Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 394 Ritual and Oath
Don't talk about single updates or anything like that. Yesterday it was 7.2k, and today it's 9.2k.
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Stacy suddenly pointed to the group of dragons that were peacefully sleeping by the lake and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Why are they all drooling?"

Su Ming's gaze swept over the dragon horde. "Yin Er and Ge Lie have lost the least." He caught this detail, and a playful smile crept onto his lips. "I bet five copper coins that they're dreaming of feasting on braised pork rice right now!"

“If you mention this, I’ll drool too,” Stacy said with a smile.

Zijin laughed out loud. She thought for a moment, "If we follow the chronological order, then this scene should be the end of the dream."

Sure enough, before long, the dragons awoke one by one from their slumber, their massive bodies moving slightly on the lakeshore, shaking off a few scales that were wet with dew.

They gathered together and discussed the matter in hushed tones for a while.

Soon, a giant dragon flew over, flapping its broad wings, and respectfully invited them to move closer.

The three immediately used flight magic to glide lightly across the lake and land steadily in the center of the venue.

Upon closer inspection, the waters of Thousand Illusion Lake are breathtakingly clear, resembling a giant crystal that clearly reflects the blue sky, white clouds, and lush green trees along the lakeside, even revealing the patterns on the dragon's scales in exquisite detail.

Su Ming subconsciously brushed aside the black hair that fell across his forehead and found that his hair had indeed grown quite a bit. In just six months, the ends of his hair had begun to obstruct his vision.

They looked up at the towering dragon, while the dragon bent its long neck and looked down at their tiny figures—a posture that was not comfortable for either of them.

A soft, emerald-green glow emanated from the hands of the Dream Weaver. A thick vine, as if alive, gracefully cascaded down from the canopy of a tall, ancient tree beside them, winding and weaving into several comfortable rattan chairs suspended in mid-air.

The three exchanged brief greetings with the dragons before flying to the wicker chairs and taking their seats.

Now, the line of sight between the human and the dragon is basically level.

"After careful deliberation by the council, it has been decided to bestow upon our outstanding member the title of Scholar Violet, and the status of 'Honorary Grand Elder'!" Weaver Dream, who presided over the meeting, announced in a clear and solemn voice, "This matter will be announced to the entire Dragon Clan. Elders, please take this opportunity to fully understand everyone's thoughts."

Is this a gradual process, giving the dragon people time to adjust and accept it? Su Ming understood.

"The title of 'Honorary Elder' also signifies the granting of corresponding rights to Zi Jin," Ge Lie added. "Our cooperation will be based under this title of 'Honorary Elder.' In this way, if any changes occur in the future, we will have room for adjustment and a buffer."

Su Ming nodded, fully understanding this prudent arrangement. Even if Zi Jin encountered difficulties in taking over the Dragon Clan's rule and withdrew from the leadership, it wouldn't hinder the various collaborations between Mo Gu Kuang Xie and the Dragon Clan.

He looked around and found that the other dragon elders were just listening quietly without speaking. It was clear that they had resolved their differences and reached these resolutions in the previous internal discussions.

****
"If the first step goes smoothly, we will rightfully place Violet in the position of the core leader of the Dragon Clan," Dreamweaver continued, stating the council's decision. "However, we hope that you will begin to take over and fulfill your responsibilities now, assisting us in changing the current predicament facing Dragon Valley."

Su Ming immediately understood the Dragon Clan's intention: this was essentially a trial period to test the actual effectiveness.

He nodded, indicating that he accepted the arrangement.

"As for the specific location of the land and the details of the cooperation terms, the Elder Council has authorized Elder Ge Lie to make all the decisions. That concludes the resolutions of today's meeting," Elder Zhimeng continued.

“Let’s simplify the land lease matter,” Ge Lie interjected. “This matter doesn’t need to be linked to other issues. However, you will need to pay a management fee of one hundred times the amount annually for the land you use!”

