Little Fairy's voice lowered, touched with a quiet vulnerability. "I lived four decades in this world without ever once falling in love. And then he appeared… and without meaning to, he charmed me completely. That rascal."
"We all feel the same," Mio mused, her tone for once serious. "I just wanted to be his servant but, he gave more than what I hoped.
Retsu nodded lightly. "Ufufu… strong as we are, none of us could ever bring ourselves to raise a hand against him if he misbehaves. Our love for him makes us powerless. But you, Sister Yuechan… you can." Her tone was amused, almost conspiratorial. "If we have complaints, we'll simply entrust them to you."
Retsu said so but, she hid the fact that the System itself prevented any of them from harming him. Anyone bound to the System was incapable of raising a hand against him should they have strong feelings for him. However, those outside its influence—outsiders not recognized or registered by the System—were exempt from this rule.
Little Fairy's lips curved into a rare smile beneath her veil. "Leave it to me. I'll discipline him on everyone's behalf."
Of all the women around Yun Che, only she—and perhaps Jasmine—could truly knock some sense into that incorrigible rascal as he would call it, his mommy future wife.
Only if necessary.
As the three women chatted, their steps carried them into the market. Almost immediately, Retsu's sharp eyes caught onto something amiss. The vendors were charging outrageously high prices for the most basic of goods.
Jin Yuelian had already warned them: most suppliers refused to trade in the city after being crushed under heavy taxes. The few who remained sold their goods at absurd prices, taking advantage of desperate buyers. Each stall was "protected" by local gangs, their enforcers lurking nearby to intimidate any who might protest. As for the city's law enforcers? They turned a blind eye—the Cang Outer Family's shadowy ownership left them conveniently deaf and mute.
Stopping at one of the traders' stalls, Retsu's eyes widened. "Three gold coins… for bean sprouts?"
Mio huffed, crossing her arms. "Outrageous. These vegetables usually cost a handful of copper. And they don't even carry any special properties that could justify the price."
The vendor leaned forward, putting on a syrupy smile. "Ah, dear veiled ladies. Perhaps I could interest you in something more reasonable?"
"Quite expensive for mere vegetables," Retsu replied, her voice calm but edged.
"Unfortunate, indeed," the vendor chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "But… perhaps we can make an arrangement. A discount—or even free—if certain conditions are met."
"Conditions?" Retsu's tone cooled.
The man's grin widened, oily and bold. "If the fair ladies would grace me with a glimpse of the beauty beneath those veils, the price will change… depending on what I see."
Mio's fan snapped open with a sharp whff. Her tone dripped with disdain. "Shameless."
"Shameless? Hardly." The vendor leaned across his stall, voice dripping with arrogance. "If you want these, you'll have to earn them. Beauty is a fine currency—so I'll give them for free… if one of you agrees to spend the night with me."
Little Fairy's hand twitched beneath her sleeve. Patience was all that kept her from freezing the entire marketplace into a glacial tomb. Around them, several gang members had begun to eye the three women. Veiled strangers were rare in this city, and to the predators that prowled its alleys, their anonymity was a tantalizing mystery.
Retsu's gaze darkened behind her veil. Mio's grip tightened on her fan until the wood creaked. Their hidden anger swelled. These vendors—using food as bait, forcing desperate women to barter their dignity for survival… how many mothers? How many wives had been broken by such vile demands?
The thought was almost unbearable.
And yet, Yun Che's orders echoed in their minds: do not destroy the city.
Their fury boiled beneath their calm façades as they swallowed their pride and moved on. But stall after stall was the same—outrageous prices for necessities, lecherous demands to see their faces, whispers of bedding them for scraps of food.
By the time they reached the third vendor, their tempers had frayed to the edge. Every step forward took all their willpower not to unleash devastation upon this corrupted market.
Retsu's gaze swept across the shaken marketplace. She could see them clearly now—desperate wives clutching thin purses, hollow-eyed husbands bargaining for scraps, and mothers who would sell their dignity just to put food on the table.
Her heart tightened.
Xuanwu City… a playground for the rich, a prison for the poor. A slum dressed as a marketplace, where survival itself had become a currency.
Retsu's fingers curled lightly at her side, her aura stirring. That's enough.
To her, the matter was already decided. This would not be allowed to continue.
The corruption, the cruelty, the shameless preying upon the weak—today, it ends.
"Oi, oi… beauties." A gang member swaggered toward them, his tone mocking. "Veils are forbidden in this city. If you don't want to be fined, remove them."
"Cockroaches…" Retsu murmured in Japanese, her voice low and even. "We don't want any trouble. Leave us be."
But the man only smirked wider. "If you're hiding behind those veils, you must be concealing quite the show."
"Last warning," Retsu's tone sharpened. "Leave us."
"Oh? Women daring to be defiant?" His hand reached out toward her veil. "If you won't remove it—"
He never finished.
The instant his fingers brushed the fabric, Retsu's eyes flickered—barely a shift in her gaze. A thunderous pulse erupted, invisible yet undeniable.
BOOM.
A burst of Haoshoku Haki blasted outward, rattling the air itself. Nearly two dozen gang members were hurled off their feet, bodies crashing into stalls and walls before collapsing in unconscious heaps.
The marketplace fell silent.
"Ah," Retsu exhaled softly, lowering her eyes. "So much for staying low."
