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

Do not!

There must be a turning point!

Don’t sit still and wait for death when things happen!

"I'm not explaining this to you—"

The girl's words came to an abrupt halt.

Duanmu Yan suddenly pushed her gently against the back of the sofa. A hint of panic flashed in Koleta's eyes. She was about to reprimand him when he leaned down and sealed her lips with a kiss, leaving her only able to let out muffled sobs.

"Cat's eye stone! What are you doing... um..."

"No... so suddenly..."

"You wouldn't be thinking of... using this method... to get away with it... um..."

"Don't move your hands..."

At first she tried to struggle, but under Duanmu Yan's ardent offensive, her usual composure gradually crumbled.

Her hand, which had initially been pushing him away, unconsciously gripped his collar, her awkward response tinged with a hint of compromise.

In the end, that kiss, which smelled of coffee, turned from resistance into acceptance.

It wasn't until some time later that they gradually drifted apart.

Koleta's face was flushed, and her breathing became a little rapid. She stared at Duanmu Yan, who was pressing down on her, biting her lip lightly, and waited for him: "You think you can get away with this?"

"I just thought this would help Miss Er calm down and listen to my explanation."

“You really are…” Koleta struggled a few times to no avail, and finally sighed helplessly, “Tell me honestly, what exactly happened between you and Cantrela yesterday?”

Duanmu Yan took a deep breath: "Promise me you won't get angry."

"Doesn't this kind of opening line mean you're admitting something's going on between you two?!" Koleta's struggle suddenly intensified. "I'm your girlfriend!"

“Nothing really happened, Second Miss.” Duanmu Yan hurriedly explained, “I was too tired after yesterday’s battle, and with the influence of Ming Shi’s whispers, I fell asleep in the incense that Cantrella made.”

"And then?" Koleta wrinkled her delicate little nose.

“Then…” Duanmu Yan’s gaze began to wander, “we…slept in bed.”

"you--!"

"Wait! I swear I was just sleeping! Cantrela and I are completely innocent! Besides, it wasn't me who initiated it; I was already asleep!"

Koleta glared at him, annoyed. "Really? You two just took a nap?"

“It’s absolutely true, Miss.”

Koleta was silent for a moment, but in the end she couldn't let it go, her eyes flashing with obvious anger: "Damn it, we've never even slept together! That woman! That Cantrella woman! I think the Fesalie family is truly beyond saving!"

"Actually, Cantrela also had her own reasons."

"You actually spoke up for that woman!"

"Let's not talk about that now, Miss." Duanmu Yan quickly calmed the girl in his arms who was about to explode, and quickly changed the subject. "Could I take another look at that stone slab from before?"

Upon hearing the mention of the stone slab, Koleta indeed stopped struggling: "Stone slab? What do you need it for?"

"This one……"

You can't exactly say it's to see Kathija, can you?

If I were to bring up other women now, I'm afraid I'd really be setting off a potato bomb.

"In short, it's related to the secrets of Laguna!"

Volume 1: Chapter 133 Listen to me, let me see!

Everard Vault.

It was a vault built outside the city by the Motari family, which offered services for storing important items, valuing and acquiring collectibles, and also housed various precious collections gathered by the Motari family.

Security here is particularly tight, with a large number of soundproofing devices and fully armed guards.

Among them, the most powerful are the artificial weapons created specifically for combat, the modified sound skeletons—heterogeneous weapons—made through special technology.

It is said to be extremely powerful in combat, the vault's last trump card, and one of the prides of the Motari family.

"Here we are."

Koleta gracefully stepped out of the black sedan and faced the magnificent building before her.

Duanmu Yan followed closely behind. Although it was not his first visit, he was still impressed by the magnificent scale of the vault.

If the Portivino Castle of the Fissarie family exudes an old-fashioned, rule-abiding atmosphere, then the Everard Vault embodies a modern spirit of enterprise and openness—which perfectly explains why the two families took such different paths, and the resulting conflicts.

Of course, whether it's the Fesari family or the Motari family, their essence is the same: the prosperity and future of Laguna.

But fate is never fair – as the whispers of the Ming Dynasty eroded reality, Fesare chose to bear the heaviest mission alone, guarding the last embers of civilization in the abyss beyond the sight of the world.

perhaps……

Only when everything settles down, and when Cantrell is finally able to extricate herself from the confrontation with the Abyss, will the rift between the two races have a chance of being healed.

"So, you're going to investigate the truth about the Black Tide from twenty years ago in order to verify Cantrella's hypothesis?"

After hearing Duanmu Yan's explanation, Koleta's emotions visibly calmed down a bit.

However, whenever she uttered that name, a hint of barely concealed anger would still flash through her tone.

This jealousy is perfectly understandable.

Even the most elegant young woman will inevitably feel resentful when she discovers that her beloved may be coveted by someone else.

Duanmu Yan keenly sensed the resentment in her tone, but wisely refrained from pointing it out: "Yes. I want to try... whether I can go back to the world of Sonora by passing through that stone slab again."

“Katixia…” Koleta’s heels tapped lightly on the smooth stone floor, producing a crisp echo.

The previously languid staff looked up at the sound, and the moment they saw the person's face, they straightened their backs and resumed their serious work.

"Is that saint who was martyred twenty years ago still living in that Sonora world?"