"A hundred times?!" Su Ming was genuinely startled by this number; that was quite an ambitious figure. If the cost was so high, he would have to scale back the planned base size.

“That’s right!” another burly dragon elder beside him confirmed in a deep voice, “One thousand hectares of land, calculated at two hundred thousand gold coins a year. Ordinary dragons also need to pay a basic management fee when using land.”

A hundred times... that's twenty million gold coins a year, which averages out to twenty thousand gold coins per hectare. Su Ming quickly calculated in his mind that this price was indeed a bit beyond his means.

If the negotiations fail to bring down the price, the production base will likely have to be significantly reduced in size, and we may even have to consider opening a branch base outside of Dragon Valley.

Dreamweaver seemed to sense Su Ming's predicament and added, "Of course, if your business can bring significant benefits to Dragon Valley in the future, we can also consider giving you a discount, such as... 150,000 gold coins a year?"

An idea struck Su Ming like lightning, and he immediately raised his hand, "Wait a minute! Let me ask you something, what is the specific management fee for one hectare per year for an ordinary dragon?"

“Two gold coins per hectare!” another ancient-looking dragon elder answered slowly.

Su Ming was speechless. So, this 200,000 gold coins was already a hundred times the normal price!
A huge, uncontrollable surge of joy rushed into his heart. In order to prevent himself from bursting out laughing on the spot, Su Ming had to press his cheeks tightly with both hands, his shoulders trembling slightly as he suppressed his laughter.

Could you possibly price these dragons any "cheaper"? Give him some time to work his magic, and he's confident he can take over the entire Dragon Valley!

This strange behavior only fueled Zhimeng's misunderstanding. She tried to smooth things over, "How about... 120,000 gold coins is negotiable?"

"No!" Su Ming immediately shook his head, his voice resolute, "Please make sure not a single penny is less!"

With the land issue settled, the dragon elders spread their enormous wings and flew away from the meeting hall one after another. After a long afternoon of meetings, they desperately needed a day's sleep to recover their depleted energy.

Ge Lie, who had flown all the way back, looked even more exhausted.

He entrusted all the arrangements for entertaining the guests to Zhimeng, and gave a few brief instructions.

"Elder Weaving Dreams will also be fully responsible for the specific signing of the land contract," he said to Su Ming. "See you in three days."

Then, Ge Lie's enormous figure also rose into the air and disappeared into the distant horizon.

"Why three days?" Su Ming asked, puzzled, watching the departing dragon shadow. "Could it be... sleeping?" he guessed with a hint of disbelief.

“Yes!” Stacy replied matter-of-factly. “Elder Grievous is over nine hundred years old. To maintain such vigor today is quite remarkable among the older generation of dragons!”

As expected, long-lived races rely heavily on sleep, and Su Ming witnessed this firsthand.

"I feel like everything is going too smoothly, it's almost unbelievable," he said, stroking his chin, still somewhat hesitant.

“Because Elder Ge Lie 'convinced' everyone with his strength in the dream I created,” Dreamweaver explained calmly. “He successively defeated eight dissenting elders, completely suppressing all dissent. According to our dragon clan's council tradition, when the will of a strong person is so clearly demonstrated and gains an overwhelming advantage, the council of elders must give you a chance to try!”

Su Ming suddenly realized that the dragon race's "dictatorship" wasn't entirely without its advantages. At least in terms of efficiency, it had an absolute advantage!
****
Elder Dream Weaver handed Su Ming a slightly old but well-drawn map of Dragon Valley so that he could find the land he needed.

“If you need to visit the site,” she added gently, “I can arrange the fastest dragon to take you there for an on-site inspection.”

Su Ming thanked him sincerely and carefully put the map away. He then politely inquired about the climate information of Dragon Valley.

Zhi Meng thought for a moment, then turned around and took out a thick notebook, handing it to Su Ming. Opening the yellowed pages, one found dense yet concise records of major weather events and unusual phenomena over the years.

“These are just scattered records,” she explained. “As for systematic meteorological data, we’ll have to ask Heilong for it.”

