Chapter 9: Heading to Eastown

Edison Looske stared at Reid Quinny with ice in his eyes. His voice dropped into a heavy rumble. "Fine. I'll give you three years. Let's see how much trouble you can really stir up." "Three years from today, if you can't do it, your whole family will kneel at the Looske family's gate and kill yourselves to atone!" "And if you dare spit out even a single word of refusal, I'll wipe out your Duskthaw Quinny family along with you!" Reid slowly breathed out one word. "Fine." Edison barked, "Let them go!" The guards at the door immediately shifted aside. Reid turned, took his mother's hand and Destiny's, and strode out without looking back. Alberto Quinny bowed to Old Mr. Looske. "Farewell." That very day, the family left the Imperial Capital and returned to their old home in Greenveil. In the living room, the family reunited after a long separation, overwhelmed with joy. More than anything, Reid, who had been missing for three years, had come back alive. "Reid, where did you go these past three years?" Michaela Looske demanded, her voice trembling as she held him at arm's length as if afraid he would vanish again. "Not a single call. Do you have any idea how worried we were?" Back then, the moment she heard the nightmare news that Reid had fallen off a cliff, she had fainted on the spot. Alberto had been so sick with regret he had nearly thrown himself after him. "Yeah, bro," Destiny blurted, eyes bright with curiosity. "Where did you even go? And how did you suddenly get this strong?" Reid smiled. "When I fell, a master saved me. I spent the last three years training with him." "At the bottom of that cliff, there was no signal at all. I don't even know where my phone ended up. It wasn't that I didn't want to call. I couldn't." He still didn't want to tell them about the Celestial Realm. It was too unbelievable. Too far beyond what his family could accept. Alberto let out a breath and smiled. "Alright. We're finally together again. Let the past stay in the past." Then he looked at Michaela. Their eyes met. Michaela suddenly said, "Reid, Destiny, at this point, there are things we need to be honest about." "You already know about your father and me, where we came from." "But there's something else you don't know." "In Sunriver, the provincial capital, I have a company. It's called Michaela Group." Destiny jolted. "No way, Mom. Michaela Group is yours?" "Oh my god. That's a company worth billions!" "No wonder you were always so busy!" Michaela sighed, the weight of old years settling into her shoulders. "When your father and I came here, we wanted to prove something. To show those people who opposed us that we could make it." "Your father went into politics. I went into business. These years, your father climbed to a deputy position in the county, and I built Michaela Group with my own hands." "But in the eyes of the Looske family in the Imperial Capital, it still meant nothing." "We have three years. In these three years, our whole family has to fight for it. Even if we can't beat the Looske family, we won't leave any regrets." "Alright!" the three of them answered together. "Reid, Destiny, you two still need to stay in school," Michaela said, tone firm. "Knowledge is the most basic thing that can change your fate." "Reid, you've been gone for three years. At your age, you should be in your senior year." "Tomorrow, I'll ask an old classmate in Eastown to arrange it. You'll go to Eastown First High. You may have wasted three years, but even if I have to throw money at it, I'll throw enough to get you into a top school." Reid gave a helpless, crooked smile. "Mom, do I really need to go? You said it yourself. I wasted three years…" "Enough," Michaela snapped. Her face hardened, and her voice carried a resolve that left no room for bargaining. "You're eighteen. If you don't go to school, what are you going to do later?" "Even if you want to mess around, you're going to mess around with a diploma." Reid could only stare at her, speechless. *You want a three-thousand-year-old monster to go to school? That's not fair to everyone else.* "Settled," Michaela declared. "I'm calling my friend in Eastown right away." Reid watched her grab her phone and stride back to her room. The corner of his mouth lifted, amused. "School, huh?" "With what I can do, going to school might actually be interesting." Imperial Capital. What happened at the Looske family spread through every major force with frightening speed. Inside the Looske family villa, Edison sat high in the main seat, his expression storm-dark. Below him, the direct descendants of the Looske family sat stiff-backed and silent, hardly daring to breathe. Anyone could see it. Old Mr. Looske looked like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Christopher Looske, the eldest, rose and bowed. "Father, there's no need to be angry. That kid may have become an Inner Realm Martial Artist, but if he thinks he can stand against the Looske family, he's dreaming." "As for that three-year pact, I see it as nothing but a delaying tactic. It isn't worth worrying about." Zeke Looske, the second, wore a cold, vicious look. "Father, whether he can threaten us or not, I think we should remove this hidden danger as soon as possible." "Given Michaela Group's growth, it can't shake our Looske family, but it's not something we should underestimate." Old Mr. Looske's cheek twitched. His voice was low and heavy. "Destroy Michaela Group first. Then wipe out the Duskthaw Quinny family. Cut off his wings." "Three years from now, even if he becomes a Martial Grandmaster, he'll be alone. I want to see how he plans to shake the Looske family then." "Yes!" Zeke's eyes flashed with a cruel gleam. At the same time, in a villa to the southeast of the Imperial Capital- This was the Yale family. On the second floor, inside a warm, spotless bedroom, a breathtaking girl in a white dress stood quietly before a floor-to-ceiling window. Her long black hair spilled over her shoulders like ink. She stood around five-seven, her figure graceful, her aura cool and aloof, as if she belonged to a world untouched by mortal dust. Wherever she stood, she became the most striking scenery in the room. She was Alyssa Yale, the Imperial Capital's number one beauty. Creak. The door opened, and a maid hurried in. "Miss, news came from the Looske family. That boy, Reid Quinny, is actually an Inner Realm Martial Artist!" "He crippled Tony Looske with one kick, and he forced Ander Looske back with a single move…" The maid relayed everything that had happened. When she finished, surprise and excitement surfaced on Alyssa's flawless face. "Alone, he stormed into the Looske family, the head of the Four Great Super Families, and still walked out safely." "He was challenging the fate that had already been written." "And I…" She murmured the words, then looked out the window. In her eyes, two small flames seemed to leap to life. "Miss…" the maid called softly when Alyssa fell silent. "He's already gone back to his hometown. Should we send people to keep an eye on him?" "No need," Alyssa said lightly. Then determination cut through her gaze, as if she had made a decision she could no longer delay. "Emerald Smut, pack our things. In a few days, we're leaving the Imperial Capital." "Ah…" The young maid froze, then cried out, "Miss, you're getting engaged to Young Mr. Zorn next month! If you leave at a time like this, the master will never agree!" Alyssa turned to her, voice cool, tone unshakable. "He dared to challenge the entire Looske family by himself. Are you telling me I can't even decide my own marriage?" Emerald's eyes widened. "Miss… you're planning to run away from home!" Alyssa turned back to the window and refused to say more. "Go prepare." Emerald bit her lip. Deep down, she felt wronged on Alyssa's behalf too. "That Young Mr. Zorn is famous for being a spoiled, lustful playboy. I don't know what the master is thinking, making you marry someone like that." "But Miss, if we leave the Yale family, where can we even go? If we run to relatives or friends, they'll send us right back." "And with your beauty… once you're out from under the Yale family's protection, it'll give plenty of people an opening." She couldn't help voicing her worries. Alyssa fell into thought. After a moment, she made a decision that left Emerald completely stunned. "We'll go find him." "Ah!!" Emerald gaped. Alyssa's voice remained calm. "An Inner Realm Martial Artist is more than enough to protect me. Besides, he and I already have a marriage contract." Emerald swallowed hard, then nodded. "Alright. I'll take care of it." She had to admit, it might be the best option.