At first, there was nothing but silence, but soon, the whole pce was filled with ughter. It seemed Ren didn't mind it, and they weren't wrong about that; only Xendar's face darkened a lot. Still, Anya just held his hand, squeezing it, signaling her thoughts... just don't do anything stupid.

  "My, my, my!" The Emperor chuckled. "We have a little heroine here, it seems. Filled with fighting spirit, just like your Father, eh?"

  "A little pepper," one of the ministers ughed while most of their sons also looked smilingly at her.

  Yet, while the others ughed, what caught Aerthus's attention was the silence of her parents. Something started to feel off, and for another long second, he just gazed at Xendar and Anya before his eyes fshed with a new idea.

  "Well, this is nothing more than a little competition so the youngsters can have fun, so why not?" The Emperor chuckled, though his decision shocked the people present.

  "Your Majesty… I don't know if this is a good idea." The Finance Minister spoke up, stepping forward, "She is still just a child! My son, albeit young, at least started to cultivate. The other children who would participate are even older!"

  "Please reconsider, Your Majesty!" Another voice agreed, and it belonged to the son of one of the lead captains of the City Guard, a young, twenty-year-old, handsome man who was the rising star of his generation. Since joining, he has achieved two complete refinements of his whole body, a remarkable accomplishment considering he has only been cultivating for less than four years. "This would be too dangerous."

  "Dangerous?" Xendar snorted suddenly, and people felt that his voice was followed by electricity cackling dangerously through the chamber, "Why? You would try to hurt her?"

  "No, no, no! You misunderstood us!" the boy answered, feeling nervous all of a sudden, "But it's still... sparring. With a child? All my respect is yours, General Xendar, but this is preposterous!" he continued, regaining his bravery.

  "What is your name, son?" Xendar asked, surprised by his backbone.

  "Zern, my Lord. Zern Unth."

  "So you are the Son of Unth. Good. I'll remember you." Xendar nodded, but nobody knew if this spelled good or not for the Unth family... and Zern himself felt he was a little bit out of breathable air all of a sudden.

  "Easy, easy, everyone!" The Emperor called, "I just suggested this for a little bit of fun! What harm could come out of friendly sparring? Let the young dy participate; take it as a game, just as she said. Let's just have some fun!"

  As the Emperor spoke again, nobody dared to raise a protest the second time. On the other hand, Ren was still smiling innocently, slowly hopping up and down right before her parents as if she were getting ready for a boxing match.

  "Okay, let's start then with the little pipsqueak! Are there any volunteers to be her opponent?" Aerthus ughed while Ren remained alone on the quickly cleared floor in front of the Emperor, Empress, and Leinor.

  "I'll do it," Zern said before anyone else could, stepping forward and bowing toward Aearthus and then toward Xendar. "Don't worry, General Xendar. I swear on my life that it will be nothing but a py."

  "I'll hold you to that," Xendar replied in a cold voice while Zern could only twitch the corner of his mouth, looking at his apparent opponent.

  "Haahh… Good evening, Miss Ren," he decred as he bowed towards her, and Ren copied him immediately.

  "To you too! This will be my first time. Please be gentle!" Ren grinned while others almost choked on their saliva. Of course, Anya elbowed her husband so hard he nearly keeled over, forcing Xendar to drop his angry facade for a moment.

  "W-why…?" he whispered, trying to keep back his tears.

  "..." Anya didn't say anything, just stood there as if nothing had happened, but Xendar was afraid the real storm would come when they arrived home.

  But amongst them all, Leinor looked the most lost and confused. Since Ren stood out, especially after her words, he couldn't tell why the other adults were choking on their breaths. He almost asked his mother about it, but knowing her temperament, he decided it would be best to stay silent, as always. She looked so serious, watching her eyes... He did not find it funny but admirable. Especially the fact that she was able to speak her mind so clearly. Without fear... or being reprimanded.

  "What? Did I say something wrong?" Ren blinked her eyes innocently at the reaction of others who could only shake their heads, sighing at how innocent a child is compared to them. Meanwhile, Ren was secretly ughing as her prankster side was having the time of her life, thanks to their reaction.

  "Nothing, Young Miss. How would you like to do this?" Zern cupped his hands, ignoring the 'issue.'

  "Easy. We fight!" Ren ughed as she started jumping up and down.

  "Miss, that would… be… inappropriate."

  "No, it won't be! Don't be a sissy!" came another word from her mouth, rendering everyone speechless, and only one voice echoed through the room.