"Why was it the Black Dragon that recorded these?" Su Ming asked curiously. "Is it because they have some special ability?"

“No,” Violet replied. “The black dragons firmly believe that the erosion of their majestic and beautiful black scales by rain will damage their luster. That’s why they pay extra attention to weather changes and record them most diligently!”

Okay, so this can be considered a unique form of productivity driver.

"The Black Dragon's settlement is quite far away," Zhimeng said apologetically. "It will take two days to retrieve the records."

"Thank you for your trouble!" Su Ming replied sincerely.

****
Next, as planned, the problem of the dragon scales on Violet's body will be solved.

However, Dreamweaver stated that the Ancestral Dragon Land still needs some time to prepare.

“This ritual requires at least five powerful dragons to operate together,” Dreamweaver explained. “I need time to gather the right dragons, so it can only begin tomorrow at the earliest.”

“Five dragons are probably not enough,” Violet calmly retorted. “They wouldn’t be able to suppress them.”

Upon hearing this, Zhimeng's exquisite dragon face showed obvious surprise. "Among the five I mentioned, there is my own!"

“I’ve calculated it.” Violet’s tone remained calm. “We need four dragons to balance the four elements of wind, fire, earth, and water, and then a silver dragon to stabilize the light element. As for the dark element—” she paused, “we need two black dragons to reliably restrain it.”

Zhimeng gasped, her voice filled with disbelief, "The dark power within you has become so formidable?"

“The power of the Bone Mark is very strong; I haven’t even fully mastered it yet,” Violet answered frankly. “But to be on the safe side, it’s best to prepare two.”

“Wait a minute,” Dreamweaver asked, puzzled, “What about me? My power wasn’t included in the allocation.”

Violet looked at Dreamweaver, a hint of seriousness in her eyes. "There is another power within me... that is more easily out of control. Only your dream power can effectively restrain it."

Another force?
A scene suddenly flashed through Su Ming's mind. He recalled the fleeting golden light he had seen when he glimpsed Zi Jin casting a forbidden spell to construct a bone fortress in the illusion of the bone mark.

"Hey, what other powers do you possess?" he couldn't help but ask directly.

Zi Jin gently shook her head. She couldn't let Su Ming know about the backlash she suffered due to her out-of-control conceptual-level magic. It was better for him to continue believing that steadily manipulating spatial power was a matter of course.

If a problem arises, Su Ming will only suspect that he made a mistake in his operation, thus allowing him to focus wholeheartedly on trying to solve it.

Instead of constantly facing the fear of holding a "super bomb"!

“It’s some kind of law power that accidentally went out of control when I was researching it on my own before. It doesn’t have a big impact, as long as I suppress it and don’t use it.” She told Su Ming casually, “Besides, I can’t discuss the details, as it would trigger a resonance between me and this law power.”

"I understand." Su Ming nodded, not pursuing the matter further.

****
Stacy also mentioned that she had a lot of work to arrange in advance, so she and DedeCMS left temporarily to go about their own business.

Only Su Ming and Zi Jin remained.

“I think,” Violet’s voice deepened, carrying an indescribable emotion, “I want to go see Mysera, and… Atia.”

“I’ll go with you,” Su Ming replied immediately.

"Ah."

The two immediately used flight magic to fly over the rolling green mountains and forests below, heading towards the direction of Zijin's home in her memory.

Spring has arrived, and the climate in Dragon Valley is mild and pleasant. The trees, which are the first to sense the arrival of spring, have already sprouted tiny, tender green buds.

Some tree species that Su Ming couldn't name, which were deciduous in winter, now had their bare branches covered with plump flower buds, as if they were gathering strength and preparing to bloom into a tree full of flowers in the next moment.

The violet suddenly lowered its flight altitude, gracefully skimming over a winding stream that shimmered with golden light in the sunlight. On the stream bank, several young, colorful dragons were playing carefree, chasing each other, spouting water with their tender breath, their clear dragon roars echoing through the valley along with the sound of the water.

