Chapter 169: A Grandfather's worries
Days had gone by since the news spread among the higher echelons of many great powers about the appearance of the Kokon Tengan. Most had little to no concrete information about what it truly was, but as the name implied, it was clearly connected to the eye ability of the Aka Boshi no Tengan clan. Speculation ran rampant, plots formed in the shadows, and ambition stirred in many factions. The clan had not anticipated the speed at which such information would leak, nor the growing storm it would summon.
Within one of the towering, lavish buildings of a hidden town under the control of the Aka Boshi no Tengan clan…
A grand chamber with twenty-five seats stood in silence. Only five were filled in person, one of them by the sharp-eyed elder who had been the first to sense the Kokon Tengan's awakening. Beside him sat four others — two men and two women, each of them middle-aged or older. One of the women was also a Pristine Soul expert like him; the other woman and the two men were all Late Stage Mortal Lords.
The other seats were occupied by projections shimmering with immense power. Fourteen such figures appeared, none of them below Middle Stage Mortal Lord. Among them were two Master Realm experts.
The discussion had been lively, heated, and intense — and naturally centered on the appearance of the Kokon Tengan. What should have been a moment of triumph for the clan had instead become a meeting filled with tension. The pressure from other powers, and the fear of how the revelation might shake the clan's foundations, weighed heavily over them.
"Seriously… for our mighty Aka Boshi no Tengan clan to be forced into such a bind," an elderly woman muttered, her expression helpless. "And after all this time, we have yet to even identify the one who awakened those eyes."
"Indeed, it's strange," said a rugged man with heavy brows. "Are they still on this continent? Have they been captured? Or… are they hiding?"
Silence fell again until another projection spoke — a long-bearded man with calm, gentle eyes.
"Has anyone heard word from Christian? Or from any of her direct subordinates?"
The others exchanged looks, most hesitating before slowly shaking their heads.
"I heard she was on a mission… something about rescuing her granddaughter from a terrifying battle," the sharp-eyed elder finally said, his voice faltering. A thought flickered in his mind, but he swallowed it back and instead cast a brief glance at one man in particular.
The others noticed, and their gazes followed.
The man in question coughed lightly before sighing. His deep eyes scanned the chamber, and though his words were calm, his voice carried a heavy pressure even without intent.
"…You're all holding back your tongues. Speak freely."
This was Christopher, Pristine Master expert of the Aka Boshi no Tengan clan — and more importantly, the family patriarch whose bloodline tied directly to the discussion at hand.
The silence held for a moment longer before one of the sharp-eye man gathered his resolve.
"Then I will speak plainly," the man said. "Christian is your granddaughter — the one you raised after her mother died in an accident, and your son Christen was grievously wounded. He vanished one day despite those injuries… no one knows how or why. But what is worth noting is that all of your descendants have been extraordinary. From Christen, to Christian herself, to Christina despite her difficult circumstances… and now her daughter, Christy."
At that, the entire room went still. The unspoken conclusion was too obvious.
"…What are you trying to say?" Christopher asked, one brow raising faintly.
The man inhaled deeply, then laid his conjecture bare.
"Do you think it possible that the one who awakened the Kokon Tengan is either Christian, Christina… or perhaps even, Christy?"
The silence that followed was deafening. None could deny the possibility. None wanted to admit it outright.
They all knew Christian's story. How she had been forced into marriage with her first husband, only for him to die in battle not long after. How she later found a man she truly loved, despite the clan's disapproval — for he had been descended from an old enemy of the Aka Boshi no Tengan. In an act of defiance, they eloped.
Only Christopher's influence as a Master Realm expert had saved her from exile and brought about a slow reconciliation with the clan. Over time, his will had even helped soften some of the clan's harsher stances. In Christina's case, the marriage to Jonovan — descendant of the Green Treasured Martial King of the Six-Colored Martial Dynasty — had been welcomed with open arms.
And Christy… her initial path before Daoist Blue Heavens Sword and even after due to his talents was supposed to have followed the clan's arrangements as well.
Nobody wanted to say it aloud, but all of them felt the same thing: the answer was clear.