  "Yeaow! My ear…!" It was, of course, Xendar's yelp breaking the silence.

  "If you are afraid, then you defend; I attack! Ladies first, no?" Ren continued, ignoring the background 'cheering' of her parents.

  "I… I guess?" Zern murmured, trying to stop his eyes from twitching, unsure what to make of the situation.

  "Great! I'll come from your left side, be ready, okay?" Ren warned him, "I just need to… prepare first!" she added as she grabbed the skirt of her dress and then pulled... Pulled hard.

  Suddenly, everyone quieted down, and even Aerthus stood up, watching seriously as what he saw was not something a five-year-old would be capable of. Ren tore apart her dress so that her legs could move more freely without any effort and then kicked off her little shoes before exciming happily with a grin.

  "I'm coming!"

  The next second, her bare legs shone in a somewhat violet haze before she disappeared from her spot, arriving to the left of Zern in an instant. What Xendar and most people on his level saw was like a slow-motion movie.

  Ren's body was in the air, delivering a kick from the left, just as she said she would, aiming precisely at Zern's neck, which stood almost thrice the height of hers. Yet the little girl flew through the air as quickly as a crane, wearing an excited grin, ready to deliver a most certainly knockout move.

  "No way…" The Emperor murmured as his eyes were almost bulging out of his skull.

  Zern's only luck was that he subconsciously reacted to it; thanks to the forewarning from Ren, he managed to deflect it, or he may have been too stunned even to put up any defense. He raised his arm to block, just in time to meet the tiny leg, which was going for his neck. The booming sound of the impact shook up the others, even though it didn't carry much force at Ren's current level.

  "Achachacha~" she moaned after nding and jumping backward, filing around with her leg, which now sported a big red patch. "Your arm is pretty haaaaard! Ouch… this hurt more than I thought it would! Hehehe, if I didn't reach the first refinement on them, I would have broken it!" she ughed a little, shaking her head. "How many times did you refine your hands?"

  "T-two." Zern stuttered, still not believing what he was seeing, and just looked down at his hand, trembling a little, and watched as it started to swell and discolor where he was kicked.

  "Whoa, and it's this hard? Damn, I'll need to work harder... I just started doing my arms..." Ren giggled as she started filing them again. "Let's go for another round!" came the angel-like ughing, but for Zern, it was more like the devil's voice.

  He couldn't retaliate, afraid he would hurt her. But... she wouldn't stop. Before realizing he was in a pickle here, Ren was already upon him, moving fast as lightning, always kicking out, aiming for vital points on his body, not being afraid to aim at his most vulnerable spot, which made most of the men in the room shiver.

  At the same time, Leinor was mesmerized by what he saw. He couldn't follow what was happening, as he had only trained his mind but had never tried to cultivate it. Or at least when he secretly wanted to meditate, he couldn't convert any energy into his body even when he felt it surrounding him. But now he was witnessing a girl, two years younger than him, whizzing around and making an adult, more importantly, a young captain of the City Guard, focus on nothing but defense!

  "Beautiful…" he whispered, but nobody heard him as everyone focused on Ren.

  "Whew~! Enough!" Ren moaned, nding back at the starting point, tiptoeing from one leg to the other while both of them started to swell and turn almost purple. "It feels like kicking an iron board over and over again! You win! I can't beat down your defenses yet!"

  "Wha-" Zern blinked his eyes while his hands were shaking. Everything was… giving his brain a short circuit, and he felt like he couldn't formute a clear thought. He only saw a little girl whizzing past him, left and right, kicking out about three to four times in one move... If not for his advanced stage, he would be on the floor, unconscious... or dead. Yet, before anything could come out of his mouth, Ren was already back before her parents as she looked up at them.

  "This was fun!" she said with a grin going from ear to ear, but her legs finally gave out, and she nded on her bottom. “Ouch… ehehe~”

  "Come, come… my poor little angel, does it hurt?" Anya excimed as she picked her up, pcing her hand on her little legs and stroking them by summoning crystal-blue healing water. Ren instantly felt a soothing, calm sensation permeate her skin, easing the pain.

  “Nyaaaaah~ This is gooooood~”

  "I told you, my affinity is water! At my level, I can project it out for short bursts. When we get home, I'll take care of you; you will be jumping around by tomorrow, so don't you worry!" she said while showering her with kisses.