As Zijin gazed at this scene, a deep sense of nostalgia once again appeared in her eyes, as if she could see her younger self through time.

****
Su Ming followed her quietly the whole time.

Zijin ventured into a sparse grove of trees, clearly a playground for the young dragons. They encountered several more small dragons with scales of various colors, their large, curious eyes scanning the two human visitors.

One of the smaller, purple fairy dragon cubs, with the bewilderment of a newborn calf, stumbled and pounced towards them in a somewhat clumsy manner, like fluttering a butterfly.

Violet nimbly dodged to the side, then extended her slender finger and gently flicked the little fairy dragon's forehead with a hint of intimacy.

This powerful creature of the future immediately cried out "Ouch!" and fell to the ground, losing its balance. Its two pairs of still-developing transparent butterfly wings fluttered helplessly, and it began to cry loudly in grievance.

The two of them couldn't help but burst out laughing at the same time.

Su Ming took out the few wild fruits he had left from his pocket and handed them all to the crying baby dragon. It seemed that these fruits were quite rare snacks in Dragon Valley. The baby dragon immediately stopped crying, its eyes lit up, and it immediately shoved all the fruits into its mouth.

Zijin waited quietly for Su Ming to finish all this, and only continued flying forward after he caught up.

“You’re always so patient.” Violet’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible emotion. “If it had been you, not Siwo, who took care of me back then… I would never have left Dragon Valley.”

"Uh..." Su Ming was momentarily at a loss for words. He could understand being given a "friend zone" card, but what kind of card was this?

As soon as Zi Jin spoke, she suddenly realized what she had accidentally said. She turned her head sharply, her small ear tips instantly turning a light red.

“When I was in school, the neighborhood kids all liked to stick to me.” Su Ming sighed, his tone tinged with a helpless self-deprecation.

Parent-child card it is. Si Ran taught him to accept rejection, and Zi Jin also taught him to treat others with a normal attitude.

Zijin subconsciously bit her lip, a wave of inner turmoil washing over her. Just then, a colossal dragon shadow suddenly blocked out the light above. Su Ming looked up and saw a fully grown fairy dragon, its entire body shimmering with a soft purple glow.

"Who was it? Who just bullied my little Zisu!" Her voice was loud and clear, covering the entire forest.

At the tip of her slender and elegant tail, the tiny purple fairy dragon was clinging tightly on all fours, even stretching out one front paw and pointing at Su Ming and Zi Jin.

"It was them... who gave me sweet fruit!"

The enormous fairy dragon paused noticeably, then hooked her tail in front of her, lifting the mischievous little dragon cub up to her face. Her voice softened, "You were crying just now, not because they bullied you?"

"Fruit is so sweet, I want more! I want more!" The young dragon named Little Purple Perilla cried out immediately.

Upon hearing this, the fairy dragon mother immediately showed an extremely embarrassed expression on her huge dragon face. "I'm so sorry, I misunderstood... I heard little Zisu crying from afar, and when I rushed to the forest, a group of little ones chattered and told me that two humans had just passed by." She explained to Su Ming and Zijin with great apology, "I was really rude."

"It's alright, just a misunderstanding," Su Ming replied gently. "However, we really don't have any more fruit on us."

He spread his hands in greeting, then prepared to leave with Zijin, but noticed that Zijin was standing there blankly as if she had been frozen in place, her gaze fixed on the huge fairy dragon.

Finally, she took a deep breath, parted her lips slightly, and uttered a name: "Mysera".

The fairy dragon suddenly turned her gaze to Violet. "You know me?" Her golden vertical pupils contracted sharply as she scrutinized Violet's face. "Wait, you...you look a lot like her!"

"Yes, that's me." Violet's voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear.

Mysera descended from the sky instantly, her massive dragon wings creating a gentle breeze. She deftly flicked her tail backward, gently placing Little Purple Jasmine on her broad back. She strode forward, her enormous body close to Purple Jasmine, her voice trembling with disbelief and anticipation, "Purple Jasmine? Is that you back?"