"Finally." Mio's lips curved into a dangerous grin as she snapped her fan open. With a faint shimmer, the delicate folds shifted into a gleaming bladed edge—an upgrade she had playfully begged Yun Che to forge for her, as she disliked relying solely on Murakumogiri for close combat. "Maybe now we can actually cause some trouble."
Little Fairy stood still, her veil hiding the widening of her eyes. In just a few months, she's gone from discovering Haoshoku No Haki to mastering it? The sheer pressure Retsu unleashed had been effortless, absolute. What kind of genius is she, to wield power so vast with such calm grace…?
At that range, only the guilty had fallen. Innocent bystanders were untouched, though they felt the heavy rush of pressurized wind whip past them. A mother clutching her child remained entirely unharmed—proof of Retsu's mastery. Her Haoshoku no Haki wasn't wild destruction; it was precise, deliberate, absolute.
The thugs had cultivation no higher than the True Profound Realm, yet here they lorded over the starving with borrowed power, extorting obedience through fear.
Now, the balance had shifted. With the gangs collapsing, the vendors' protection crumbled. Fear alone would soon force them to lower their prices. Retsu only hoped Cang Yue was making her own move within the Cang Outer Family's palace. If not, Retsu herself would have no choice but to deliver the killing blow to this festering system.
The remaining gang members backed away, eyes wide with terror. None dared to step closer, as though even proximity to Retsu would crush the consciousness out of them.
One fool, trembling yet desperate, drew a bow. The twang of the string lasted but a heartbeat before a sudden thwip split the air.
A bolt buried itself in his shoulder.
The man's scream rang out as he collapsed, clutching the wound. Above, Nemu's cloaked drone hovered silently, reloading without pause.
"Now," Retsu's voice was velvet over steel as she turned back to the trembling vendor—the same man who had dared suggest she sell her dignity for scraps. Her eyes, though half-hidden beneath her veil, seemed to pierce through him like a blade. "I believe we have reached an agreement?"
"Yes… yes, fair lady…" the vendor stammered, his face pale. He felt as though death itself had taken human form and was now staring directly at him.
"The Jin Family will purchase all of these goods," Retsu declared, scanning the stock with the system. "For a total of five gold coins."
The numbers didn't lie. Stripped of extortion and inflated greed, the goods were worth exactly that. Retsu could be merciless toward liars, but she would not stoop to theft.
"F-five…?" The vendor swallowed hard. "Isn't that far too—"
"Do we have a problem?" Mio cut him off, her tone so flat it was almost bored. The flick of her bladed fan caught the sunlight, its edge gleaming ominously.
"This…" The vendor's voice cracked.
"All of these goods lack any special properties. Five gold coins is more than fair," Little Fairy added, her words laced with frost. Beneath her veil, her eyes glimmered with the sharp awareness of her Observation Haki. Lies could not escape her—not here, not ever. "Try to cheat us again, and you'll end up like the rest of your little punks."
The vendor's legs nearly buckled as he scrambled to agree.
The vendor could only nod, his body trembling with relief and fear. Around them, passersby halted in stunned silence as they watched Retsu, Little Fairy, and Mio sweep through the marketplace. Stall after stall was stripped clean—purchased for fair prices that cut straight through the scams and greed.
When it was over, the three women had spent no more than three purple profound coins. A mere fraction of the hundred purple coins Yun Che had casually given them for groceries… and yet they had bought everything.
And then, without hesitation, they gave it all away.
Retsu stepped forward, her presence commanding, her voice infused with the weight of her Haki. "Anyone who is in need of food—hear me. The Jin Family has paid for everything. If you are hungry, take what you need. If these 'kind vendors' dare to charge you again, they will answer to us. Everything here is already paid in full."
Her words rippled through the crowd like thunder.
"The Jin Family… paid for everything?" someone whispered.
"We can really ask… for anything?" another voice trembled.
"No payment at all?"
The disbelief quickly gave way to tears. Mothers clutched their children. Fathers clenched their fists, unsure whether to laugh or cry. For once, survival did not come with the cost of shame.
Mio's gaze swept back to the vendors, her bladed fan snapping open with a sharp clack. "Try to scam them again," she said, her voice colder than steel, "and be ready to have your heads severed."
The crowd surged forward, but not in chaos. A thin, unseen pressure spread through the air—Retsu and Mio releasing their Haoshoku in delicate layers, just enough to keep the flow orderly. Greed and panic were crushed under invisible weight, leaving only quiet discipline. Mothers with children were given space. No one dared trample another, not under their watch.
It wasn't brute control through fear. Retsu's Haki steadied the crowd's nerves—anxiety, not conscience, was the target. Should anyone's greed or panic swell past a safe point, the pressure would overwhelm them and they would collapse, unconscious rather than violent. A few tried to snatch more than their share and immediately crumpled; the rest learned fast from the sight. Take what you need, the unspoken rule went, but do not be greedy.
Little Fairy watched the scene with a careful eye. Panic and desperation were natural here; a harsher hand might have sparked a stampede. This method—gentle, uncompromising—ensured no one was hurt and that everyone would get food. Naming the Jin Family as benefactors only amplified the effect: the family's reputation spread through the market like wildfire, convincing vendors to fall in line and giving the people permission—safe, official permission—to accept what they needed.
