Blade paid no attention to the so-called position or knowledge.
At this moment, his eyes remained fixed on Baiheng, and no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't look away.
In his eyes, time seemed to have left no mark on her.
Baiheng was still as vibrant and radiant as she had been in his memories, perhaps even happier, more carefree, and more full of life than she had ever been before.
The bright smile on her face was so familiar that, for one fleeting moment, it felt as though the centuries of bloodshed, regret, suffering, and endless madness had never existed.
The overwhelming joy and excitement of seeing her again made Blade unconsciously step forward. Almost without thinking, he slowly raised his hand and reached toward her, wanting to touch the person standing before him and confirm that this wasn't another fragile illusion destined to shatter at the slightest contact.
"Baiheng, I..."
Blade opened his mouth, his usually hoarse and emotionless voice carrying an unmistakable tremor.
However, the instant he moved closer, Baiheng instinctively took half a step back, and—
*Whoosh!*
Almost simultaneously, a flash of icy sword light swept sharply between them.
Jingliu appeared like a ghost, placing herself squarely in front of Baiheng before anyone could react. Her sword slid from its sheath with a crisp metallic ring, while the freezing sword intent and undisguised vigilance radiating from her completely cut off Blade's path forward.
"Step back."
Jingliu's voice turned cold and razor-sharp in an instant, carrying a warning that left no room for negotiation.
Seeing the sudden change, Baiheng blinked in surprise.
She had clearly not expected Jingliu to react so quickly or place herself between them without the slightest hesitation.
Peeking out from behind Jingliu's shoulder, she looked into Blade's eyes.
Noticing the shock, hurt, longing, and confusion reflected within them, she immediately realized what had just happened.
In an instant, the cheerful smile on Baiheng's face softened, gradually giving way to an apologetic yet distant expression, without the slightest trace of hostility or disgust in her gaze.
Baiheng gently tugged at Jingliu's sleeve, silently asking her not to be so tense before looking back at Blade with a slightly awkward but gentle smile.
"Yingxing, um... I'm really happy to see you again. But I'm Lucian's wife now, so you gotta make sure you don't cross the line, okay?"
Baiheng's tone was lighthearted, almost as though she were gently teasing and comforting a younger child who had accidentally done something inappropriate. Yet despite the warmth and kindness in her voice, the boundary she drew couldn't have been clearer.
'Lucian's wife...'
Baiheng's two words echoed repeatedly in Blade's mind, lingering there like an invisible blade, repeating over and over again until every other sound around him gradually faded into the background.
Of course, how could he not have realized it?
He had already seen Baiheng leaning comfortably against Lucian during the video call yesterday.
Honestly, the intimacy between them had been obvious, and the warmth in her expression had made their relationship impossible to misunderstand.
But witnessing it with his own eyes and hearing those words spoken directly from her lips carried an entirely different weight.
It made the reality before him impossible to deny.
Needless to say, the moonlight that had once illuminated his darkest nights now shone upon someone else.
After a long and painful silence, Blade slowly lowered his outstretched hand, while the faint hope that had briefly appeared in his eyes gradually faded, leaving behind a complicated mixture of sorrow, acceptance, and quiet resignation.
"I'm sorry. I was out of line..."
It was the first sincere apology Blade had spoken in hundreds of years.
Countless emotions tangled together inside his heart, making it difficult for him to understand what he was truly feeling.
Was he happy?
Of course, without question.
Baiheng was alive.
Not merely alive, but living happily and more full of vitality than she had ever been before.
She was standing right in front of him, smiling brightly, speaking naturally, and living a life that was no longer defined by the tragedy that had taken her away from the world.
Was he heartbroken?
Likewise, that was equally undeniable.
Old friends had reunited after centuries apart, yet everything had changed beyond recognition.
He was no longer Yingxing.
He was Blade, a Stellaron Hunter burdened with endless death, immortality, madness, and the blood of countless people.
Baiheng was no longer one of the High-Cloud Quintet but was now Lucian's wife.
Even though the person he had once known and treasured had returned to the world, she had found happiness somewhere he could no longer reach.
Suddenly, the joy of reunion and the sorrow of everything that had been lost intertwined until they became an indescribable bitterness that silently settled deep within Blade's chest.
Amid the awkward yet melancholic atmosphere, Silver Wolf stood off to the side, completely dumbfounded. Her eyes shifted between Blade, Baiheng, and Jingliu as she tried to process the situation unfolding before her.
'Damn, this is a total social death moment!'
'Blade's got it rough... but why do I wanna laugh so badly?'