Zijin did not answer the dragon mother's question directly, but her gaze fell on the little Zisu on her back. Her tone was filled with a distant memory and a hint of barely perceptible grievance: "When you were taking care of me, you always did the same thing. But you would throw me off without even realizing it."

"Ah... I'm sorry." Mysera's voice was filled with deep apology and a hint of embarrassment. "Back then, I was still a young dragon myself, and there were many things I didn't understand..."

“So,” Violet’s voice choked slightly as she quickly wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, “you, like Atia, have also found a new partner and started a new family?” She pointed to Little Purple Jasmine, “This is my sister, right?”

“Uh, actually…” Misella hesitated for a moment, but decided to be honest, “You don’t just have one sister, you also have a brother.” She suddenly raised her long neck and let out a clear and penetrating dragon roar that carried beyond the forest.

Soon, accompanied by a gentle breeze, a blue dragon, its body shrouded in dense blue magic, gracefully landed in the sky. "Mom, did you call me?"

“This is your younger brother, Hyacinth,” Mysera introduced, then looked up and beckoned the Azure Dragon to land, “Hyacinth, come down quickly, this is your older sister, Violet.”

Violet's gaze swept over Hyacinth's nearly adult dragon-like, mature and composed body. Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, her knuckles turning slightly white. "Hyacinth? This little brother... looks about my age!"

“He’s eight years younger than you,” Mysella quickly explained. “Actually… Atia and I separated just one year after you were born.”

"Eight years old?!" Zi Jin was clearly stung by this information, her voice suddenly rising, filled with suppressed anger and hurt. "So back then, I was like an unwanted orphan because you were busy having children with your new lover! Right?"

“I…” Mysera tried desperately to explain, but the words got stuck in her throat. She only saw Violet suddenly turn around, her magic power erupting instantly, and her figure "whoosh" transformed into a streak of light, shooting off into the distance.

Su Ming immediately bowed to Misella, "Excuse me." Then, without hesitation, he activated his flight spell and chased after her at full speed.

Hyacinth landed quickly. He had obviously heard about this sister he had never met, and hurriedly asked Mysella, "Mom, what happened to my sister?"

Misella looked in the direction where Violet had disappeared, her huge dragon wings instinctively unfurling, but feeling the weight of Little Zisu clinging to her back, she could only sigh heavily and turn back.

****
Zijin's full-speed flight far exceeded Su Ming's, and he could only watch helplessly as that slender figure shrank and receded into the distance in his field of vision.

Fortunately, his mental connection with Violet allowed him to clearly sense her location, enabling Su Ming to continue his pursuit. To his slight relief, after a while, the speed of the streak of light ahead noticeably slowed down.

The violet even stopped in mid-air, waiting for Su Ming to approach.

"Sorry, I'm not in a good mood." The girl's expression carried a calm after suppression, and a hint of vulnerability that was hard to detect. She said to Su Ming, who had caught up with her, "I want to walk around by myself. You should go back to Thousand Illusion Lake first."

Su Ming genuinely found it difficult to comment on Zi Jin's family affairs.

“I’ll stay with you,” Su Ming insisted. “If you’re feeling down, just pretend I’m invisible. Don’t worry about me.”

Violet sighed softly and didn't insist any further. She dispelled her flying spell and slowly landed beside a clear stream.

She casually found a large rock with a relatively flat surface, sat down with her knees drawn up to her chest, rested her chin on her knees, and stared silently at the babbling brook in front of her, her eyes somewhat vacant.

Su Ming thought for a moment and decided not to disturb her. He found another rock nearby, sat down, established a connection with Earth, and began to handle his affairs.

Now that the land issue has been basically settled, the specific planning for the base can be put on the agenda and enter the stage of finalizing the plan.

Su Ming switched one eye to view Earth, while the other eye examined the somewhat rudimentary map and notebook in his hand.