Above them, Nemu's cloaked drone drifted like a silent sentinel. Its sensors tracked movement, and its hidden crossbow bolts waited patiently. Any thug foolish enough to shoot would find himself suddenly impotent and bleeding—another quiet deterrent that kept the peace.
In that moment the poorest in Xuanwu City witnessed what felt like a miracle: food laid out and freely given, order enforced without cruelty, and a name—The Jin Family—spoken with hope instead of dread.
"For those who wish to purchase food for only a few coppers, hear this—the Jin Family watchkeep is now open as a marketplace. Any vendor who refuses to bow to these parasites and their gold demands may set up shop in the watchkeep. There, anyone may buy at fair, honest prices."
The words rippled through the crowd like thunder. Despair gave way to rejoicing: the Jin Family had returned. No longer would they be forced to sell dignity for scraps, no longer would their honor be ground beneath the feet of corrupt vendors.
The vendors themselves turned pale. If the Jin Family watchkeep became the new hub, their stranglehold on the city would wither in days. Who would pay extortionate prices when fair trade lay only a short walk away?
Jin Zhuo wasted no time in the watchkeep. Yun Che's plans were ridiculous but, if he succeeded, he would change the entire city's view of the Jin Family. With funds pooled from Cang Yue and allied families, he began stabilizing the city's economy through the Jin Family, drawing in outside merchants who had long avoided Xuanwu out of fear. This was his chance to cripple Tian Heng's thugs, who had strangled trade for years.
Yet one problem remained—the trading routes. Constantly harassed by bandits and mercenaries from Tian Heng, they were too unstable to support long-term growth. If Yun Che truly delivered what he promised—bolstering their numbers and drawing desperate souls into the Jin Family's fold—they could secure the routes and reclaim the mantle of law enforcers, just as in the days of old.
Jin Zhuo couldn't help but smile, a rare fire burning in his chest. If the pieces fell into place, within a week the Jin Family would hold the city's economy, its protection, and even its politics in their hands.
The very families who had mocked and laughed at the Jin Family the night before now came crawling, eager to mend ties. They offered reconciliation in exchange for forgiveness of their debts, desperate to avoid the noose tightening around their necks.
Jin Zhuo understood at once—those debts were his leverage. With them, he could bind these vultures, forcing them into the fold not through empty words but through obligation and necessity. Already, the Yang Family—true allies who had never wavered—stood as the example of what loyalty yielded. The contrast only sharpened the shame of those who once jeered.
And at the heart of this shift was Yun Che. The rascal had only returned a day prior, yet he had already shoved Jin Zhuo into work with a vigor that allowed no rest. His methods were unorthodox, his demands relentless, but the results undeniable. In a single day, the Jin Family's fortunes had turned.
Today, Yun Che's plan was simple—at least on the surface. Bolster the Jin Family's numbers, cripple the corrupt merchants' stranglehold on Xuanwu's economy, and place the city's lifeline directly into Jin Zhuo's hands. By dismantling the pillars that held the people hostage, he would clear the path for Jin Zhuo to reclaim his rightful seat as City Lord. Even the Cang Outer Family, entrenched and arrogant, was within his sights.
His methods, however, were anything but conventional.
Jin Zhuo could still scarcely believe what he had witnessed. Last night, Yun Che had toppled ten families—not with blades, armies, or threats, but with what he called "simple talents." No bloodshed, no open displays of force. Just cunning, wit, and a frightening ability to see the cracks in his enemies' foundations and shatter them with a single touch.
It left Jin Zhuo both in awe and uneasy. If Yun Che could dismantle ten families overnight, what would he accomplish today, when he turned his eyes upon the city itself?
Was it truly possible for one man to unravel an entire city without resorting to fear or violence?
If so, then Yun Che was more dangerous than any tyrant or warlord—because he could conquer with nothing but his mind.
Just like before. He became the city lord back then because of Mu Che. Now, he regains it because of the new version of him.
Jin Zhuo could only marvel. Not only had Yun Che infused new life into their house, he had even poured in his own wealth without hesitation, staking his personal fortunes to uplift the family's name. It was reckless, selfless, and audacious—all at once.
And it was working.
The only shadow left was the road beyond the walls. And even now, certain mothers and children were already setting out upon it… unaware of the danger that awaited those who tried to stop them.
---------------------------------
Nemu stood near the parked VTOL, tablet in hand, eyes scanning streams of data as she adjusted its parameters with cool precision. Beside her, Yoru sat in perfect poise, sipping her tea as though the chaos of the city didn't exist.
A small group of young Jin Family scions approached, their swagger evident even through their polite smiles.
"Ah, dear fairies," one of them drawled. "Could we interest you in some… accompaniment?" The others snickered, clearly emboldened by each other's presence.
Without glancing up from her manifest, Nemu replied, her tone flat and clinical. "We're busy today."
"A shame," another tried again, his voice oozing false charm. "Another day then?"
"No," Nemu said simply. Her eyes never left the tablet. "I am already a promised woman."
That made them pause, blinking. Before they could recover, Yoru set her cup down and spoke, her voice soft but edged like a blade.
"And I belong to my master."
She lifted her tea again, dismissing them without another glance. The young men, suddenly aware of how foolish they sounded, stepped back in awkward silence.