Koleta murmured to herself, her eyes, as bright as jewels, swirling with thoughts.

Regarding that stone slab, after Duanmu Yan made contact with it, the family conducted an in-depth investigation into its structure, and discovered some strange echo energy and frequencies within it.

But that frequency and energy were so strange that even the most advanced equipment couldn't decipher its nature.

She also tried to resonate with the stone slab using her own power, but she never received any response.

But why is it that only Duanmu Yan can resonate with this?

she does not know.

In addition, there was that conversation with Floro before, and what she said...

Could it be that Duanmu Yan really has some unknown past hidden within him?

If that's the case, then what exactly is his identity?

If the long-buried memories finally awaken, will he... still be the cat's eye stone I know?

A vague sense of unease crept into the girl's heart.

Perhaps more accurately—

It's because they're afraid of losing it.

"Second Miss?" Duanmu Yan noticed the unfamiliar emotion in the girl and called out to her softly, "What are you thinking about?"

“Ah? Hmm…” Koleta paused slightly, then quickly masked her momentary lapse with her usual composure. “I was thinking about that saintess. If Cantrella wasn’t lying, then this saintess…”

He stopped there.

"Are you suspecting that Katishia is a Resonant of the Resonance Style?"

Koleta nodded slightly: "I guess so. But don't you think that's contradictory?"

#"contradiction?"

“I’ve heard the story of the saintess many times. If she hadn’t sacrificed herself to resist the Black Tide twenty years ago, Laguna would no longer exist.” Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the hem of her clothes. “But if she really was a Resonator of the Sound, why would she fight to the death for Laguna in order to resist the Sound?”

indeed.

This is the biggest point of contention at present.

Logically speaking, if Katishia were truly a Resonant, she wouldn't need to fight for Raguna.

Does that mean...?

Is Katishia also a true saint?

do not know.

Duanmu Yan couldn't guess the answer.

"Perhaps, she is simply of noble character?"

“Noble? To resist the invasion of the Ming Shi for the continuation of Laguna, whether she is a Ming Shi Resonator or not, then this saint's character is indeed worthy of being called noble.” Koleta nodded in agreement. “If you are fortunate enough to see Katishia again, please convey to her this belated gratitude on my behalf—on behalf of all the people of Laguna.”

She turned around, a bright smile playing on her lips.

Duanmu Yan's eyes widened slightly, his expression showing a hint of surprise.

"What's wrong? Your eyes look strange." Koleta leaned closer curiously, examining his eyes closely.

"No, I thought you would be angry about Katishia, Miss."

“How could that be? What do you take me for?” Koleta tilted her head and answered matter-of-factly. “In your eyes, am I the kind of person who is blinded by love and doesn’t know what’s important? Regardless of Katishia’s identity, no one can deny her contributions to Laguna. It was because of her sacrifice that this city was able to survive the calamity of twenty years ago.”

"I feel completely at ease with this respect."

"Including the Faisal family—their centuries of forbearance and responsibility."

At this point, the girl paused, then added seriously, "Oh, except for Cantrella."

Duanmu Yan muttered softly, "Second Miss, she actually has her reasons."

"I think you've been bewitched by her! You're still speaking up for her!" Koleta's voice was filled with gritted teeth, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "I'm not denying her achievements. I simply think she's—despicable and shameless!"

"..."

Suddenly, the girl turned her head again, squinting as she scrutinized Duanmu Yan with a scrutinizing gaze: "Between you two... really nothing happened?"

"Really, no, Second Miss." Duanmu Yan said helplessly, "I was already asleep, how could I have the energy to do that kind of thing?"

"Hmph, whether they're lying or not, I'll find out after I check!"

"What do you mean?"

"Of course, we need to check if you have any 'ammunition' left!"

Volume 1: Chapter 134 Today is my safe period!

The Everard Vault's storage area is heavily guarded. Even internal staff are strictly confined to a fixed area and are strictly prohibited from crossing the line without permission—any violation will trigger a hefty default clause.

The conditions are harsh, but they are necessary.

After all, the Tibetan-controlled area contains not only the belongings of the Motari family, but also the collections of many other forces, whose value is immeasurable.

If these rules aren't strict, what if someone comes in with a pre-arranged combat formation, runs through the top-secret vault in seven minutes, and then makes a huge evacuation?

"Are all of these treasures from the Motari family?"

In the Tibetan area, Duanmu Yan looked at the priceless treasures in front of him and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Famous paintings, gemstones, antique artworks—everywhere you look are rare treasures, any one of which would cause a sensation at an auction house.

These are things that Duanmu Yan usually doesn't get to see. If he hadn't been with Koleta today, he might never have been qualified to come in here in his entire life.

"This seems to be... a scroll from Huanglong?"

He stopped in front of a display case, bending down to examine the scroll inside, which was quite different in style from the other Western collections.

The ink-wash landscape is faintly visible on the pale yellow silk, as if carrying a distant Eastern legend.

“This?” Koleta slowly walked to his side, lightly tapping the glass display case with her fingertip. “My grandfather said that this scroll already existed when he was young. It is said that there is a hidden world in the painting, and only those who are destined can step into it. Moreover, there is a craftsman who never eats vegetarian food living inside.”

"?"

A chosen one?

A craftsman who never eats vegetarian food?