'Big Sis Baiheng is so sweet... and so devoted!'
Her internal thoughts practically flooded through her mind like an endless stream of live chat comments.
Even though she understood that Blade was experiencing a deeply emotional reunion, the strange mixture of heartbreak, awkwardness, and Jingliu's immediate protective reaction made the entire situation feel almost absurd.
Kafka, on the other hand, quietly observed Baiheng and Jingliu without interrupting.
Unlike Silver Wolf, she showed no obvious reaction. Her calm gaze moved between the two women as though she were carefully studying every detail of their expressions and behavior.
In her eyes, the two women truly were peerless beauties, each possessing a completely different kind of elegance.
Jingliu was cold and distant, like an untouched mountain peak covered in eternal snow. Even while standing protectively in front of Baiheng, she carried an overwhelming sense of sharpness and quiet authority.
Baiheng, meanwhile, was warm and lively, her bright smile and carefree presence making her seem like a ray of sunlight capable of dispelling even the deepest darkness.
No wonder Lucian had taken a liking to them.
No wonder he had been willing to teach them everything he knew without reservation.
Seeing Blade step back and sincerely apologize, Jingliu finally lowered her guard slightly as the piercing cold surrounding her gradually faded and the sharp sword intent filling the air slowly dispersed.
Even so, she never completely relaxed her vigilance, keeping her body positioned between Blade and Baiheng.
Only then did Baiheng let out a small sigh of relief.
Her bright smile quickly returned as she clapped her hands lightly, trying to dispel the awkward and heavy atmosphere that had settled over the room.
"Our guests came all this way. C'mon, everyone, have a seat. Go ahead, sit down, sit down. Hehe~"
Hearing Baiheng's words and seeing the way she behaved, Silver Wolf found herself liking the foxian woman almost immediately.
Baiheng was cheerful, approachable, and naturally friendly—she undoubtedly had the sort of warm and lively personality that made people instinctively want to protect and care for her.
No wonder Blade had insisted on coming to the Xianzhou Luofu to see her, no matter what.
Still, Baiheng wasn't actually the reason Silver Wolf had come.
"By the way, I heard there's a Lord Ravager here. Where's she at? Call her out. I wanna take a look."
With a lollipop hanging from the corner of her mouth, Silver Wolf looked around excitedly, curiosity written all over her face as her eyes eagerly searched the courtyard.
Thanks to her carefree question, the atmosphere in the courtyard, which had only just begun to recover from the emotional awkwardness surrounding Blade and Baiheng's reunion, was suddenly sent in an entirely different direction.
Jingliu frowned slightly but remained silent, clearly finding the noisy little girl somewhat irritating.
"Um... maybe that's not a good idea..."
Baiheng blinked, scratched her cheek awkwardly, and answered in a quiet, slightly hesitant voice.
She only knew that Phantylia respected Lucian and, by extension, accepted her and the other wives as the mistresses of the household.
As for everyone else...
She honestly wasn't sure whether provoking Phantylia would ruin the gathering or cause an unnecessary commotion.
"Not a good idea? Why?"
Silver Wolf instantly became even more excited as she questioned, proudly puffing out her nonexistent chest before casually waving her phone around as though she had already thought of something entertaining.
"I'm Lucian's partner! Hurry up and have her come serve me some tea! I wanna take pics and post them on the Interastral Peace Network!"
"I've already got the title figured out: 'Shocking! A Lord Ravager Reduced to a Household Maid, Serving a Stellaron Hunter!' Our bounty might even go up!"
"That'd definitely max out my achievement points! Maybe I'd even unlock a hidden title!"
As soon as those words left Silver Wolf's mouth, a woman's voice suddenly drifted over from the shaded corridor along the side of the courtyard.
"Oh? Master's partner?"
Even though the voice sounded lazy and unhurried, it carried an unmistakable trace of restrained displeasure.
In the next moment, Phantylia gracefully stepped into view.
At this moment, she was still wearing the alluring maid outfit that perfectly accentuated her breathtaking figure, but the obedience and gentle charm she displayed before Lucian were nowhere to be found.
Instead, she carried herself with the lofty arrogance of someone who had once stood high above countless worlds. Her eyes calmly examined Silver Wolf from head to toe, as though she were carefully evaluating whether the girl was even worth acknowledging.
In her hands, she really was carrying a serving tray, with a teapot and several teacups resting neatly upon it.
Phantylia walked over at an unhurried pace before stopping directly in front of Silver Wolf. Raising her chin slightly, she looked down at the shorter girl with open and undisguised disdain.