"Ah, dear ladies, we know you must be lonely," one of the young men pressed, his grin widening. "Why not allow us to accompany you? You can ask anything of us."
Their eyes lingered not on the veiled women themselves but on the futuristic ark behind them—the marvel whispered about in every corner of the city. If they could charm these veiled beauties, perhaps they could gain access to its secrets… perhaps even learn how to fly it.
Nemu didn't even bother to look up. Her voice was flat, scalpel-sharp.
"Please leave. I am not keen on entertaining low-quality men."
Her dismissal cut deeper than any blade. The young men stiffened, their faces twisting with offense.
"What did you just—"
Shoo!
A thin bloody line appeared across the cheek of the boldest one. He froze, eyes wide, before stumbling back onto his rear. Above Nemu's head, two drones shimmered into visibility, their crossbows locked and primed.
"Leave," Nemu said without inflection. "Or the next bolt won't miss."
The young masters scrambled to their feet and fled, dignity forgotten, as the drones drifted lazily around her like silent predators.
Yoru exhaled softly, her hand steady as she sipped her tea. "Sigh… the audacity of these people. They mistake arrogance for charm."
"Thank goodness Nee-sama isn't here," Nemu murmured, her eyes still fixed on the glowing screen of her device. "She isn't kind to anyone outside our family when they try to talk to me."
Yoru gave a small, knowing smile. "Retsu-sama is very protective of you."
"Yes," Nemu said simply, her voice almost fond. "Nee-sama's protectiveness can be… extreme. Just like how she shielded Yuu-sama from opportunistic women. She once knocked out a group of men with a frying pan for trying to approach me. Not because she wanted to hinder me… but because she already knew their intentions before they even opened their mouths."
Yoru chuckled softly. "Retsu-sama must love you deeply to go that far."
Nemu's eyes softened at the memory, her usual monotone edged with something warmer. "She does. That's why she's my treasure. Even before I awakened, she would come visit me in her free time, smile at me, sit beside my glowing bubble. Back then, I didn't even know she was my sister… but she still came. Every time."
Her fingers stilled on the screen for a heartbeat. "When I finally awakened and learned the truth… I was secretly happy. Happy that the woman who had always been there was my Nee-sama."
Yoru tilted her head slightly, watching her with quiet curiosity. Nemu rarely let her composure slip, and yet, when speaking of Retsu, a softer light flickered in her eyes—an echo of the girl she once was.
"I understand your feelings, Nemu-sama," Yoru said softly. "Both I and Yoruko do. Imagine… the two of us, awakened as swords forged by Yuuki-sama from the Dragon Fault, but unable to speak to our master. We simply stood by him, day after day. Yoruko would call out to him endlessly, but he could never hear her. Only when he infused that core were we finally able to communicate. So close to him… yet so far."
Nemu's eyes flickered with quiet empathy. "I understand that well, Yoru-san. I thank the heavens and the system every day for giving me Nee-sama and Yuu-sama. Without them, I might never have awakened at all.
"As for me," Yoru added softly, "he gave me a new life as an Origin Spirit. I can finally fulfill my true purpose to him—as his sword spirit."
Nemu gave her a small, approving smile. "Then, ganbarre, Yoru-san. I'm sure Yuu-sama truly appreciates your presence. I've already seen Yoruko enjoying her role as Nezuko. Even Yueli-sama and Ling-sama seem to ask you a lot of questions about Yuu-sama's… alternate self."
"They did…" Yoru allowed herself a faint smile. "Hmm. I wonder how Yuuki-sama will handle all of this."
"I'm sure master has his ways," Yoru replied, eyes lowering fondly to her tea. Her gaze shifted, curious now. "Nemu-sama, what exactly are you working on?"
Nemu's fingers danced across her device. "Duplication formation."
Yoru tilted her head slightly. "Duplication…? As in copying?"
"Yes. To reproduce tools and materials," Nemu replied, her eyes never leaving the glowing schematics. "Yuuki-sama requested optimization after he gave it to me this morning. One prototype is already functioning. He said something of needing to duplicate materials and food to assist the Jin Family. It is linked to the System after all."
Her tone was calm, but beneath it lay something far more unsettling: efficiency born of genius, spoken as casually as if she were discussing the weather.
"It seems that Nee-sama has done her part," Nemu noted, her fingers gliding across the interface as the schematics glowed before her. At the same time, live images of the drone with her sister projected. "She dismantled the dishonesty in the markets. No wonder Yuu-sama requested the duplication device… to stabilize the new Jin Family market. With it, essential goods can be reproduced and sold at fair prices."
The duplication device was no ordinary tool. It was a fragment of technology from Yuuki's twenty-second century world—capable of breaking down matter into atomic patterns and reassembling it perfectly. A single loaf of bread, a vial of medicine, a bar of steel—anything could be replicated with flawless precision if the formation has its matter composition.
Too powerful to be revealed.
Its misuse could collapse economies, corrupt hearts, or even destabilize entire sects. Not to mention, easily weaponized. That was why Yun Che had chosen to limit its scope. Originally, he had relied on the System's duplication function, but that tied everything to his own strength and presence. So instead, he purchased the blueprints and commissioned this device, one that could run independently but with carefully imposed restrictions.
