I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

“A...B...La..."

Duanmu Yan froze, and his sword strike abruptly stopped—was it just calling out Abu's name?

Did I hear it wrong?

"Hiccup~"

"I'm so full."

Abu rubbed his round little belly and smacked his lips contentedly, "But the taste is pretty good!"

It slowly floated up to Duanmu Yan, tilted its head, and looked at his frozen expression with suspicion: "What's wrong with you? Why do you look so strange?"

Volume 1: Chapter 128 Cantrella Will Give Everything

Cantrell stood quietly outside the door, waiting.

Although she was separated from him by only a wall, every space in Sonora's world was an independent fragment—she had no way of knowing what was happening inside the door.

After all, it was the resentment accumulated by the Fesari family over hundreds of years. The mere dissipation of that aura was enough to envelop the entire Portivino Castle, allowing the pollution of the Ming style to continue to erode sanity.

The battle... must have been extremely difficult.

Just as her thoughts were churning, the dusty door was gently pushed open.

crunch--

The noise startled Cantrella.

She looked up and saw Duanmu Yan and Abu walking out together.

The little one sat comfortably on his shoulder, rubbing his round belly contentedly.

"It's over so quickly...?"

Her pupils widened slightly as she gazed at Duanmu Yan's face. She seemed to catch a glimpse of a complex and unfathomable emotion in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant, quickly replaced by his usual gentle smile.

"Yes, it's over. It's all thanks to Abu's special attack against that thing, otherwise I really don't know how to deal with an invisible and intangible enemy."

Upon hearing Duanmu Yan's words, Abu immediately floated up from his shoulder, proudly putting his little paws on his hips: "Hmph, I am the most powerful voice in Solaris! Black Tide and resentment are nothing in front of me! Although the taste is far inferior to real food... Speaking of which, I'm a little full after eating so many times."

Cantrella observed Abu with great interest.

This special sound fragment, capable of devouring things of the Ming style, was something she had never seen before.

—Any sound fragment or any living being, upon contact with the Black Tide, will be corrupted by the chaotic frequency and become a puppet of the Ming style.

But they are different.

“Is that so? However, the Fesalie family happens to have a secret medicine to aid digestion. Although it’s uncertain whether it will work for Abu, it’s worth a try. But are you two really not acting strangely?” Cantrela said. “Although it was a frequency created by resentment, after hundreds of years of pollution, it has become the sharp edge of the Ming style. In fact, in a way, it is part of Leviathan.”

Duanmu Yan looked down at Abu, and the little guy shook his head, saying nonchalantly, "Although I don't understand what you're saying, that Leviathan... oh no, I mean Leviathan! Apart from the taste not being very good, I don't feel uncomfortable at all. I did feel a bit dizzy when I came back from Karihara, but I'm fine now."

Duanmu Yan also shrugged: "I don't feel anything special either. Abu and I are in a symbiotic relationship now, and the frequency it devours will eventually be converted into my power."

"The frequency of Abu's absorption... will Bass become your power?" Cantrela pondered thoughtfully. "In other words, through Abu's absorption ability, you can even turn the power of the Ming Shi into your own?"

Duanmu Yan was taken aback upon hearing this, and stroked his chin as he pondered seriously: "I haven't thought about this angle in detail. However, as things stand, the frequency of the Ming Shi that I've absorbed is still too low, so I can only indirectly use it to enhance my own power. But if I absorb enough... perhaps I can truly control the power of the Ming Shi directly and make it work for me."

“…I can’t believe it.” Cantrera covered her mouth in amazement. Then, she shook her head slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. “I’m really curious about how many unknown secrets you still hold. But for now, I should be the one to express my gratitude.”

……

……

Portivino Castle.

The night was as black as ink, and the stars and moon were nowhere to be seen.

It was still that familiar room. Duanmu Yan picked up the hot teacup from Wensi and took a sip. The mellow tea slid down his throat like a warm current, finally relaxing his tense nerves a little.

Leviathan is a spiritual plague, and those who fight so closely with a part of its power are bound to be corrupted.

However, this level of difficulty is nothing to Duanmu Yan.

“This is top-quality tea from Huanglong Jinzhou.” Cantrela sat gracefully beside him, her smile as captivating as the night stars. “I specially added some colorless and odorless calming herbs, which will both preserve the tea’s natural flavor and soothe the mind. Are you feeling better now?”

Duanmu Yan put down his teacup and nodded: "So, regarding the Saintess Trial... will it continue in the future?"

The smile on Cantrell's lips faded slightly.

She raised her eyes and looked into the void, her gaze gradually becoming unfocused.

"The belief that the Fesari family has upheld for generations is to resist the corruption of the Ming and protect the pure faith in the Lord Imbrado."

"The trials are so cruel in order to select saintesses with unwavering will—only such souls can glimpse the glimmer of light at the end of darkness when they sink into the deep sea."

“If even Fesari betrays his original vow, the truth will be swallowed up by lies, and the invasion of Leviathan will be unstoppable.”

"Everything done by the patriarchs of the family throughout the ages has been for this greater cause. For this faint hope, too many necessary sacrifices have been made."

"but I……"

Cantrell's voice gradually faded, becoming as soft as a dream about to end.

