Lin Feng and the others were shocked when they heard those words. They immediately tried to sharpen their perception of their surroundings. It was only then they realized they weren't actually in the real world. Instead, they were inside a miniature realm that mirrored reality perfectly.
The boundary between the realm and the real world was so thin that even someone like Lin Feng, a general, would have mistaken it for reality if he hadn't focused his senses.
Just as they realized this, Gaia snapped their fingers, and the dimension seemed to shatter. The ruined Xiao territory was wiped away, replaced by a restored version as if it had never been attacked.
The members of the Xiao family were alive again: children, the elderly, and martial artists in training all present, with the exception of all the martial artists, elders, and the Xiao patriarch.
They alone were missing, vanished without a trace unnoticed by anyone except those who had been inside the miniature realm.
Lin Feng, Tianluo, and the others stared in disbelief.
"Are you satisfied now?" Gaia said, her tone casual. "Did you really think I was the kind of monster who'd slaughter innocent people and children?"
With that, she turned and walked away. At some point, her hairstyle had returned to its original style without anyone noticing.
Lin Feng sighed as he watched Gaia leave, as if saying, At least she's not as insane as Bailou.
Tianluo, Ballack, and Kagura exchanged small smiles, their expressions as if saying, Just as expected.
Mei smiled too, visibly relieved and happy that Gaia wasn't the type to slaughter innocent civilians.
Beside her, Gaia's fiancée watched with sparkling eyes, like someone seeing their idol for the first time.
Only Zhuge Yanquan remained busy, moving around and giving orders to soldiers ensuring security and cleaning up the situation, even calling for the troops to withdraw.
"You're not going to arrest Gaia?" Yanquan asked General Lin Feng.
"Leave her be. Xiao Fanquang broke a taboo punishable by death if caught. Honestly, for Yinzhou, what Gaia did is more of an achievement," Lin Feng replied, his tone thoughtful. He added with a faint smile,
"Like master, like disciple."
*
After the incident during the coronation ceremony of the Jiang Family's Grand Elder, the event resumed without any further trouble.
Thanks to her new status, Gaia had the same rights and standing as Grand Elder Sanghyuk, allowing her to live permanently at the Jiang Family residence.
However, feeling uncomfortable about her position, Gaia insisted on staying at an inn instead at least until news of the general promotion exam arrived.
*
"Are you sure you're happy with this place?" Kagura asked, wanting to make sure.
"What do you mean? Of course I'm happy!" Gaia replied enthusiastically. "The place is huge, fully equipped, and insanely expensive. If the Jiang Family hadn't paid for it, there's no way I could afford to stay in a place like this!"
They were currently inside a top-class suite at one of Yinzhou Penglai's most prestigious inns, the Lóngfèng Cháo.
The room was a perfect fusion of tradition and futurism.
The maroon silk floors were embroidered with intricate dragon and phoenix patterns. A massive black teakwood bed draped in blue silk invited deep, restful sleep.
A soft blue glow radiated from a dragon-shaped crystal lamp on the bedside table, casting a mystical light throughout the room.
Elsewhere, a cozy dragon-leather chair awaited in a corner.
One of the walls could transform into a holographic screen, offering scenes of either serene mountains or a bustling futuristic city, depending on the guest's choice.
The bathroom resembled a relaxation oasis, a large black stone bathtub sat at its center, surrounded by marble-and-crystal walls that reflected natural light.
The shower mimicked gentle rain, while an antique silver mirror displayed smart information overlays with the latest technology.
The whole place oozed a peaceful harmony of technology and natural tranquility.
Outside the room, a nameplate proudly displayed the room's title: Silver Star, a suite worthy of a VVIP.
"I know it's fancy," Kagura said, "but with your current status, you could easily buy or rent a private villa. Why stay at an inn?"
Gaia only smiled at her question, walking toward the veranda door. She pointed toward a massive building across the street.
There, towers of jade arched into the sky, adorned with pale blue lanterns. The glass walls pulsed faintly, as if synthetic qi flowed through living veins.
The main gate crafted from black metal and engraved with ancient dragon motifs opened automatically for students in flowing robes, the clinking of weapons and murmured digital spells filling the air.
Above it all, a calligraphy sign read: Linglong Xueyuan Academy.
Following Gaia's gesture, Kagura seemed to catch on and said teasingly,
"Just because you're heartbroken, doesn't mean you should start chasing schoolgirls..."