The device's use would remain hidden, its existence whispered only among those closest to him. For the Jin Family, it would serve as a quiet hand on their back—providing materials, easing shortages, and giving them the foundation to rebuild. But once they could stand on their own, the device would never leave the VTOL. It would remain under his control, its potential never to be unleashed upon a fragile, ancient world unprepared for its reach.
And besides, the machine demanded his special Radiant Energy to operate—an intersection of futuristic science and cultivation arts that made it alien to the wuxia setting around them. Moreover, as a contingency should such a dangerous marvel should it fell to the wrong hands.
None could use it if they didn't have the energy source.
Nemu activated the duplication formation, watching as the runes flickered alive and the air above the device shimmered. The process began with a low hum—the matter disassembling into its atomic blueprint before reassembling in perfect symmetry. Her test subject: a simple metallic plate.
Within moments, a flawless duplicate hovered before her.
She allowed herself a faint smile. Success.
But safeguards were already in place. Even if the formation fell into the wrong hands, it could not function without direct authorization from the System interface. Any attempt to tamper with it would trigger a self-destruct cascade, ensuring no thief or opportunist could replicate its power. Yun Che had done something similar once before—when he designed modern upgrades for the imperial palace. The system had copied those blueprints and made them available for purchase using SP.
That was why his allies—Retsu, Nemu, Mio—were invaluable. Through their daily missions, they helped him accumulate the SP needed to sustain projects like this. Radiant energy, however, was a different matter. That burden, and privilege, belonged to Yun Che alone.
Still, even with success came caution. Duplicating modern technology had its quirks. While the formation produced perfect copies, it even mirrored signal frequencies and security keys. That meant Nemu had to recalibrate each drone manually when she duplicated them from the system, or risk having multiple machines respond to the same signal. A dangerous vulnerability if overlooked.
Food and materials, however, posed no such risks. She tested simple items—bread, grain, raw ores—and each emerged flawless. Nourishment, steel, wood… the foundation of survival itself could be multiplied without flaw.
It was, in truth, a defiance of heaven. Any material could be reborn at the cost of SP and radiant energy. A tool to rebuild a fallen family— collapse an economy or to upend the balance of the entire world.
The first batch of traders finally arrived at the Jin Family's gates. Jin Zhuo himself welcomed them, wasting no time in turning part of the watchkeep into a bustling marketplace. Following Yun Che's advice, they even refitted several carriages to ferry townsfolk more easily. After all, the Jin Watchkeep loomed high on the hill, its terrain too troublesome for the common folk to climb.
Thus, the marketplace was established at the foot of the hill—still within Jin Family lands, yet far more accessible.
If managed well, this new hub could become the lifeblood of Xuanwu City. The traders would secure their contracts with him, and the city's starving masses would pour into the new market, drawn by honest prices and safe dealings.
Yet the success of it all hinged on one fragile condition: the road to the watchkeep.
For now, Jin Zhuo could spare no men to guard it. Every sword and every hand was already stretched thin. Unless fate itself delivered him a miracle, the path remained vulnerable… open to bandits, thugs, and the vultures of Tian Heng's influence.
And yet, as he stood among the first wave of merchants setting up their stalls, Jin Zhuo could not help but think—if fortune favored them for just a little longer, this foothold could be the spark that turned the tide for the Jin Family.
==================
At the old marketplace, everything unfolded exactly as planned. The people—hungry, desperate, yet finally hopeful—were able to take what they needed. Most of the vendors had already exhausted their stalls, since Retsu had purchased every last item at fair value.
She and Mio stood watching with satisfied smiles. This wasn't theft, nor was it charity. They had restored the natural order of things by stripping the dishonest vendors of their stranglehold and redirecting the goods to those who truly needed them. The cheats had been paid the proper worth, nothing more.
One by one, wives and mothers bowed in gratitude, tears glistening in their eyes as they offered thanks to Retsu, Mio, and Little Fairy. In the span of a single day, they had achieved the impossible: uprooted the gangs' control of the market, dismantled the web of deceitful merchants, and won the hearts of the desperate.
Most importantly, they had redirected those hearts toward the Jin Family's new marketplace. Word spread quickly, carried in whispers and shouts alike. By tomorrow, the foot of the Jin Watchkeep would be flooded with customers—honest trade, honest prices, and the faint but undeniable promise of a brighter future.
"Sister Mio, I wanted to ask… what kind of fans are those?" Little Fairy tilted her head, her eyes glinting with curiosity as she noticed the gleaming edges of the fans in Mio's hand.
"This one, ehee… is my new weapon. Danna-sama made it for me—ufuu~—and it even has a built-in air conditioner." Mio happily flicked the fans open with a snap and waved them lightly, a frosty draft rolling off the edges. "See? Always chilly, even though he already installed cooling arrays inside our kasa hats. Perfect for a lady, don't you think?"
Little Fairy instinctively touched her own veil, feeling the subtle coolness trapped beneath it. "He did? I am impressed he can build such devices in something as small as a hat. Trapping cool air in our veils… he truly does think of everything." She smiled faintly, but her curiosity had only grown. "Anyway, what kind of new weapons are these fans supposed to be?"
Retsu stepped in smoothly, her calm voice bridging the question. "We received swords from Yuu-kun, but they were far too strong to wield carelessly. So, we requested simpler weapons—something we could use without needing to unsheathe our true blades every time. For me, remember the weaponized parasol? For Mio, she chose bladed fans. But since Mio is adept at manipulating air… well, even these fans could become too powerful in her hands."