“I cannot condone such a sacrifice… yet I cannot blame our ancestors. After all, they had no other choice at that time.”

Who will notice the ashes left behind by the embers burning in the darkness?

"Humans are not firewood, and their sacrifices should not be forgotten."

"Therefore, in order to prevent the Saintess Trial from starting again, I took over the position of head of the family. While pretending to cooperate with the cult, I traveled all over the world to find a way to completely destroy the Ming Shi and save the Lord of the Year."

"Unfortunately, whether in Huanglong or the New Federation, I have traveled to almost every country in Solaris, but I have never heard of anyone who has actually killed Mingshi."

"It seems that since the dawn of civilization, humanity has never truly defeated the Mingshiki."

"If I cannot find a way to break this deadlock in my lifetime, the Saintess Trial will probably have to be restarted."

Cantrell turned her head and looked at him quietly.

Her purple eyes showed no emotion, like a clear and calm lake, yet they held a thousand unspoken words.

"Until you appeared, I finally saw... that ray of hope."

"You resolved the centuries-old grudge of the Fesalie family and saved the entire city of Laguna."

"Although no one knows your story, I remember you—you are a hero of this city."

Her eyes flickered slightly as she moved closer to him, so close they could almost feel each other's breath.

"Then, could you... perhaps spare some time to come and save me as well?"

"For this, I am willing to give up everything I have."

Cantrela whispered in his ear.

Duanmu Yanxi moved her lips, unsure how to answer for a moment.

She wasn't in a hurry, but simply placed her slender finger gently on his lips.

"Shh, you don't need to answer yet."

"After going through so much, what you need most right now is a good night's sleep."

Before the words were finished, a faint fragrance quietly lingered in the air.

A heavy weariness washed over him like a tide, making it difficult for him to keep his heavy eyelids open.

"This is the Fissalie family's secret medicine for calming the mind. Its fragrance is gentle and long-lasting, and can linger from reality into dreams."

"Sleep peacefully in my arms, forget your worries, and get some rest."

His consciousness gradually sank into the warm darkness, and he finally fell into a deep sleep with his head on her lap.

Cantrela's fingertips gently stroked his cheek as she gazed at his peaceful sleeping face, letting the indescribable emotions flow quietly in the night breeze.

At this moment, the terminal that Duanmu Yan had placed aside suddenly lit up and vibrated slightly.

Cantrell was slightly taken aback, her gaze falling on the flashing name, then she pursed her lips and gave a faint smile.

"Colette?"

"What a pity... He can't respond to you right now."

Volume 1: Chapter 129 The Patriarch is Too Sexually Repressed

It was around seven in the morning, the fog had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with the scent of grass and earth.

The faint glow of the sun on the horizon tinged the clouds with a translucent color.

The room was dappled with light and shadow; the morning sun filtered through the branches and leaves, casting shimmering, dancing spots of light on the soft bed.

The outline of the distant mountains gradually became clear, and a pearly white band of light clung to the ridgeline, like a bright edge carefully drawn by someone with a paintbrush.

A calm and pleasant whisper rang in his ears, like the ceaseless hum of a conch shell.

Duanmu Yan on the bed trembled slightly with his fingers, then fell silent again, burying his face deeper into the pillow before lifting his eyes again after a moment.

A faint, pleasant fragrance filled the room.

He couldn't quite describe the scent, but it was softer and more gentle than any perfume, even surpassing the familiar fragrance on the second young lady.

and……

Even the pillow smells so good.

Wait, a pillow?

The drowsy feeling suddenly vanished, and reason returned.

He sat up in a daze, looking around—it was a completely unfamiliar room. And his clothes…

Duanmu Yan looked down at his bare upper body, then glanced at the neatly folded clothes beside him, and stood there stunned for a moment.

Wait a minute, what's going on?

Why were my clothes taken off?

I remember last night...

Wasn't Cantrellella lull her to sleep?

As for what happened after that, Duanmu Yan couldn't remember.

But last night was the most restful and comfortable sleep he had ever had in his life.

"...Could it be Cantrella who undressed me? Did she 'make a move' on me last night?"

No, no, no, impossible.

Based on our time together, Cantrella is unlikely to be that kind of person.

Besides, I slept so soundly last night that I didn't react at all and couldn't even sit up. Even if she had any ideas, she wouldn't know how to make a move.

"Abu."

Duanmu Yan raised his right hand and looked at the sound marks on the back of his hand.

He could sense that Abu was sleeping deep within his consciousness, and no matter how he called out to him, the little guy didn't respond at all.

It seems that Abu must have slept very soundly last night.

In that case, there's no way to learn more from it.

Anyway, let's go out and take a look first.

Duanmu Yan quickly dressed and carefully looked around the room.

The furnishings here are nothing like those of a typical guest room—elegance tinged with gloom, and a hidden charm within.

If we're talking about who could match that kind of temperament, there's probably no one else but Cantrella.

Could this be...?

Is this Cantrell's bedroom?

But I've never even been inside the Second Miss's boudoir.

Duanmu Yan shook his head, suppressing his chaotic thoughts for the time being, and gently pushed open the tightly closed door.

Outside the door was a long, dark corridor, the only source of light coming from the blue ghostly flames flickering on the walls—which suited the mysterious aura of the Fesalie family.

"Your Excellency Duanmu."