Night Guard

After giving her warning, Alicia and Shui had some small talk before she left. He wasn't sure why, but Alicia seemed tired. Still, he didn't bring it up and allowed her to leave.

When he went to check back on Emily just in case, she was already gone. This wasn't too surprising and he already told her where his room was so he went back to his suite to cultivate.

Meanwhile, Emily had managed to find Adrian heading back to her previous inn after she left Myriad Flower Pavilion to look for him. He was slightly surprised that she had already shaken off the fear from this morning, but it could be a façade so he held off on making a decision.

"Oh, junior sister. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I ran into Shui and he cheered me up."

"Oh..."

Adrian had mixed feelings about the fact that Shui comforted her when he couldn't, and what that 'comfort' was, but he didn't spend the time to think hard on it since Emily had something to tell him.

"Anyways, I came to tell you that I moved into Myriad Flower Pavilion and I want you to come and join me."

Adrian paused for a moment to make sure he was hearing that correctly before saying, "Huh?"

"I know this is kind of sudden and the prices are well, high, but it's better than staying at that inn when we can't even be assured of our safety."

There was nothing wrong with what Emily was saying, but right or wrong wasn't what Adrian was concerned with. The moment he heard that she went to Myriad Flower Pavilion, his mind immediately added, 'with Shui'. A man and a woman going to an inn together, and then the woman saying that she was saying at that inn. Honestly, many people would likely have the same thought as Adrian, but the difference between him and them was that he instantly believed it.

'This little slut! After all I've done for her, she's wants to live with that playboy just because he bought her some worthless sword! Was that all it took for her to spread her legs? Just a little bit of strength and some money?! I was just 'senior brother', but he gets to-!'

Adrian was infuriated, but he had put in too much effort to give up now. Even if he couldn't lay a hand on her heart, he couldn't allow her body to be out of reach.

"You're not wrong but, can't you at least wait for a day? I just need a little time to look into some things."

Even if she went into Shui's bed, Adrian believed that she still had some feelings for him since she still came back here, so surely she could afford to wait one day. However, Emily's response disappointed him.

"Actually, I already got a refund on my room so..."

At his boiling point, Adrian hid his fist behind his back and clenched it until it bled so that he could maintain his persona.

"Is that so? It can't be helped then. I'll tell you if I find out anything else about the assassin and if I decide to move."

On the brink of losing control, Adrian quickly left afterwards, leaving behind a hesitant Emily. He hadn't shown it, but Emily could sense that he wasn't very pleased with her abrupt decision. She wondered if she should have talked to him about it first, but she didn't regret moving.

'He's just in a bad mood. Once he calms down I'll make it up to him. Definitely.'

Later that night, Shui was meditating in his living room. He had a few things scheduled the next day, so instead of trying to improve any of his abilities, he decided to review them.

Body cultivation: Quasi-divine body (50%)

Energy cultivation: Third level in Earth Realm

Soul Cultivation: Nebula three-star

Main Cultivation Method/Philosophy: Apex

Essence/Intent: martial arts, speed

Main Arts/Spells: Four Elements Technique, Unorthodox Blade Method, Omniscient Eyes, Tome of Shadows

Skills: Talismans, Inscriptions, Forging, Arrays

Heavenly flame(evolving)

Sage Eyes of Truth

He had much more to focus on than the average cultivator, but not one of these things could be given up easily as they were all important cards for him. For the time being, he wasn't completely in control of his powers due to the boost he obtained from entering True Earth Realm, but while he waited for his heavenly flame to be born, he would improve the new technique he created in the elemental crystal deposit; Unorthodox Blade Method, Power Form, First Stance: Cutting Mountains and Parting Seas.

Furthermore, in due time he would try to forge a tesora-rank artifact for himself and investigate the properties of the orb he got from the Spirit Nest.

Shui had so much planned but little time to do everything he wanted. Even so, rather than complain, he was eager to jump back into cultivation. However, that would have to wait for next time as he had a visitor.

After three knocks, Emily, still wearing her new earrings, gulped and asked, "Shui, are you there?"

Before she had any time for second thoughts, Shui opened the door with a surprised look on his face.

"Emily? What are you doing here so late?"

"Uh, well, I was just,"

Emily thought that she had steeled her heart and that it would be easy once she worked up the courage to come all the way here, but her mouth just wouldn't utter her request. She wasn't even sure if she should really be asking this of him, but she had no one else to turn to. Remembering her goal, Emily gritted her teeth, squeezed Dull Harmony and forced those words out.

"Um, could you protect me while I absorb the innate insights in Dull Harmony?"

The preliminaries for the new Array Master Minor Ranking was in two days, so Emily wanted to improve as fast as possible using the innate insights of the artifact she got from Shui. She had hoped that now that she was in a safer inn she would be comfortable focusing on this task, but every time she closed her eyes she felt an unbearable eeriness that she couldn't ignore. Fearing that she wouldn't be able make it on time, she eventually came up with the idea of having Shui protect her while she placed her mind into the artifact.

Knowing that it wouldn't be a possibility if she didn't trust him, Shui felt glad to be relied upon, but he still had to check.

"I'm fine with it, but are you sure? Wouldn't Adrian be worried about you?"

"Actually, he hasn't decided to come here yet so..."

On the inside, Shui did a fist pump, but on the outside he nodded with understanding.

"I see. In that case, come right in."

"Thank you."

Once Emily nervously entered, Shui checked the hallway for presences and then made a pseudo-array with four 'Seal' talismans to isolate his room in case Alicia or her brother came to trouble him.