"Air… bending?" Little Fairy's eyes widened. She leaned closer, her tone shifting to disbelief. "Wait—there are other bendings aside from water and fire?"
"Yes, each of us can focus on a bending path," Retsu replied calmly while Mio happily munched on her freshly bought skewers. "Yuu-kun focuses on firebending for now. I specialize in waterbending. Mio commands air. Nemu wields thunder. And Kon holds earth."
Little Fairy blinked in disbelief. "But… you said back then you could use fire arts as well. How many bendings have you actually mastered?"
Retsu's lips curved in a faint, serene smile. "I can. If I open my eyes into Yang Mode, fire answers me. Without using Yin–Yang essence, I can also command air. Each shift in essence changes the flow of the elements I can touch."
"I… see." Little Fairy turned toward Mio. "Then I assume you…"
"Ufuu~ I can airbend naturally," Mio interrupted cheerfully, fanning herself with her chilled bladed fans. "But Danna-sama gave me more than that. I can slip into spatial bending as well." She said it casually, as though speaking of something ordinary, even as the space around her fan shimmered faintly.
Retsu continued, her tone steady. "Nemu can call thunder and shape earth, though her training is still incomplete. Kon can wield both fire and earth. As for Little Yue… she has chosen to focus first on her three swords. Only once her foundation is perfect will she move into bending. Shin Yue, however, can guide her with ancient arts—arts even older than bending itself."
Little Fairy's lips parted but no words came. "...…." She was utterly speechless.
What… monsters! That was all her mind could form as she listened. Yun Che's small circle was terrifying. Each of them wielded dual or even triple bending arts, while Yun Che himself… "But why does he only have one?" she thought inwardly. "Could it be… he only wants to learn fire? Or perhaps…" Her eyes narrowed as a chilling possibility crossed her mind. "…he's limiting himself on purpose?"
"How can one learn more than one bending?" Little Fairy pressed, her curiosity sharper than before.
"Adaptability," Retsu answered evenly. "We are Soul Cultivators—and Mio is a Divine Beast. Soul Cultivators can cultivate more than one element. In my case, I carry Yin and Yang essence, so I can cultivate any art aligned with either. But once I shut them off, only air remains."
Her eyes softened as she explained further. "If one of my eyes turns red, I command fire and air. If it turns blue, I wield water and air. If one eye burns red while the other shines blue, I can dual-bend fire and water together. And if I focus on only one color, that element becomes twice as strong."
Little Fairy could only gape. "I… I don't know what to say. I envy Soul Cultivators like you… and that incorrigible rascal. What about your sister? Is she the same as you?"
"Nemu-chan?" Retsu's smile shifted into something gentler. "No, she doesn't share my innate essence, but she has her own gift—she can rewrite her attributes."
"Attributes?"
"We are born with fixed ones," Retsu explained. "But Nemu can alter hers at will. She can heighten speed, strength, defense, even her energy pool. With that, she bends thunder and earth."
Little Fairy's jaw slackened. "…Wow. You can even use strange spells like those Kido. To think… I actually want to become a Soul Cultivator one day."
Retsu chuckled softly, but her gaze turned serious. "Pfff… If we find the right methods, we'd teach you. But remember Yuu-kun's words: to become a Soul Cultivator, one must forsake their soul and be reborn. Less than one in ten survive the process. You would have to erase everything—your arts, your cultivation, even your body. A single misstep, and you vanish forever."
Little Fairy's smile faded into solemnity. "I see…"
"But don't envy us," Retsu added calmly. "Even we have limits. You, on the other hand, can evolve through Ki, Rokushiki arts, Haki, and your own bending. With guidance, you could become an expert in ways even the sacred ground can't match. Just look at Little Yue—how she grew from the meek girl we met in New Moon Profound Palace into someone formidable within months."
Little Fairy exhaled softly, her eyes thoughtful. "Yes… I wonder what else I'll learn from you—and from that rascal—in the weeks to come."
Before Retsu could reply, the growing hum of boots and hooves cut through the market's chatter. The air grew heavy. Lines of law enforcers marched in from the streets, led by a middle-aged man astride a horse. His sharp gaze swept over the gathered crowd, narrowing when it fell upon the veiled trio.
This wasn't in their plan. The people were supposed to remain subdued under inflated prices and gang rule. Yet here, order had been overturned in a single afternoon.
Informants had done their work. Now, the three women were surrounded.
Retsu's lips curved faintly. "Ara… what a situation we're in."
Mio lazily snapped open her fan, the edges glinting faintly under the sun. "Finally. I was getting bored."
Beneath her veil, Little Fairy's eyes hardened, though her posture remained calm, regal. "So the dogs of the Cang Outer Family arrive at last."
The murmurs of the people rose in fear, mothers clutching their children close. But unlike before, there was no desperation in their faces—there was hope. The Jin Family's name was already echoing in their hearts.
And Retsu knew it.
The officer's tone grew colder, his voice echoing across the marketplace.
"Fairies," the officer declared sternly, "dishonest buying is prohibited in this city. We have been informed you committed theft—then distributed the goods freely among the people."
Retsu's sigh was soft, but it carried weight. "Ara… theft, you say? We paid every coin according to their true worth. Where, I wonder, were you law enforcers when this marketplace crawled with gang members and dishonest merchants?"
