Returning to the army base, General Kim, Juimin and his wives returned to their duties.

An hour before it was time for them to get on the carriages which took them home, General Kim called his son.

Juimin took a deep breath in as he stood in front of his father’s door. There were only two reasons as to why he was called and one of them was going to be discussed tonight. 

One being official military business and the other, Sang Chul’s teacher.

Opening the door, he smiled at his father. “Father, you called me?”

General Kim looked at his son. Juimin had always made him proud and seeing the sweat on his body could only mean that he was practising his martial arts as always.

Smiling, he welcomed him in. As Juimin sat down he said, “Min-er, your performance recently has been superb. At this rate, you’ll be a Grade 1 Noble Master in no time.”

Juimin smiled, he felt embarrassed and rubbed his head, “You have high hopes for me, father.”

General Kim chuckled. Staring at his son, he said, “Juimin, you and your siblings are my pride. Just like your brother Yingyuan, you are following in his steps to becoming the next General Kim.”

“I don’t want to be the next General Kim father, and I doubt my brother wants to be your shadow,” he said.

General Kim didn’t get angry. He nodded his head slowly, asking, “Then tell me Juimin, what do you want to be or specifically, who do you want to be?”

Juimin didn’t have an answer for him and remained silent.

“Juimin, you need to think about your future. Your cultivation is at a top tier level. Many look up to you. You’ve surrounded yourself with the right group of people. I’m sure you have an idea of where you want to put yourself in the next five years,” the general said.

Juimin took in a deep breath, then sighed. “I have thought about it. It’s still in the works, but we want to go on adventures. Travel the kingdom and beyond.”

“So, what is stopping you?” He asked.

Juimin had a lot to think about. Everything was going fine for him, but time had stopped for the past two days for him. Shaking his head, he said, “My first goal is to complete my studies at the Heavenly University and win the title of Champion in the Heavenly Tournament.”

General Kim felt proud at hearing his words. Nodding his head slowly, he thought of Juimin’s friends and their capabilities. “Will the five of you be participating in the group competition?”

He nodded his head, “Mn, but we are still too few. We’re looking into recruiting a few members, especially a healer, but there isn’t anyone suitable as of yet.”

“Have you gone to the healer tribe of Mountain Rou?”

Juimin shook his head, “No, I was looking for someone more close to home.”

General Kim nodded his head slowly. “If you need help, speak to me.”

“Yes, father,” he said.

“There is one other subject that is concerning me. I hope you could provide the answers to,” General Kim said.

“Yes, father?” He asked, confused.

“What is going on between you and Sang Chul’s teacher?” He asked.

“Excuse me, father? I do not understand,” he said, playing stupid.

Placing the paintbrush down in its place and closing the military book of tactics, he crossed his fingers in front of him and stared at his son. Looking at him, he said, “What is happening between you and Qin Rucheng? According to my knowledge, that woman has never done a single thing right and has been an annoyance to Kwon Wol Ryeong.” 

Juimin chuckled, “Father, you listen to gossip now?”

General Kim didn’t find anything funny, making Juimin lose his ignorance. He bowed his head, saying, “Father, there is nothing going on between us.”

“How am I to believe that when it is said that my son gave his honorary robe to Qin Rucheng to wear and hasn’t been seen wearing it for the past day? How do you explain this?” He asked.

After arranging his thoughts, he said, “Father. Truthfully speaking, there is nothing going on between me and Qin Rucheng. I met her in the Library Pavilion when I was researching for possible locations for our first adventure. Morning came without me realising it and when I saw her standing in the morning breeze, I felt pity for her and gave her my robe to wear until she could return it to me.”

General Kim narrowed his eyes, asking, “Is that all?”

He nodded his head. “Yes. Even when I went to check up on her, she was as cold as ever towards me.”

General Kim noticed the sadness in his tone of voice and in his eyes as he started staring off. Scratching the crowing moustache, he wasn’t convinced that there was nothing going on between Rucheng and his son.

*

Back at the Qin Residence…

Rucheng opened her eyes and found herself standing in the middle of nowhere. Specifically, she was on land with no end to it.

“Where am I?” She asked and her voice echoed out around her.

As she took a step, water sounded from below. Looking at her feet, she saw that she was standing on water and, in the reflection, the sky above her was beautiful, almost like the horizon of dawn.

She sighed as she started walking. “Am I dead? But it can’t be. I died once and didn’t end up here.”

It seemed as though she had been walking for half a day when suddenly, everything turned dark and the sky above lit with stars. A terrible mocking laugh sounded out all around her.

Frightened, Rucheng tried to locate the person who was laughing, but she couldn’t see anyone. 

“Who are you?” Someone asked from behind her.

She jumped in fright, turning to the person and saw herself but this person, although she looked like her, she had a menacing aura.

Raising a brow, Rucheng said, “Who am I? Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?”

“Not only do you look like me, but you also sound like me?” Old Rucheng stated. She walked up to her and circled her, evaluating her appearance.

Scoffing, she said, “Whatever, it doesn’t matter if you took over my body. All that matters is that you have the same ambition as me.”

Rucheng raised a brow, thinking, ‘If you’re here, then I’m really dead in the other world.’

“What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?” Rucheng asked.

Old Rucheng raised a brow, saying, “I brought you here? Didn’t you call me? I’ve been locked up in here ever since I went on that mission thanks to the heavenly artefact those three bastards entrusted me with.”

“What artefact?” Rucheng asked.

The old Rucheng held out her left hand and in the palm appeared a silver book.

Rucheng looked at it carefully and couldn’t figure it out. She looked at old Rucheng saying, “What is it? I’ve never seen it before.”

Old Rucheng looked at her, saying, “Those old bastards thought that with me being the only underprivileged person there, I could help them with no one missing me if I was gone.” 

Turning her back to Rucheng, she recalled her task and explained, “I was tasked with delivering this book to the Buddhist Clan but I did not expect to be ambushed even before arriving at my destination. If it wasn’t thanks to Gwanliin for detecting the assassins, I wouldn’t have been able to survive.”

‘Survive? You’re dead and I’m here,’ Rucheng thought as she listened to her.

Old Rucheng turned to her, almost reading her mind as she said, “I became suspicious of what I was delivering and found out that it was one of the secret techniques of the Buddhist clan.”

“What is it?” Rucheng asked curiously.

Trying to recall what she read, she said, “When I opened the book and orb floated out and I saw myself marrying the Crown Prince of the Phoenix Clan.”