'Not bad. This is getting pretty lively...'
Lucian sat leisurely in the pavilion, one leg crossed over the other, as he watched Blade and Dan Heng clash fiercely in the courtyard.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
Relentless sounds of steel colliding rang through the air again and again, each exchange more intense than the last.
Blade really did have a terrifying temper. Every swing of his ancient sword, known as Shard Sword, carried unmistakable killing intent, as though he genuinely intended to cut his opponent down where he stood.
Dan Heng wasn't doing badly either. As he defended himself, his defense was nearly flawless, leaving almost no openings, but he was clearly holding himself back. Rather than trying to defeat Blade, he seemed far more interested in avoiding a real fight altogether.
"They're really going at each other. Aren't we gonna stop them?"
Baiheng asked as she watched the fight get more and more dangerous.
"Nope," Lucian replied, not looking even a little worried. "Better to let them get it outta their system first, then we can get down to business afterward."
"Business?" Jingliu raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning this time?"
Nearby, Kafka was curious as well, her gaze lingering on Lucian.
Wasn't he supposed to be a womanizer?
If anything, he should've been setting his sights on Silver Wolf and herself.
Why was he suddenly so interested in Blade?
"Well, that old fool just can't let go of the past," Lucian said casually. "I'm just giving him a little push."
Of course, his true objective was to stop Blade from endlessly obsessing over Baiheng. He had no interest in letting another man continue harboring feelings for his wife.
And for that, there were only two solutions: either kill him or bend him.
Naturally, no one else knew what was actually going through Lucian's mind, because to them, he simply appeared to be a kindhearted man willing to help someone who was trapped by his past.
Kafka, however, couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. From her perspective, it looked as though Lucian was helping Blade, yet somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that this actually wasn't the whole story.
"Dan Feng and Yingxing are true love. Nobody's tearing them apart. I'm gonna make sure those two lovebirds finally make up."
Lucian declared with complete confidence, causing the three women to collectively fall silent.
'Who's Dan Feng? Isn't it Dan Heng?'
Kafka frowned and thought silently.
Jingliu and Baiheng, on the other hand, shared equally bewildered expressions.
'Lovers? Is he serious?'
'They're both guys! Isn't that taking Elation a bit too far? Is Darling's Elation power acting up or what?'
Unlike the stunned Jingliu and Baiheng, the more Lucian thought about his plan, the more brilliant it seemed.
Not only would it resolve a historical grudge that had lasted for centuries, but it would also bring together what he considered to be a perfect match. And on top of that, he would get to enjoy the interesting show.
Needless to say, it was killing three birds with one stone.
Satisfied with his own genius, Lucian stood up from the stone bench, dusted off his hands, and casually called out to the two fighters.
"Alright, alright. That's enough."
Hearing Lucian's voice, both Blade and Dan Heng instinctively paused, their movements slowing for the briefest instant.
Unfortunately, Blade's obsession ran far too deep.
'Imbibitor Lunae! You must taste death!'
After only a heartbeat of hesitation, Blade's crimson eyes locked onto Dan Heng once more as Shard Sword sliced through the air with a shrill whistle.
Dan Heng instinctively raised Cloud-Piercer to defend himself, but just as Shard Sword was about to collide with Cloud-Piercer once again, Lucian's figure silently appeared between them like a phantom.
At the sight of him, both Blade's and Dan Heng's eyes widened.
Lucian was so fast!
Everyone present—including the normally composed Kafka—had their pupils contract.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still can't tell where his limits truly are..."
Jingliu remarked with a faint smile while staring at Lucian's back.
"Wow! My husband is so gorgeous!"
Baiheng's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed like a fangirl.
Lucian merely extended two fingers as though performing the simplest action imaginable, then—
*Cling!*
A crisp metallic chime echoed across the courtyard.
Using only his index and middle fingers, Lucian effortlessly caught the razor-sharp edge of Blade's Shard Sword.
'My sword... was stopped by two fingers?'
Blade's expression stiffened in disbelief.
He had always known Lucian was powerful, but he had never imagined the gap between them would be so overwhelming that he couldn't even exchange a single move.
Dan Heng stood frozen as well, still gripping Cloud-Piercer in a defensive stance, completely unsure how to react.
"As long as you're here, you're gonna listen to what I say," Lucian said calmly as he looked at the two men. "Remember that rule."
As soon as he finished speaking, he casually flicked the blade caught between his index and middle fingers with his index finger.
*Clang!*
An overwhelming force instantly surged through Shard Sword.
Blade felt his palm go numb as the terrifying impact forced him backward. He stumbled several steps before finally managing to steady himself, his sword arm trembling uncontrollably from the lingering shock.
Ignoring Blade's astonished expression, Lucian turned toward the bewildered Dan Heng and flashed a broad smile.
"I know you're anxious, but hang on. I said I'd give you a huge gift, and I guarantee you're gonna love it."
Upon hearing that, Dan Heng remained silent.
'Why do I feel even more scared now?'
In the end, that was the only thought that crossed Dan Heng's mind.
"You're Dan Heng." Lucian pointed at Dan Heng. "You wanna live a life that's truly your own. You don't wanna keep living in Dan Feng's shadow."
"Yes..."
Dan Heng nodded.
Lucian also nodded, then turned toward Blade.
"You're Yingxing. You want Imbibitor Lunae to own up to what he did, let out all that resentment, and get revenge for Baiheng."