Although the records are crude, they contain crucial information, such as the climate type of Dragon Valley, the distribution of major water systems, typical regional vegetation communities, and a list of local products.

Everyone was genuinely excited and delighted by this significant progress, but the planning work for the base was indeed complex. A large number of professionals were summoned to conduct planning and calculations, attempting to find the most reasonable and efficient development path.

They also pointed out aspects that require further investigation and understanding.

Su Ming took out his phone from his pocket, unfolded it, and wrote down these requests.

****
Before we knew it, the sky gradually darkened, and twilight, like a thin veil, gently enveloped the surroundings. Several mole crickets in the nearby damp soil emitted a low, continuous "coo-coo" tremor.

Zijin's emotions finally calmed down a bit. She turned her head and saw Su Ming focusing intently on his work under the dim light emitted by his phone screen.

After finally finishing a task, Su Ming put down his phone and stretched.

"Su Ming," Zi Jin suddenly spoke, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the twilight, "Tell me, what exactly are liking and love...?"

This question stumped Su Ming, and he began to recall his past romantic experiences.

His earliest stirrings of attraction date back to elementary school. But now he suddenly realized that he couldn't even remember the girl's name clearly.

He still remembered the names of the people who sparked his feelings for him later, but unfortunately, Su Ming never officially started a relationship with any of them.

“My two mothers fell in love at first sight.” Zi Jin continued her story without waiting for Su Ming’s reply. “Their dazzling, world-defying love was opposed by many, yet also talked about with great interest, passed down as a legendary tale. They went through countless hardships to conceive and give birth to me… but what was the result?” Her voice suddenly rose, carrying a wounded sharpness. “I am just a forgotten toy! Not some child born with blessings and miracles!”

Su Ming put away his phone, got up, and sat down on the rock next to her. "Violet," his voice was low and serious, "I think Mysera and Atia may have made mistakes in other things, but they shouldn't be questioned when it comes to your coming into this world. Your existence itself is a miracle—this has nothing to do with whether you are a special life form."

A stream flowed gently beside them, its waters soft and soothing.

“Every life is a miracle of its own, and also of those around it,” Su Ming continued, his gaze falling on the flowing water. “For example, it’s hard for me to imagine what things would be like if I hadn’t met you. Your companions and relatives would also be grateful for your presence.”

Violet stretched out her hand, looking at her palm. Her life had been filled with excruciating pain, and she had even fallen into the abyss of despair, but she had never truly doubted the meaning of her life. She created value, felt power, and overall, she lived a fulfilling and satisfying life, enjoying her existence.

The knot in my heart has loosened a bit.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t suddenly want to get stuck on something.” Violet turned to Su Ming, her eyes clear after a moment of struggle. “It’s just that the matter between Mysella and Atia is hard for me to accept. The overwhelming sense of grievance makes me particularly sad.”

Su Ming tried to imagine himself in Zi Jin's position, but found that he couldn't do it at all... so he simply changed the subject.

"Regarding what you've said about feelings and love..." He gave a wry smile, "I don't have much experience with that. However, someone once told me that liking can slowly develop into deep feelings, and true feelings are far more complex than just liking. Perhaps... your two mothers, after their passionate beginnings, didn't handle well the process of transforming that 'liking' into a more lasting and inclusive 'feeling'?"

Zijin remained silent for a moment, her eyes thoughtful, before finally nodding.

“Let’s…go see Atiya,” she said to Su Ming, her voice calm and resolute.

"Ah."

Zijin got up and walked to the middle of the woods. In late spring, some small flowers, undeterred by the evening chill, had already bloomed sporadically on the grass. She bent down and picked a few.

"According to local customs, what color flowers should we use?" Su Ming asked from the side.

“Whatever you like,” Violet replied, her fingertips lightly tracing the delicate petals. “Atia… she dislikes conventional constraints and rigid rules the most.”

****
Before long, the two had gathered a small bunch of colorful and vibrant wildflowers.

They took to the air and found a grown dragon nearby, asking him for the exact location of Atia's slumber.