  At the same time, Xendar was watching them, smiling proudly while looking at the others with a provocative eye, before he caught himself and bowed to the Emperor.

  "I beg for your forgiveness, Your Majesty." He began, "She is still a child; please don't be offended by her actions."

  "Yeah, s-sure." Aerthus nodded reflexively but suddenly shook his head. "Expin yourself, XenXen! What the FUCK was that?!"

  "Ugh…" Xendar moaned as he knew his old friend had shed entirely any pretense of being a decent emperor now, not following the protocols.

  "Please don't bme this on me, too…" Xendar murmured, looking back at his wife. "And don't call me that… it gives me the creeps."

  "I gave you that name after you lost your bet to me, so don't give me that face, you idiot! Now E-X-P-L-A-I-N, XEN-XEN!"

  "Um… well. She's good. That's all."

  "No, it is not all! IT ISN'T!" Aerthus roared, then looked around, gring at everyone else. "Out! The banquet is over! XENXEN! You stay! Everyone else, LEAVE!"

  It was such a definitive order, uttered with the force of his full cultivation, that everyone felt their ears were ringing and would keep ringing until tomorrow. Anya looked worriedly at her husband, but he just shook his head, telling her to go. After she took a st look at Aerthus IX, throwing daggers at him from her eyes, she left with Ren...

  It took only a few minutes for the hall to be emptied, and only Aerthus IX and Xendar were left in the room, looking at each other.

  "They are going to be afraid of me." Aerthus started, "After the order to leave, they won't make any moves and specute what I pn on doing. They wouldn't want to go against me." Aerthus continued, his voice being much calmer, "But the rumors will spread about her. I'll keep it that way as best as I can: rumors only. I won't deny it. Also, I won't say it's true. That's the best I can do for you."

  "Thank you."

  "Fuck maaaan…!" He moaned, rubbing his face, ughing, "You had a genius of a daughter, eh?" He walked forward, patting Xendar's shoulder. "Whew, I'm gd I arranged that marriage!"

  "Fuck you!"

  "You misspoke! It's 'Thank You' is what you wanted to say, XenXen! That will provide an extra yer of protection for her anyway. What's with the sour face? Can't you deny it, can you? Huh? Ahahaha! Damn!"

  "Mmm...mmhm… mmm…" Xendar murmured something under his breath, giving up.

  "Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Aerthus waved a hand at him, "I'll need to urge my son to do more, though. You know your girl just ruined my big reveal, eh?"

  "What reveal?"

  "Leinor's, to be exact. He is the most talented out of my sons; he just has... well... zero confidence. He is still off a little, true, but he already senses energy when meditating; he just can't get it right yet. Maybe two years from now! Or just one... I was about to lead with Poli, the Finance Minister's son, to show his talent to Leinor here and make him comprehend the trick behind it. So, I can then come out and say that my son is already cultivating! But damn, little Ren is already ahead of him and by a lot. Fuck!"

  "Well, she is my daughter!"

  "Yeah, yeah, proud bastard," he chuckled, punching his shoulder, "What do you say? You stay for the night, let the others specute what's happening, and we drink like in the old days?"

  "I need to speak to Anya."

  "By the way, what do you think Anya will say when you get home? Your little girl has the same mouth as you, huh? I saw how angry she was... Maybe she needs a night to cool down?"

  "FUCK." Xendar flinched, feeling his ears being pulled, "Y-yeah, drinking sounds good... Can you send a message to Anya, though?"

  "Sure." The Emperor grinned, and soon, the two men disappeared from the empty hall.

  …….…..

  It was early morning when Ren felt her bed shaking and woke up to the rumbling outside. At first, she thought a storm was brewing, but soon, she heard her mother's voice.

  "COME BACK HERE IF YOU ARE A MAN!"

  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Xendar pleaded, but then another loud rumble echoed through the mansion, blowing a giant hole in its wall while a figure flew out, rolling on the ground through the garden. Before it could stand up, a shadow followed him closely.

  Ren immediately rushed out, watching them excitedly as this was the first time she had witnessed a fight at such a level.

  Her mother's body shimmered in a bluish haze, her silver hair flowing behind her like a river flooding the lownds. Anya's fighting style was smooth, and her punches and kicks flowed continuously and harmoniously without pause. Every attack carried the momentum and aura of an unstoppable force of nature, blowing up dirt from the ground as she missed her fast, quickly dodging husband.