"Shorty, do you know that not every stray cat or dog is qualified to order me around?"
Hearing that, Silver Wolf froze.
"...Huh? Shorty?"
Did this maid just insult her?
What kind of maid treated guests like this?
As Silver Wolf was still frozen in place while mulling over the words Phantylia had spoken to her...
*Clang!*
Phantylia casually placed the serving tray onto a nearby stone table without even looking. In an instant, the crisp sound of porcelain and metal lightly colliding echoed through the quiet courtyard.
"You want me to serve you?"
Phantylia folded her arms beneath her chest, making her already impressive figure appear even more overwhelming as she looked down at Silver Wolf with unconcealed contempt.
"Very well. First, prove that you're my master's friend. If my master returns later and says he doesn't even know you... heh..."
A dangerous smile slowly spread across Phantylia's lips.
Although she was smiling, her eyes had become frighteningly sinister, and the faint amusement within them made Silver Wolf feel as though the former Lord Ravager was already imagining several unpleasant ways to deal with her.
'How disgraceful.'
'A tiger brought low can be bullied by dogs.'
'Nowadays, even some internet-addicted little brat dares to climb onto my head.'
'Back in my day, one stomp from me would make an entire star system tremble.'
Phantylia thought with cold disdain.
Heliobi were naturally formidable beings to begin with, especially one personally chosen by the Aeon of Destruction. Even after losing her power as an Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia remained someone who couldn't simply be pushed around or casually ordered about.
Silver Wolf was genuinely stunned by the overwhelming aura pouring off Phantylia. Even the lollipop in her mouth suddenly didn't taste sweet anymore.
During the video call, Phantylia had looked so obedient and submissive.
Now, however, she was acting like an arrogant queen and had even called her a shorty the moment they met.
Silver Wolf immediately glared back, refusing to be intimidated.
"Lucian and I have been through hell and back together! Just wait! You'd better hope you don't end up working for me later!"
At that claim, Phantylia merely sneered.
"Heh. If my master comes back later and says he doesn't know you, I'll beat the crap out of you myself."
Hearing that, Silver Wolf nearly exploded with rage.
Standing off to the side, Kafka remained silent, carefully observing every interaction between Silver Wolf and Phantylia.
In her eyes, even while dressed in a maid outfit, the former Lord Ravager's arrogance and destructive nature had merely been restrained, not erased.
Kafka couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Lucian truly was remarkable.
He had actually managed to tame a Lord Ravager to this extent.
At this rate, perhaps one day, she would even see a second Lord Ravager serving as a maid in his household.
Blade, meanwhile, paid almost no attention to the argument between Silver Wolf and Phantylia. From time to time, his gaze continued drifting toward Baiheng, while the complicated emotions in his eyes refused to fade.
Even after hearing Baiheng clearly establish the boundary between them, he still found it difficult to stop looking at her.
Just as Silver Wolf was desperately trying to figure out how to 'prove' her identity—and had even begun considering calling Lucian on the spot—a familiar voice suddenly sounded from the courtyard entrance.
"So, three Stellaron Hunters showed up this time, huh?"
Everyone instinctively turned toward the voice.
At some point, Lucian had appeared at the entrance of the courtyard with both hands tucked into his coat's pockets.
He leisurely walked into the courtyard, his gaze calmly sweeping across everyone present. It paused briefly on Blade before finally settling on the pouting Silver Wolf and the proud-looking Phantylia.
"Master!"
Phantylia's expression changed almost instantly.
At this moment, the cold, elegant, and domineering beauty from just moments ago disappeared without a trace. In her place stood an obedient and flattering maid, with just the right amount of grievance appearing on her beautiful face.
She hurried over with quick, graceful little steps before stopping beside Lucian and giving him a respectful bow.
"Welcome home, Master."
"Holy shit!"
Silver Wolf couldn't stop herself from blurting out a curse.
Even Kafka's composed expression cracked ever so slightly as she frowned.
Phantylia really was truly something else.
How could anyone switch expressions that quickly?
Just what exactly had Lucian done to tame her so completely?
As expected of the galaxy's ultimate charmer.
Not wanting to lose, Silver Wolf immediately hurried over as well.
"Lucian, she was bullying me just now! Hurry up and teach her a lesson!"
Silver Wolf wrapped herself around one of Lucian's arms without hesitation, pointed accusingly at Phantylia, and complained in an aggrieved voice, as though she had truly suffered a terrible injustice.
===
[A bonus chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]