"Hmph. I thought you were smarter than this," Gaia said dryly.
"Huh?"
"I like reading stories, did you know that?"
"Of course not! We only met a few days ago!"
Gaia fell silent for a moment before continuing,
"As a story lover, you know academies are the most common setting for novels."
"You mean, instead of reading stories, you should be reading books and novels," Kagura muttered.
Ignoring Kagura's comment, Gaia pointed again.
"Look there."
"Where?"
"Behind the academy."
"It's too far. I can't see that well."
"Use your magic to extend your sight."
Although Kagura didn't really want to waste her magic for something that felt like stalking, curiosity got the better of her. She activated her spell.
Behind the academy, past the moss-covered stone walls and ancient plum trees, the world grew quiet, almost separated from the city's buzz.
The falling petals drifted softly on the wind.
There, a girl stood holding a small cream-colored letter, sealed carefully. Her cheeks flushed, not from the cold, but from her pounding heart.
Soon, a boy approached, surprised to find her waiting. Their eyes met briefly just enough to make the world around them fade away.
The girl, her hands trembling slightly, bowed and shyly held out the letter, unable to look him in the eye.
Even from a distance, anyone familiar with romance novels could almost hear the cliché line escaping her lips:
"I-I... have something I want to tell you..."
In that fleeting moment, amidst falling plum blossoms under the old academy's shadow, a small letter carried more emotion than words ever could.
"What do you think?" Gaia asked, noticing Kagura staring intently like a stalker.
Kagura's cheeks were bright red, a mix of embarrassment and fascination, though her eyes kept sneaking glances at the scene.
When the "romance novel cliché" scene finally ended, Kagura straightened up, coughed awkwardly into her hand, and answered in a small but energetic voice:
"Perfect!" giving a thumbs-up.
"I knew you'd get it," Gaia replied, as if she'd just found a partner in crime.
"By the way, what's your next plan?" Kagura asked.
"Hmm… I guess I'll wait for the promotion exam to finish. After that, I'm planning to register as an adventurer."
"Huh, I didn't peg you as the adventurer type," Kagura said, looking genuinely surprised.
"It's not really my decision. My sensei ordered it. As a student, I have to obey. Besides, it's not a bad path for me either," Gaia said.
"And you guys?"
"Tianluo and the others already went to the guild to take a mission. If everything goes well, we'll be leaving Yinzhou Penglai by dawn," Kagura replied.
Gaia and Kagura kept chatting until Tianluo, Ballack, and Mei arrived. That night, perhaps to celebrate their little farewell, they threw a small party at Gaia's residence.
Later that night...
Mei and Kagura had fallen asleep on the couch, leaning on each other. Ballack snored quietly on the floor.
Out back on the veranda, under the dim night sky, two men stood side by side, each holding a glass, the liquid inside sparkling under the gently swaying lantern light.
One of them swirled the glass lazily, letting the ice clink softly.
"You know," Gaia said, swirling the ice in his glass, "this scene would be way more beautiful if one of us was a woman. I wouldn't even ask for Mei, Kagura would be enough to make this scene romantic."
He chuckled lightly, masking the flicker of loneliness that occasionally crept in during quiet moments like this. Even with friends around, some things stayed empty inside.
"..."
Tianluo didn't reply, just gave Gaia a deadpan stare before turning serious.
"I don't know the limits of your strength, but you'd better not underestimate Lin An and the other two general candidates," Tianluo said. "Even I'm not confident I could defeat Lin An if we fought seriously."
"Of course I'm not underestimating them," Gaia replied. "I don't know about the others, but Lin An... he's definitely no ordinary character.
If this were a novel, he'd clearly be the protagonist."
Not to mention he's probably a reincarnator with a cheat like system
"Good," Tianluo said, his lips curling into a faint smirk. "Still, it would be foolish for me to worry about Grand Elder Gaia."
They clinked their glasses together, sharing a small laugh under the night sky.
*
A few days later, in the city center...
A huge holographic screen broadcasted an announcement for the upcoming general promotion exam.
The broadcast detailed the time, location, and festive atmosphere planned for the event.
At the end, the names of the candidates were revealed:
Lin An, Luo Jin, Khalid, Elysia... and finally, a new candidate, the disciple of the late General Jiang, Gaia Matera.