Inside the small wooden shop, four figures quietly sat around a table. Omis and Addi were both casually sipping their tea without talking, Meng and Wan Da on the other hand did not have the courage to touch theirs as they sat there with respectful expressions on their faces. 

*Cling*

The sound of the cup being set down broke the silence, as Omis was the one to speak first. 

"Empress, what are you doing here?" 

Raising her head to look at him, Wan Da found herself flustered as she kept re-thinking about his real face. A deep blush covered her cheeks. 

"Ah! I-I" 

Seeing her so flustered made Addi roll his eyes as he glanced at Omis who was seated next to him.

'This bastard is enjoying this." He thought while clicking his tongue in annoyance. 

"I-I felt senior's angry aura, so I came rushing towards here to see who would dare offend you, seniors!" She replied with a voice full of righteousness and conviction.

"A-And I wanted to thank senior for the Angel Vine you bestowed on me." She muttered embarrassed as the flush returned to her face, not daring to raise her head. 

Meng glanced at Wan Da with a strange expression on her face while thinking. 

'Empress? Hmm, so this is what that guard meant by orders from the higher-ups. As expected of seniors! Even the empress herself has to lower her head in their presence!' With her eyes shining in admiration, Meng turned her attention to Omis and Addi.

Letting out a light cough, not allowing Omis to reply, Addi spoke.

"It's okay Empress-"

"Wan Da! Please call me Wan Da senior!" 

"Okay, then Wan Da your sentiment is appreciated. There is no need for you to come all the way here." 

"Nonsense senior! It is my duty as this country's ruler!" 

"Wan Da, you can rest assured, we have no intention of interfering in matters concerning your kingdom." Calmly replied Omis, earning him a nod of approval from Addi who continued.

"Now if you would be so kind and leave, we have a few matters to discuss." Said Addi. 

"Y-Yes! Of course, then if you would excuse me, seniors." Standing up, Wan Da gave a deep respectful bow to Omis and Addi before turning to leave, on her way out she did not forget to shoot a curious look towards Meng who was nothing but a normal mortal, yet seemed close to both of the seniors. 

*Clang* 

The sound of the door being closed after the empress was heard. Meng chose to not say anything and remain silent while she waited for Omis and Addi to speak.

"Where is Lee-Lee?" Asked Omis in curiosity.

"I left her with a friend bro— I mean senior." 

"Don't mind that just continue to call me brother as you did before," said Omis while flashing her a bright smile that caused her cheeks to flush.

Seeing what was happening caused Addi to click his tongue in annoyance once again. Not allowing her to reply, he asked. 

"I'm assuming the little one told you about us?" he asked.

Hearing his question made Meng sit upright in her chair as she stuttered. "Y-Yes senior!" Omis may have told her to call him like she used to before, but Addi was suddenly too intimidating for her to call him by anything other than senior. 

"Why did you come back then?" Calmly asked Addi.

"I-I..." To his question, Meng was unable to find the words to reply. Why did she come back? She knew that both of them did not need her help, so why did she. She found herself questioning her decision, was it because of Lee-Lee? No...Then why?

It was Omis's nonchalant reply that broke her out of her chain of thought. "Oh, don't be so hard on her Addi, we have offered her a job here so of course, she is going to come back to work, right?" He asked while flashing her another bright smile.

"I—Yes!" hurriedly replied Meng.

"Hmmm." nodded Addi, yet he did not seem convinced but he also looked to have no intentions of saying anything more.

"So I'm assuming you knew about your daughter's power all along?" Asked Omis. 

"Yes! Lee-Lee has always been a special child, she was able to see things normally hidden from ordinary people..." 

"Yes, her eyes are truly special." Said Omis with a tad of melancholy. 

Seeing that, Addi sighed as he set down his cup of tea before bluntly asking. 

"Child, did you have a celestial ancestor?" 

Hearing that, Omis turned to look at Addi in confusion before his eyes lit up in understanding as he turned to look at Meng in anticipation. 

"W-W-What? An esteemed celestial as my ancestor?" 

"So it was not from your side, where is the little one's father?" Asked Addi. 

Hearing his question caused Meng to drop her head down, her mood turning bad. 

"He passed away senior..." 

"I'm sorry to hear that." Said Omis, before continuing. 

"But I need to know sister Meng, where did he come from?" He asked with a pleading expression as he rested his hand over hers. Seeing what Omis was doing made Addi's face turn into a look a feigned disgust as he rolled his eyes.

Meng's cheeks on the other hand reddened as she pulled her hand back before replying. 

"The truth is, Lee-Lee is not my real child. Her father was a lord cultivator, he stumbled upon our village one day with Lee-Lee still a baby." her gaze turned distant as she started recalling the past. 

"He rented a house at the edge of the village for them and mostly kept for himself. By fate, I was able to meet and get to know him." she smiled a sad smile full of melancholy.

"And he proposed...I always knew that a mortal is not meant to be with a cultivator, but I loved him and he loved me. He never spoke of his past, and I never asked about it. It was a taboo subject you see." she said as she raised her head to look at Omis and Addi who both nodded ushering her to continue.

"Years past as Lee-Lee grew up, he had told me that she was special and that she held the power of his ancestor. I did not pay much heed to that until they came..." she shuddered.

"They who?" asked Addi as he frowned. 

Shaking she looked back at him before replying. 

"Monsters!"