Little Fairy's veil shifted slightly as she shook her head. "It seems even justice here can be bought. How absurd."
"Careful," the man barked. "Any more words, and we can use them against you in the court of law."
Mio flicked her fan open with a snap, her tone dripping with mockery. "Ah, so generosity is a crime now? Imagine that. Perhaps tomorrow you'll arrest someone for petting a cat."
"The corruption runs deep," Little Fairy murmured, her voice laced with quiet disdain.
Retsu's eyes glimmered beneath her veil, cold as steel. "Gang members terrorize families, merchants bleed the poor dry—and no one lifts a hand. But when we choose charity…" She let her words linger, her gaze sweeping over the trembling officials. "…everyone loses their minds."
"Attempted lies is a serious offence, fairies… Don't blame us when we put you in chains."
The law enforcers tightened their circle, hands brushing sword hilts and spears lowering as if ready to pounce.
Retsu's veil fluttered as she exhaled, long-suffering. "Ara… how tedious. We saved this market from thugs, and in return, we're branded thieves."
Little Fairy's gaze swept over the men, cold and unimpressed. "A city this corrupted cannot stand for long. But fine… let us see how far this charade goes."
Mio stepped forward, snapping her bladed fan open with a crisp shhhk! that rang like a challenge. A mischievous smile curled on her lips.
"Ret-chan, Yuechan-san, leave this to me."
Retsu's eyes flickered with quiet warning. "Mio-chan, don't go overboard. Yuu-kun told us to lay low."
Mio tilted her head, her smile never fading as she twirled the fan in her hand. "Don't worry, desu… I only want to test my new toys. Nothing excessive."
Above, Nemu's cloaked drone hummed faintly, locking onto the officers from the shadows, its presence unseen. The air itself shifted, a subtle pressure weighing on the corrupt guards. The crowd of common folk held their breath, torn between fear and awe.
The horse-mounted officer sneered. "What can a single woman with a fan do to an armed company?"
Mio's eyes glimmered with dangerous amusement.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough."
Little Fairy's eyes widened beneath her veil. Ninth-level Monarch… against opponents barely scratching the True Profound Realm? To anyone watching, it might appear like Mio was bullying children.
But Mio hadn't even exerted herself. With a graceful flick of her bladed fan, steel whispered through the air. The speartips of the enforcers' weapons clattered to the ground in a chorus of shattered iron. Gasps rippled through the ranks as they stumbled back, staring at their broken staves.
Then came the real shock—Mio tilted her fan lazily, releasing a ripple of Haoshoku. It wasn't overwhelming, just a delicate thread of pressure, enough to gnaw at courage and unsettle the beasts beneath the men. The horses reared and shrieked, eyes rolling white as their riders toppled helplessly into the dirt.
The once-orderly line of law enforcers dissolved into chaos. Men scrambled, groaning or clutching their fallen comrades, the ground littered with broken weapons and scattered helmets. Mio's soft chuckle carried over the din.
"All that bluster," Mio teased, tapping her golden fan against her cheek, "and you couldn't even protect your own spears."
She tilted her head thoughtfully, lips curving into a mischievous smile. "Mm… I wonder if I can use this method in the war next week? Though… Danna-sama did warn me—Haoshoku won't work on Hollow hybrids, but he didn't say anything about waving air blades around." Her words drifted more to herself than to her opponents, as though she had already forgotten them.
"Fairies! Resisting arrest is punishable by death!" the officer barked, his voice quivering despite the threat.
"Ara… your legs are shaking, yet you want to uphold your little unfair law?" Mio's gaze slid over them with mocking disdain. "And you call yourselves law enforcers."
"Damn fairy!" The officer roared, swinging his sword in a desperate arc.
Mio didn't even flinch. With a languid motion, she lifted her bladed fan. Steel met gold with a hollow clang—and stopped cold. The strike had no weight, no conviction.
She sighed softly, almost disappointed, eyes flicking to the golden edge of her fan. "Pathetic…" she murmured. "If I'm going to use these properly, I should learn to wield them as Retsu does her halberd." Her fan tilted, catching the faint light as she mused aloud. "Perhaps I'll ask Danna-sama to teach me bladed fan arts. These toys deserve something more elegant than swatting flies."
A few of the braver ones staggered toward her—only to crumple to the ground before they even reached arm's length, overwhelmed by a pressure they could neither name nor resist. Others loosed arrows in panic, but to Mio their trajectories were laughably slow. With a lazy flick of her bladed fan, she scattered some like drifting leaves. The rest she allowed to fly, only to bend them aside with a subtle twist of space itself.
The arrows vanished into a rippling seam in the air and reappeared behind their owners, hissing back toward them with deadly precision. Cries of shock rang out as bowmen scrambled to avoid their own bolts.
Some of the arrows she deliberately left untouched, choosing instead to test a little theory Yun Che had rambled about the night before. With a flick of her fan, Mio stirred the air around her into a miniature vortex. The swirling currents thickened, invisible yet tangible, and the incoming arrows slowed as if they had struck honey mid-flight. One by one, they wobbled and dropped harmlessly to the ground, stripped of momentum by the sudden drag.
Her eyes sparkled with delight as she watched them clatter at her feet.