"That's right."
Blade answered without hesitation.
"Yeah, pretty obvious the root of all this has always been Dan Feng." Lucian spread his hands. "You two beating each other up isn't gonna solve anything."
"Hmph, but he is Imbibitor Lunae..." Blade snorted coldly. "Beating him is solving the problem. Does this bastard think he can erase all his past sins simply by changing his face and taking another identity?"
"Yep, that's true enough." Lucian nodded. "But Dan Heng doesn't remember any of it. Even if you beat him up, he won't have a clue what he supposedly did wrong."
Unable to hold back any longer, Dan Heng suddenly protested.
"I'm not Dan Feng!"
As he shouted, the grievance in his voice was unmistakable. He clearly remembered none of those past events, yet he was constantly forced to shoulder Dan Feng's sins.
"Fine..." Blade sneered. "Next time you turn Baiheng into a draconic abomination and make me into an immortal monster again, just keep reincarnating. I've already picked names for your next lives. Dan Shu. Dan Pie. Dan—"
At that, even Lucian raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Kafka chuckled as well, genuinely not expecting Blade to possess such an unexpected sense of humor all of a sudden.
Dan Heng, meanwhile, could only stand there speechless, unable to refute Blade.
Seeing that the argument was going nowhere, Lucian interrupted.
"Alright, how about this? Let Dan Feng talk to both of you himself, then you can stop bothering Dan Heng."
"What do you mean? Dan Feng is dead," Blade said with a frown. "How's he supposed to talk?"
"If you're saying that, then you're basically admitting Dan Feng and I are two different people!" Dan Heng immediately chimed in with an exasperated expression. "I already said it many times—I'm not him!"
"YOU—!"
Blade's furious roar echoed across the courtyard, making Lucian's ears ring.
It went without saying from their interaction that the two were truly a pair of mortal enemies. If these two still didn't end up together after all this, there really was no justice in the world.
Ignoring their bickering, Lucian reached toward Dan Heng and began rummaging around him while activating Omnisteal in search of Dan Feng's lingering remnant. If he remembered correctly, Dan Heng's subconscious still contained a trace of Dan Feng's lingering remnant, one that only surfaced under very special circumstances.
Needless to say, the process was almost identical to what Lucian had done with Evernight.
First attempt...
Dan Heng's underwear.
Second attempt...
Dan Heng's leg hair.
Third attempt...
Half of the Vidyadhara High Elder's power.
After five or six consecutive attempts, Lucian still hadn't found what he was looking for.
Clearly, Dan Feng's lingering remnant was hidden remarkably well, so rather than continue relying on luck, Lucian simply activated Sham Diviner.
'Will the next Omnisteal end up stealing Dan Feng's lingering remnant?'
Sham Diviner's answer soon appeared as 'no.' However, because of the ability's effect, the result was immediately denied, and reality itself twisted to produce the opposite outcome. Only then did Lucian confidently activate Omnisteal once more.
Sure enough, on the seventh attempt, he struck gold.
A glowing orb floated into his hand, its label clearly reading: 'Dan Feng's Lingering Consciousness.'
Ten seconds later, Omnisteal finally completed its process.
At that moment, Dan Heng suddenly frowned as he gazed at his own hands. For some reason, he felt as though something had quietly disappeared from the depths of his soul.
Meanwhile, Lucian now held an orb of light that radiated a familiar aura everyone present recognized.
Technically, he could have resurrected Dan Feng immediately using Existence Anchor. After all, in Jingliu's script, Dan Feng had been his honorary disciple, so they had known one another for decades and understood each other inside and out, making the burden placed on Existence Anchor virtually nonexistent.
But doing so would still leave Dan Heng burdened by Dan Feng's lingering remnant. More importantly, if Lucian ever forgot Dan Feng—even for a single instant—Dan Feng would immediately disappear again, forcing Lucian to resurrect him whenever that happened.
For someone like Lucian, that would be far too troublesome. Besides, Dan Feng was someone who deeply treasured his relationships, and Lucian had no intention of tormenting someone like that forever.
In the end, he chose another approach.
Activating Godly Bandage, Lucian carefully wrapped Dan Feng's lingering consciousness in countless white bandages. A few moments later, the incomplete consciousness was gradually restored into a complete, living person once and for all.
However, to avoid exposing everyone to an awkward transformation scene, Lucian casually waved his hand, erecting a golden barrier that completely blocked everyone's view.
"What? Why can't I see anything? What the heck are they doing in there?"
Baiheng blinked and asked in confusion.
"If he doesn't want us to see it, then he probably has a good reason."
Jingliu answered calmly.
"You really care about each other, huh..." Kafka smiled faintly. "Even I'm starting to feel a little jealous."
A short while later, the golden barrier slowly vanished, and at the same moment, a song suddenly began playing from Lucian's phone.
"Tear apart~ this shell~ Liberation~"
Everyone instinctively looked toward Lucian and saw that standing quietly beside him was an unfamiliar figure. A pair of dragon horns grew from his head, long black hair cascaded down his back, and a long dragon tail swayed gently behind him, making him look like a vidyadhara.
Seeing that figure, Blade, Jingliu, and Baiheng recognized him instantly. As members of the High-Cloud Quintet, there was no possibility of them mistaking that face.
Needless to say, it was none other than Dan Heng's previous incarnation, the Vidyadhara High Elder, Imbibitor Lunae Dan Feng.
===
[A bonus chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]