  Xendar was also covered in a bluish haze, as sparks flew off his feet every time he made a movement, followed by rumbling sounds of thunder. Still, he never retaliated against Anya's attack, only defended himself. Ren soon noticed that when her mother got in some punches, both bodies ceased emitting any aura for a split second, canceling most of the power behind it before resuming their fight.

  "The st time they fought so hard was when your Father got drunk after he learned she got pregnant. He was out partying for two days." Hal appeared next to Ren, expining and watching calmly.

  "Hahaha… Mom never told me this, Uncle Hal!"

  "Of course not. But as you can see, neither of them wants to hurt the other. It's just..."

  "I know, I know, don't worry. It's just Mom. She was worried sick the whole night. She almost stormed the pace because Father wasn't coming home."

  "Wait, he didn't send a message?" Xendar said as their conversation was easily overheard by the two.

  "What message?" Anya scoffed.

  "That prick! Yeaow!!!!" Xendar screamed as Anya got hold of him, and soon both of them were wrestling on the ground. Finally, when they stopped, Anya got to be on top. She was out of breath, and both of their clothes were messy and dirty.

  "I thought something happened!" Anya sniffed a little.

  "No… nothing, he said he would send a message… it's just…."

  "I was so worried!" his wife moaned slowly as she started to sob.

  "Don't cry, don't cry… it was my fault, a hundred percent! Sssh… don't cry. I'm sorry!" Xendar repeated over and over again, hugging his wife and trying to soothe her, kissing her face all over. It didn't take long for Anya to take over, kissing his lips passionately.

  "Don't do this again!" she whispered while she y on his chest, still sobbing a little but visibly in a much better mood than before.

  "I won't. Come, you need a bath." Xendar whispered as he stood up, holding his wife like a princess, and soon disappeared from the garden.

  "Well, maybe I'll have a sibling soon?" Ren giggled, and Hal could only shake his head while he escorted the little miss back to the mansion.

  …….…..

  "Are you sure this was the correct decision, Your Majesty?" a man asked, dressed in tight bck clothes that covered all parts of his body except his cold, silver-colored eyes. Being the only part visible, they radiated cold, murderous energy. He was kneeling before Aerthus in his bedroom while the morning sun shone in, giving a holy aura to the Emperor, who was sitting on his sofa before the window.

  "Yes, Nameless." He asked back, in an excellent mood, "Why kill geniuses? Why weaken our Empire? I don't see the logic in that."

  "One mountain can't contain two tigers."

  "Bullshit!" Aerthus snorted, standing up before the kneeling man, pressing down on him with his aura, "People like her will strengthen us! If you start eliminating every prodigy who isn't your own blood, you will soon be left with mediocre talent and silkpants. Worse still, every talented individual will try to hide or defect to our enemies, thereby bolstering their strength and weakening us. Your logic is fwed!"

  "But…"

  "He is right," came a third voice, and Nameless shivered while Aerthus IX kneeled quickly as a middle-aged man appeared in the room. He was about eighty percent simir to Aerthus IX in appearance, only his hair was shorter.

  "Father."

  "Good." The man said, "You did well, Dermitos. I received your message and reyed it to the Forefather. He immediately made the same decision as you."

  "Really?" Dermitos asked with a glint in his eyes.

  "Yes. The Forefather said the Empire is just the first step, and he will soon be back from his journey and start on the next phase."

  "Next phase?" Nameless and Dermitos asked simultaneously.

  "Building a Sect." Aerthus VIII, the previous Emperor, said as he smiled, and it became wider as he saw the confusion on his son's face. "You will know more about it, don't worry. Anyway, the Forefather will return within the next twenty years or so. So, until then, keep up the good work. I'm proud of you!"

  "Thank you, father!" Dermitos said, bowing before his Father, who soon disappeared just as he had appeared a second ago.

  "We will not have this discussion again, Nameless." Aerthus IX said, standing back up.

  "Yes, Your Majesty."

  "Also, don't stop the rumors, but make sure no official statement endorses it. Keep what happened yesterday... vague. Let the people believe what they want... If they start questioning us, deflect it or py it down."

  "As you command."

  "Good. Now go!" Before he finished, Nameless had already disappeared from the room. Only his aura stayed there, lingering in the air. "Oh boy… I already feel a headache coming." The Emperor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Well, what must come will come! No reason to mull over something trivial. Yeah, let's visit my harem first. That will clear my mind!" he said ughingly as he left the chamber, humming a happy song as if nothing had happened.