Blood Oath

"Xia Lun, that old woman seems to be sneaking glances at you."

Liyana noticed the gaze coming from the carriage behind them, then covered her mouth and giggled. "Do you think she fancies you? The Hero sure is popular..."

Xia Lun remained silent, merely resting his hand lightly on Aina's shoulder.

Liyana wisely shut her mouth.

If she kept going, she’d risk offending the mage lady—Aina didn’t appreciate such jokes.

Mo Lini sat primly in the carriage, her little head bobbing rhythmically with the bumps of the road.

She heard nothing. She knew nothing.

"I don’t like that old woman. She gives me the creeps," Liyana muttered, pursing her lips.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so rude as to call her that.

"Then why do you still want to visit her estate?"

Liyana declared righteously, "What kind of question is that? Only a fool passes up free benefits!"

"Being greedy can lead to trouble."

"Xia Lun, you’re ancient. Why do you sound like a youngster?"

Xia Lun replied, "I don’t think the thousand-plus years I spent dead should count toward my age... My actual age should be one hundred and fourteen."

Liyana scoffed. "Oh, what a young human you are."

Xia Lun rubbed his nose. He’d almost forgotten—even before his death, he’d been quite old. There was no arguing that.

After his resurrection, his body had grown youthful again, and naturally, so had his mindset.

Mo Lini quietly covered her ears, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

She heard nothing. She knew nothing.

"It’s alright, Xia Lun." Aina kissed his cheek as though he were a precious treasure. "Our happiness from now on will stretch so far that age won’t even matter… It’s irrelevant anyway."

"Damn it!"

Liyana suddenly gasped. "You two aren’t going to outlive me, are you?"

"Uh… Probably," Xia Lun admitted.

Just as he had once sensed his impending death, Xia Lun could now feel how robust his condition was.

He couldn’t even glimpse the end of his lifespan now—maybe there wasn’t one at all.

"Hey! I’m an elf!" Liyana suddenly panicked.

Xia Lun asked, "How much longer can you live?"

Liyana shook her head. "No idea..."

"There’s nothing to worry about. Death is just another part of life. Don’t dwell on it."

Xia Lun wasn’t sure how to comfort her. From his current perspective, anything he said would sound inappropriate.

"Whatever. When the time comes, I’ll just go keep Moke and Musen company." Liyana quickly shrugged it off, waving a hand dismissively.

Meanwhile, Mo Lini, who hadn’t quite covered her ears properly, felt a pang of existential dread.

She’d probably be the first to go...

The Norman family’s estate came into view.

It was clear the Normans had once been prosperous. Compared to Xia Lun’s manor in Olifando, this place seemed older and more neglected, though its grounds were far more expansive.

"So huge," Mo Lini marveled.

Lanxia, who had just stepped down from the carriage, couldn’t help but look a little proud at Mo Lini’s admiration.

Lanxia led the way.

Elesha followed silently behind her grandmother, saying nothing, only occasionally glancing back at Xia Lun and the others without any further reaction.

"Master."

"Master."

The estate didn’t have many servants, but those who spotted Elesha bowed respectfully.

Elesha’s face remained expressionless, though Lanxia seemed pleased.

Lanxia began recounting the Norman family’s history—how their ancestors had fought alongside an emperor from ages past, earning great merit in unifying the Yalan Empire and receiving a noble title… the standard aristocratic origin story.

With every achievement Lanxia mentioned, Mo Lini dutifully gasped in awe.

Liyana, however, eyed the decorations and portraits along the way with disinterest. To her, none of it was particularly valuable.

She didn’t seem inclined to liven the mood either—or maybe she just didn’t feel like talking.

The vast estate felt eerily quiet.

Aina and Xia Lun walked close together at the back, their eyes only on each other.

In the hallway, only Lanxia’s incessant monologue and Mo Lini’s occasional "Wow!" broke the silence.

Mo Lini felt awkward. Right now, she almost wished Liyana would tease her just to break the tension.

"By the way, Lady Lanxia, did you offend someone? Why would the Blood Pact send assassins after you?"

Finally, as if unable to bear any more of Lanxia’s bragging, Liyana changed the subject.

Aina leaned close to Xia Lun’s ear. "The Blood Pact is an assassin organization that appeared about a century ago. Rumor has it that for the right price, there’s no target they can’t eliminate… Their reach is vast, spanning beyond the Yalan Empire, with members of all races."

Xia Lun thought for a moment. "Is this your doing?"

"Not at all." Aina gave him a reproachful look. "Don’t assume everything is my fault. I’ve stayed out of worldly affairs for a long time..."

She didn’t add—since before Xia Lun’s resurrection.

Xia Lun sighed inwardly. Every era had its own opportunities and challenges, birthing new legends.

"Do you have any idea who hired the Blood Pact to kill you?" Liyana pressed. "Their services don’t come cheap. Not just anyone can afford them."

Lanxia’s face darkened at the blunt reminder of their predicament. Finally, she let out a long sigh.

"Other families who once allied with the Normans… once they learned of our decline, they turned on us. That mine is far too tempting… Bunch of two-faced snakes."

Lanxia glanced back at Elesha, then meaningfully at Xia Lun. "Now, the burden falls entirely on this child’s shoulders. If only she had a man to support her..."

Liyana cut in, "Don’t be so rigid about gender. Doesn’t have to be a man—a woman would work too."

Lanxia blinked. "Huh?..."

"I mean, hasn’t it been you supporting Elesha all this time?" Liyana clarified.

"I’m just an old relic now. I don’t have the strength anymore." Lanxia’s expression softened, almost wistful. "But the Norman bloodline must continue..."