"Ufufu… so this is air resistance," she murmured, giddily pleased at turning theory into practice. The thought of bending not just with instinct, but with science, thrilled her. "The flow of the world itself… slowing arrows just by thickening the air. Amazing."
It looked like sorcery. To Mio, it was a new toy—an elegant blend of cultivation, bending, and her future husband's strange knowledge of science.
To the watching crowd, it was incomprehensible. Mio carried no cultivation aura, no oppressive wave of profound energy. By all appearances she was nothing more than a delicate woman with a fan in her hand. And so, the foolish assumed she was ordinary—never realizing that a Monarch stood before them, veiled and smiling, hiding her vast strength beneath a guise of elegance.
The officers and their corrupted enforcers turned tail and fled, their formation collapsing into chaos. Around them, the gangs that were supposed to "maintain order" scattered like frightened dogs. Against cultivators of such caliber, their power meant nothing.
One of the fleeing officers clenched his teeth, anger and fear warring in his chest. How are we supposed to fight monsters like them?
Still, a twisted grin crept across his face as a thought struck him. No matter… once the Cang Outer Family hears of this, they'll act. If we call upon the Zhu Family or the Wu Clan, these fairies' days will be numbered.
The man smirked to himself—unaware of the storm that was already descending upon his so-called benefactors.
===================
Jin Yuelian sighed for the third time that day, her brush scratching over yet another ledger. Vendor after vendor had signed their names, all eager to secure a place before the new marketplace officially opened. By tomorrow, it would be chaos—but profitable chaos.
Her son-in-law truly had a talent for making things busy. She almost missed the days when her husband bore the brunt of management while she enjoyed the quieter life of a housewife madame. But with vendors flooding in, products needing distribution, contracts to sign, and renovations underway, Yun Che's prediction was already taking shape. The Jin Family was swelling in manpower, wealth, and—most importantly—influence.
She could see the shape of it already: the old economy collapsing, the Jin Family rising as the sole provider. With Cang Yue's imperial status as the Blue Moon Princess shielding them, no rival family dared make a move. Some enemies even swallowed their pride and sent word of possible alliances.
And yet, all Jin Yuelian wanted was to relax and play with Nezuko, not oversee the logistics of a small empire. Even her son, Jin Mucong, had been shoved into the work. To her surprise, the boy was handling himself well—well enough that she might not need to beat him for bungling things this time.
"Mm…" she muttered, tapping her brush against the ledger, "this son-in-law of mine came back not just to shake things up, but to turn the whole city upside down."
She still remembered sitting through that small planning meeting, when Yun Che calmly laid out his outrageous intentions: swelling the Jin Family's manpower by binding their debtors with benefits. Retsu would disrupt the marketplace, Cang Yue would confront the Cang Outer Family—each step as if it were already guaranteed. Jin Zhuo and Jin Yuelian had exchanged looks of contempt at the time. It was impossible, surely. No one could upend the balance of the city in just a single day.
But then, word came. Yun Che had deliberately provoked Tian Heng, staking the Jin Family name to erase debts and rally those who once suffered under them. She had thought him reckless, even foolish, for dragging their family into such danger. Yet, the shocking outcome was undeniable—more than three thousand men had been bound to their cause overnight.
Then came whispers of chaos in the marketplace. Retsu, Mio, and Chu Yuechan had dismantled the gangs and dishonest merchants in one sweep, flipping the hearts of the people to their side. Suddenly, it made sense why vendors had signed up with such confidence under the Jin Family's banner. By tomorrow, the marketplace would be flooded with patrons.
And yet, her heart held unease. The demand would surely outstrip their supply. What if the goods couldn't meet the people's hunger? It could all unravel as quickly as it was built. But Yun Che… he had said something quietly, almost too casually—that he had a way to deal with the problem of goods.
"What does he mean by that?" Jin Yuelian murmured under her breath, staring at her ledgers with a furrowed brow. She didn't know. All she could do was trust that, somehow, her son-in-law truly did have a plan.
Tomorrow, when the new marketplace opened, her husband would likely extend the invitation—bringing more people under the Jin Family's banner. If things continued to grow at this pace, they could restore the watchkeep, fill its walls with life once more, and perhaps even regain the family's former glory. A thousand people today, ten thousand tomorrow… she could almost see it.
And yet, her heart whispered: what chaos will unfold today?
Still no word had come from her beloved sworn sister's daughter, Cang Yue. Every time Yuelian looked upon her, she felt a pang that cut deeper than she liked to admit. It was like looking upon Lan Ying again, the sister she had lost too soon. Lan Ying, who had been her closest companion, whose laughter she still heard in quiet moments… now gone, leaving only silence behind.
When she first saw Cang Yue revealed herself yesterday as she arrived with Mulan, her heart had clenched. She swore then and there to step into the role fate had denied her—to be the mother figure Cang Yue had lost, to protect her at all costs. She had failed Lan Ying once. She would not fail her daughter.
And now, that same girl was standing boldly at the heart of the storm, fighting to restore the Jin Family. It was not Lan Ying's hand guiding the revival, but the child she left behind, carrying her spirit forward. Watching her stirred both grief and pride in Yuelian's chest.
Perhaps, through Cang Yue… the legacy of her dearest sister would live again.
Now, she wonders what happened to Cang Yue's side?