Chapter 5: Lydia Yare

Three days later, Lucian Lawes stood before a massive boulder nearly seven feet tall. A stretch of woods lay to his left, a wide river to his right. Along this bank, boulders like this were everywhere. He drew in a slow breath. True Energy surged through his meridians, then burst outward in a violent bloom. His body shot forward like a cannonball. With a sharp shout, he drove his fist out. The punch looked like a colossal meteor tearing through the sky, screaming toward the stone. Boom! The boulder exploded. Shards whipped backward under the crushing shockwave, most of the debris splashing into the river and detonating a curtain of spray. "Body like the starry heavens. Fist like a falling meteor. Heavy as a mountain. Fast as lightning…" Lucian's gaze hardened to ice. "Falling Star Fist holds two true intents: speed and weight. That's why it hits like this. I'm only at the Second Level Dragon Pulse Realm, so I still can't draw out all its power, but…" His eyes narrowed. "If I run into Lucas Casson again, this one move will kill him." "Three days." A faint, self-satisfied curl tugged at his mouth. "In three days, I completely mastered Falling Star Fist. If anyone heard that, they'd be stunned." He walked to the river and splashed water over his face, studying his reflection rippling on the surface. "These past few days of insane cultivation really toughened me up. I even got a little darker." He tilted his chin, amused with himself. "Still handsome, though. No way I'm running short on girls." The thought made him grin. A sudden rush of wind snapped behind him. Lucian's heart jolted. He dropped low on instinct, twisting into a crouch as his leg whipped up in a backward hook. His heel struck something soft, and a figure sailed over his head with a startled cry before splashing into the river. Lucian straightened and looked over. The one who had tried to ambush him, only to get kicked into the water instead, was a girl. She didn't look weak at all. Getting sent flying had been pure carelessness. She climbed out quickly, cheeks puffed, lips pursed in fury. Her clear, shining eyes burned as if she wanted to swallow Lucian whole. She looked about his age, slim and graceful, with bright eyes and neat white teeth, skin pale as jade. She wore a light-cyan long dress. Lucian had never seen a girl this beautiful. For a moment, he simply stared. Then he realized the problem. She had just come out of the river. Her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her body. The pale curve of her skin showed faintly beneath the fabric, and even the little puppy embroidered on her undergarment was plainly visible. Lucian's throat went dry. The girl caught his gaze and understood immediately. Her face flashed hot with rage. "Pervert!" Her True Energy erupted. A wave of heat slammed into Lucian and shoved him back several steps. In the same instant, steam rose off her dress as it dried completely. Only then did she glare at him viciously, teeth clenched. "You… what did you see just now?" Lucian lifted both hands, earnest to the point of panic. "Nothing, miss. I didn't see anything…" His serious expression seemed to calm her a fraction, but the memory of being kicked into the river made her flare again. "Fine, Lucian Yare. I only wanted to scare you, and you shoved me into the river! You absolute bastard!" "Lucian Yare?" He blinked. "And you're calling yourself my… sister?" He didn't recognize her at all, so he asked, "Who are you?" Her expression twisted with indignation. "You brat. You don't even recognize your own sister? I'm Lydia Yare, second uncle Hayden Yare's second daughter!" "Oh… it's you." Lucian finally remembered. They had an odd connection, the kind people loved to gossip about. They were born on the same year, the same month, the same day. When Lucian was born, it had been the chen hour, so he'd been named "Chen." Lydia Yare usually stayed holed up indoors, rarely showing her face, so Lucian hadn't seen her many times. It wasn't strange he'd forgotten. But as something else came to mind, he smiled smugly. "Little Sis, you want me to call you 'big sister'?" He leaned back with lazy confidence. "We were born the same day, sure. But I was born at chen, and you were born at you. That makes me the older one." With that, he ignored Lydia's furious face and walked straight into the woods, finding a rock to sit on. "Brat! Stop right there!" Lydia strode up, eyes cold. "Fine. We'll set the sister-brother thing aside. Same day means we're the same age. But I passed by and saw you using Falling Star Fist. And you actually had some form to it. What's going on?" So she had seen it. Lucian considered it and