Once the conversation between Sang and Aisha Hodhua ended, she turned to leave. Halfway there, however, Sang seemed to remember something and called out to stop her.
“You… is there something else?” Aisha asked.
“Aren’t you going to ask about my power?”
And why wouldn’t she? Sang had exposed his combat prowess in front of everyone, yet this girl didn’t seem to care at all. Instead, he started feeling a bit conflicted.
But then—
The next moment, Aisha simply shook her head with a dismissive expression. “That’s not something I need to worry about… Besides, I’ll… reluctantly… trust you.”
As she spoke, the pink-haired little lolita’s face turned red. She really did look bashful—a one-meter-four frame with big, wavy pink hair. She was utterly adorable, like cherry blossoms in full bloom.
With that, she ran off, leaving Sang alone on the bed in the room.
This time, it was his turn to feel a pang of guilt. After all, he had just shared intelligence on the Four Great Families with Liyou and Hyacinth… Moreover, his decision to intervene hadn’t been entirely out of friendship. A large part of it stemmed from his mental strain reaching its breaking point—he needed to vent.
He had no choice. Surviving in this brutal otherworld wasn’t easy. He had to be selfish to cling to life, especially since there were people he still wanted to see.
With that thought, Sang glanced at the homemade harmonica on the desk. This wasn’t the one he’d given Luna; it was the one he’d remade after entering the 【Heavenly Key】.
He played a short tune from his homeland, then sat at the desk and began writing in his diary.
“Dear Luna, Adolf, Sister Lilian, everyone at the orphanage, and even the uncles and aunts in town—are you all doing well?
Before I knew it, it’s been months since I entered the 【Heavenly Key】. Hmm… damn, I can’t even remember how many. This is a terrifying place; it makes you lose track of time effortlessly. Here, you can never show your true self, so I’ll be honest in this diary: I’m not doing well. It’s like being a lamb in a den of wolves. Every day, I exhaust myself just to survive. The days drag on with nothing to do, and nights force me into life-threatening risks seeking the True Ancestor. Even sleep brings nightmares.
Lately, it feels like I’m hitting my limit.
Today, the thought of giving up flashed through my mind. Then a cool big sister saved me, snapping me awake. I don’t want to quit anymore.
I’ve decided—I’ll fight to live on. I’ll always cherish the times we spent together in Kaen Town.”
…
But ominous signs descended.
That very night.
Due to his ailing body, Sang hadn’t gone up to the Heavenly Pavilion. He lay resting in his room early on. In the dead of night, he had already fallen asleep when a sudden unease stirred him. He jolted awake.
What met his eyes was a black-haired woman draped in three strips of white cloth. She stood by the bed, her blood eyes fixed on Sang with unmistakable killing intent.
It scared him wide awake in an instant.
Oh god!
The True Ancestor had come down to the Earthly Pavilion.
Sang had lived here for so long and never once seen her descend. And now, in the dead of night, she was in his room.
Before Sang could even get out of bed to bow, the black-haired woman moved first. She lunged onto him, pinning him to the bed. She extended a finger, its long nail slashing across his face. Four bloody lines pierced his flesh like needles and thread, nailing the boy in place. In the next instant, searing pain erupted across Sang’s body, and the air filled with the faint scent of blood.
Killing intent!
Undeniable killing intent!
All this time, the True Ancestor had treated him like an insignificant little bug, something to toy with occasionally. Why had she suddenly come to kill him!?
Come on, don’t do this! I’d just solidified my will to live, and now you’re going to end me? Way too sudden!
“True Ancestor, why?” Sang lay there like meat on the chopping block. Knowing he couldn’t match her, he didn’t dare resist. He could only probe cautiously.
At that moment, the True Ancestor held her position straddling him, her knees and one palm pressing into the bed. Her other hand had slashed his face. Not only did her black silk hair cascade over the boy, but a strand of white cloth even draped across his neck. Her body was a vision of peerless allure and sensuality, yet it stirred no desire whatsoever.
Because one moment of distraction meant death.
As it turned out, Aisha Hodhua had believed Sang. The True Ancestor had not. The next second, she said coldly, “I hate deception.”
Sang understood instantly—it was about him hiding his strength.
The True Ancestor was capricious, wearing her every emotion on her sleeve. No wonder. She was the supreme ruler of this continent. Why hide her feelings? If someone displeased her, she simply killed them.
And right now, she clearly intended to kill Sang. He was terrified, never expecting such a violent reaction. Sure, he’d hidden his strength, but to her, was there really any difference between a bug and a cockroach? It didn’t matter; he posed no threat.
So… was she purely furious over the deception?
Now Sang was truly panicked, feeling death’s scythe at his throat. In desperation, he hurriedly explained.
“I come from a remote town in the Far East. I’m an abandoned orphan, powerless. To survive, I couldn’t reveal myself—the nail that sticks out gets hammered down…”
Sweat beaded on his brow as he spoke, his teeth chattering. His gaze locked on the finger hovering at his neck.
Truth be told—
Earlier that day, during his clash with Samuel Cape, Sang had been prepared to die. But now? He hadn’t prepared at all. He’d been sleeping, and suddenly he teetered on the edge of life and death.
He was scared out of his mind. Just two centimeters forward from that fingertip, and he’d be gone.
The True Ancestor sneered coldly. “I have no interest in your excuses… I simply despise deceit. Everyone who deceives me meets one end—death!”
Sang felt the fingertip advance half a centimeter. A stab of pain hit his throat, his body burning hot. Blood trickled from his neck. Any closer, and he was really dead.
He knew words wouldn’t save him, but he refused to die passively. He had to fight back, even if it was a moth to a flame or an ant shaking a tree.
Evil True Ancestor, time to taste the ant’s counterattack!
But then—
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a petite figure burst into the room. It was Aisha Hodhua. The little lolita dropped to her knees on the spot, begging the True Ancestor to spare Sang.
The sudden scene stunned both Sang and the True Ancestor.
“You idiot, what are you doing here… This has nothing to do with you!” Sang panicked, never imagining this foolish little lolita would barge in and plead for him.
The next second, the True Ancestor shifted her attention to Aisha Hodhua. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Who are you?”
Ah… right. The 【Heavenly Key】 housed dozens of maids. Over the endless years the True Ancestor had resided here, countless maids had come and gone. How could she remember one?
Aisha Hodhua remained kneeling, head bowed low, body trembling. “True Ancestor, I am the youngest daughter of the Hodhua Family—Aisha Hodhua.”
“Oh, the Hodhua Family… a weak clan that rose by bootlicking the Cape Family… I think I recall now. Decades ago, before my last long slumber, Richter Cape mentioned something. The Hodhua Family had produced a mix-blood. They saw it as a noble disgrace and wanted to kill it at first, but instead sent it here… never to leave… So it was you. Because you’re a mix-blood, you’ve grown fond of another human bug?”
Faced with the True Ancestor’s questioning, Aisha Hodhua fell into deep thought.
She wasn’t sure if she’d developed feelings for Sang. After a brief pause, she answered honestly, “At the very least, I don’t want to watch him die.”
The next moment—
The True Ancestor said coolly, “Aisha Hodhua, stand up. Raise your head. Let me see your face.”
“As you command…”
However—
The instant Aisha Hodhua stood and lifted her head, a blood-red beam sliced through the night sky, severing the major artery in her right wrist.