If the one who awakened the Kokon Tengan was a clansman from outside Christopher's line, it would be celebrated. If it were Christian herself, or Christina, it could still be managed. Even Jonovan's status gave weight enough that it would not disrupt the clan.
But if it was Christy…
"Christopher," the other Master Realm expert finally spoke. His aura alone pressed heavily on the chamber. "You and I both know what will happen if the higher authorities of the clan learn the truth. If your great-great granddaughter is the one who awakened the Kokon Tengan… then matters will spiral beyond even your control. And judging by the actions of so many powers across the continents, I suspect many of them have already guessed the possibility."
Christopher's lips twitched faintly, but he gave no denial.
"I understand," he said at last. His voice was low but steady. "Then let us act accordingly. If that little friend, Daoist Blue Heavens Sword, has already crossed the line with her — whether as husband or as true lover — even those people will have little ground to interfere in my bloodline's affairs."
The chamber filled with a heavy silence as the elders and projections glanced at one another. The meeting continued, but the air was now thick with tension and unspoken thoughts.
…
Later that night, Christopher sat within a secluded pavilion deep in the Aka Boshi no Tengan's hidden town. A heavy enchantment, centered on a pair of red, star-like eyes carved into the wall, began to hum with power as his own evolved eyes radiated their piercing light. With the mastery of a Pristine Master, he fed his vast energy into the formation until the entire chamber was bathed in an overwhelming glow.
In the next instant, his projection manifested aboard a certain magical aircraft.
Standing before him were Christian and Christina. The air grew heavy.
"Grand Papa…" Christian's voice was calm, but her gaze carried that familiar mix of reverence, love, and wariness.
"…My little darling," Christopher replied softly, his tone steeped in pride yet laced with bitterness.
Christina, caught completely off guard, fumbled to compose herself. "G-Great Papa..! W-Why… why are you here?" Her hands trembled at her sides, her eyes wide in disbelief.
The moment Christopher laid eyes on them, his expression shifted. When his gaze lingered on their pupils — the glow of their bloodline abilities unmistakable — he felt his lips twitch into a bitter smile. He had feared this would be the case.
"My little Tina…" His voice gentled, carrying warmth that almost broke through Christina's anxiety. "I am sure you both know why I have appeared."
"N-no, Great Papa, I don't!" Christina blurted nervously, her tone unconvincing even to herself.
Christian, by contrast, stood her ground with cold poise. "Tina, settle yourself," she instructed quietly before facing Christopher with a blank expression. "Grand Papa, tell me what it is you've come here for."
Christopher studied her carefully. He knew her too well. He could see the steely defiance masked behind her respectful tone — the same stubbornness she had always carried, even as a girl. And in Christina, he saw a reflection of Christian's younger self, down to the instinctive defensiveness in front of authority. It was precisely because of this that Christian had chosen only to appear with Christina at her side: she knew he would hesitate to press them too harshly, that he would restrain himself from unleashing the probing arts of the clan's eye techniques against his own blood.
"…Have you not rescued our child Christy yet?" he asked, his words measured, but heavy with intent.
"No. Honestly, it's been quite a ride searching for that girl," Christian replied coolly. "We have confirmed that she is safe… for now."
"You can actually confirm that, hm." Christopher's eyes narrowed faintly, though his tone was more contemplative than accusatory.
"Yes, Grand Papa. We are still looking high and low."
Christina stepped forward with urgency, her voice trembling. "Yes, Great Papa! All this time away from my daughter, with so much happening—I can't help but worry…"
Christopher's gaze softened briefly, but the bitterness in his smile deepened. He knew what they were doing. He understood their intent all too well. Christian, always sharp and calculating, had shielded her descendants even as she submitted to appearances. Christina, though less practiced, mirrored her elder perfectly — protective, cautious, unwilling to expose too much.
Silence stretched.
Finally, Christopher sighed. His eyes shone with both love and steel as he asked the question he already feared he knew the answer to:
"Tell me… it was little Christy who awakened the Kokon Tengan, wasn't it?"