decided it didn't matter. She was a little arrogant, but she had never bullied him. Even her eyes didn't carry the usual contempt people wore when they looked at him. He found himself liking her well enough, so he was willing to talk. He smiled at her. "What, I'm not allowed to cultivate Falling Star Fist? Feeling jealous, are you? Too bad we're related. Hard to make a move. If you were some other girl, I might've even taught you." Lydia's face turned bright red. In a fluster, she threw a casual punch. A boulder even larger than the first shuddered, then shattered into pieces. "See that?" she snapped. "I know Falling Star Fist too! And I'm at the Fifth Level Dragon Pulse Realm. I'm way stronger than you!" Lucian clicked his tongue, genuinely surprised. Same age as him, yet her cultivation was even higher than her own older brother Zane Yare's. She tried to look fierce, but Lucian only laughed inside. He already understood what she wanted. Girls were thin-skinned; she couldn't bring herself to say it outright. So he spoke first. "Yes, you know Falling Star Fist. But you haven't mastered it. You can't reach that state of 'body like the starry heavens, fist like a falling meteor.' If I had your True Energy, my Falling Star Fist would hit twice as hard as yours. Still…" He waved a hand grandly. "I'm in a good mood today. I'll be merciful and explain it to you." Lydia's eyes widened. *He only saw one punch, and he could tell my Falling Star Fist is lacking?* "Fine," she said stiffly, trying to save face. "Since you're being so sincere, I'll… reluctantly accept. But you're teaching me voluntarily, so don't you dare ask for payment. I'll say it upfront, I'm poor as hell…" Lucian scoffed. "What a vulgar street shrew. I'm your brother. Teaching you is only natural. Who wants your payment?" "What?" Lydia's mouth twisted with fury. In her whole life, no one had ever called her a vulgar shrew. "Enjoy it while you can," she vowed silently, forcing her anger down. "Once you've taught me, I'll make you regret it." Lucian couldn't hear her thoughts. He only found the girl oddly pleasing to be around. He didn't have any real companions, and on a whim, with full confidence in his grasp of Falling Star Fist, he began to explain and demonstrate with painstaking care. "…Falling Star Fist's most important thing is momentum. Watch meteors in the sky. They fall straight down, unstoppable. Nothing can halt their descent…" "…When you throw the punch, you can't hesitate. You have to cast life and death aside, focus on crushing the enemy, killing the enemy, driving forward without retreat. Only then can you grasp the Fist Intent of Falling Star Fist…" After half a day of explanation and demonstrations, Lydia finally got it. By then, the way she looked at Lucian had changed into something close to worship. She couldn't imagine it. A guy at the Second Level Dragon Pulse Realm, yet his understanding of martial arts ran this deep. When they parted, Lydia said, "Hey. I should still thank you. Once I've truly mastered Falling Star Fist, I'll have a chance at the family assembly to face Luna. Maybe I can win our family's supreme secret manual, the Dragon Seal." At the words "Dragon Seal," Lucian's eyes flickered. "Little Sis. When's the family assembly?" "About half a month," Lydia said, then snorted. "But don't get ideas about the Dragon Seal. Luna has already cultivated to the Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm. Among the younger generation, no one can beat her except Warren. And Warren already got the Dragon Seal. This time, it's basically reserved for Luna…" She turned to go, already restless. "I'm done talking. I need to hurry back and cultivate. I'm aiming for the Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm too." With that, the little girl ran off. Her dark hair whipped behind her as she went, and somehow it looked… cute. Lucian watched her leave and swallowed. "Looks and heart, both top-tier." He sighed. "And heaven had to go and make her my cousin. Completely untouchable. What misery." He sat on the bluestone, staring toward the Yare family estate. "Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm… In half a month, I probably won't matter at all." His jaw tightened. "But Dad warned me again and again. If I don't get the Dragon Seal, how can I face him? Even that Little Sis is fighting like her life depends on it. I can't afford to slack off." "Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm, then Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm." His eyes burned. "I'll gamble my life on cultivation. Maybe I'll claw out a sliver of a chance!" "Cultivation! Effort! Persistence!" Sweat streamed