Before long, the two arrived at their destination. It was a small clearing surrounded by tall, ancient trees, with a simple grave in the center that blended almost seamlessly into the surrounding grass, covered with lush, naturally growing flowers and plants.

The tombstone was simply an uncarved gray-white stone slab with the name "Atiya" simply engraved on it, without any other decorations or inscriptions.

Zijin gently placed the bouquet in front of the tombstone, and then, as if she could no longer hold back, tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

Looking at this silent grave, and thinking of this legendary being who once dominated the other world and reached the pinnacle of combat power, the silence brought by death seems to be no different in essence from that of ordinary living beings.

Su Ming shook his head vigorously. He had always hated delving into philosophical thoughts about death. But life, time and again, always tried to teach him.

Suddenly, Zi Jin raised her left arm, and a sharp, knife-like magical glint gathered at the tip of her right index finger. Without hesitation, she slashed down on the inside of her forearm!
Crimson blood immediately seeped from the wound, dripping onto the land covering his mother's grave, quickly seeping deep into the soil.

"Uh, is this... some kind of ritual?" Su Ming asked.

Zi Jin slowly shook her head, her voice cold and resolute, "No, this is a vow of blood revenge." Her eyes were sharp, "No matter who did it, I vow to make the murderer annihilate both body and soul!"

****
The next morning, outside the Dragon Clan's ancestral land, Stacy saw Violet's condition and immediately frowned, looking very angry.

The girl had faint dark circles under her eyes, and her expression clearly showed signs of fatigue and exhaustion.

"Hey! Today's bloodline fusion ceremony is so important, and you're acting like this?!" She reprimanded Zi Jin without any politeness, her tone full of worry and dissatisfaction.

"Sorry, I had a bit of insomnia last night." Zi Jin apologized sincerely, rubbing her slightly throbbing temples.

In today's ceremony, Violet's role was relatively passive, so her slightly off-center mental state might not have a significant impact. But Stacy was more concerned about her emotional fluctuations. "What happened last night?"

Violet briefly recounted her meeting with Mysella the previous day.

Stacy was furious and lightly patted Violet's arm. "Do you know how much effort and dedication people put in to ensure your successful birth? Mysella was only two hundred years old 170 years ago! It was already quite an achievement for her to reach that level!"

Zijin nodded, her eyes much calmer than yesterday. "I actually talked a lot with Su Ming last night, and I gradually figured it out myself."

Stacy breathed a sigh of relief, her tone softening, "That's good, it's good that you've come to your senses."

“But,” Violet’s voice carried a new hint of confusion as she looked at Stacy, “will my feelings for Su Ming… also be like this? A passionate beginning, and then… a sudden disappearance?”

Stacy instinctively wanted to deny it, but as the words reached her lips, she suddenly realized that her experience was hardly convincing. None of the partners she had been with over the years had been able to stay with her for more than a year.

One of them even came to her door, accusing Stacy of seducing and abandoning him, toying with his feelings. It was Violet who "persuaded him with virtue" and got her out of the predicament.

It seems that she did not set a good example for Violet at all.

“Well, I…” Stacy scratched her head awkwardly, momentarily speechless.

“I’m not asking you a question.” Violet’s voice became firmer again. “Atiya once told me that if you are confused about something, it means the answer hasn’t appeared yet, so don’t rush to make a decision.”

She subconsciously touched the newly added, still-unhealed scratch on her forearm, her eyes hardening. "I will get to the bottom of Atiya's death; that's the thing I'm most certain about right now."

“We’ll all get involved,” Stacy said immediately. “That guy Su Ming definitely won’t stand idly by either.”

“I know.” Violet nodded. “Su Ming started investigating this matter the very first day he learned of Atia’s death.”

“So, he really is... a pretty good partner, right?” Stacy said. “You really shouldn’t have missed out on Su Ming.”

“I know,” Violet replied softly, gazing into the distance. “So, I hope to figure out the answer in the process.”

(End of this chapter)