down his face. Only after night fell did Lucian return to the Yare family estate. Lanterns had been lit, turning the grounds bright as day. He had barely reached the gate when a large group filed out in an imposing line. Lucian lifted his head and ended up directly in their path. The people who had been chatting happily fell silent the moment they saw him. At the front was a beautiful married woman: Skylar Yare, Lucian's mother. Behind her walked a charming young woman, the one Lydia had mentioned, the Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm Luna Yare. She was eighteen this year, the eldest of the Yare family's main branch, and the daughter of Quinn Yare, Skylar's older brother. The Yare Family Patriarch's eldest son was Quinn Yare, who handled the family's daily affairs. The second son, Hayden Yare, managed the family businesses. The third child was Skylar Yare, responsible for guiding the younger generation's cultivation. Quinn Yare's first two children were a son and a daughter: Warren and Luna. Warren was the number one among the younger generation, and Luna was the girl standing there. Hayden Yare's first two children were also a son and a daughter: Lucian's sworn enemy Zane Yare, and the Lydia he had just met. Skylar was the only female elder with truly profound strength, so Luna had always cultivated under Skylar's guidance. In a sense, Skylar was half a mother to her. Two women stood on this side, and two men on the other. The man at the front, laughing and talking with Skylar, was a handsome middle-aged man with a long, neat beard. He wore a snow-white robe and carried himself with effortless elegance. Behind him followed a young man with eyes like lightning, a fit, agile frame, and a commanding presence. His features resembled the middle-aged man by a few parts. Father and son, most likely. The moment Skylar noticed Lucian standing there, she froze for a heartbeat. Then she quickly turned back to the middle-aged man with a smile. "Zander Balam, I wanted to take you to see our Rain Lotus at Orchid Pond, but it's already late…" "No matter," Zander Balam replied warmly. "Skylar, we're both in Palepop Town. We'll see each other sooner or later. When I have time, I'll visit again. The fame of the Yare family's Rain Lotus at Orchid Pond is thunderous, after all…" They chatted and laughed as the group, escorted by guards, passed right by Lucian. Only Luna turned her face slightly, giving Lucian a cool, indifferent glance before returning to her conversation with the young man beside her, letting out the occasional soft, coquettish laugh. "Good," Lucian thought, his expression empty. "Completely ignoring me. Like I'm nothing but air." His fists tightened. "So after Dad died, you couldn't wait to find someone new." His gaze followed Skylar and Zander Balam. "Forget Dad's reputation. Just Zander Balam alone… I'll never let you go with him. Even if you have no feelings for me, I can't be ungrateful. You gave me this flesh and blood." "Zander Balam. A gentleman on the surface." Lucian's eyes darkened. "But he's filth underneath. Those girls at Jadeite Tower… he's the one who killed them." Seeing Zander Balam brought that buried memory clawing back. Those girls at Jadeite Tower had been Lucian's friends. They performed but never sold themselves. Yet Zander Balam had kidnapped them in secret. If Lucian hadn't happened to see it, it would have been done without a trace. From that day on, he knew what Zander Balam really was. "And you dared to belittle me in front of him today. You pretended I didn't exist." Lucian's chest rose and fell, each breath sharp. "I'm not the type to fade quietly. The more you want me gone, the more I'll show up right in front of you. You think our father and son were useless? Then I'll keep getting stronger." "One day, I'll stand before you." His vision blurred with heat. "You won't just refuse to meet my eyes. You'll kneel and repent. You were a mother who never once did what a mother should." "I hate you." His throat tightened. "But I can't ignore you the way you ignored me." As they brushed past him, Lucian lowered his head, fists clenched so hard his nails bit into his palms. Blood seeped out and ran down his fingers. Inside him, something surged like a tidal wave. It felt as if a beast were trapped in his chest, roaring itself hoarse. Back in his own quarters, Lucian planned to wash up and begin cultivating True Energy. Then he noticed a slip of paper pinned beneath the tea table. He pulled it out, read it, and his face twisted with rage. The note read: "If you want Amber alive, come to Sunrise Restaurant, Peony Room One, and collect her. Miss it and you lose your chance!"