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Faced with Lu Mian's invitation to leave Europe behind, Otto hesitated.

If it had been just Lu Mian traveling with him, perhaps he would have agreed.

But Kallen was already by Lu Mian's side. If Otto followed along as well... would there be anything left?

Otto had to think that way.

"Is there anything you need my help with?" he asked instead, avoiding a direct answer.

Lu Mian didn't react with any particular emotion. He continued gently stroking Otto's hair.

After a while, he reluctantly withdrew his hand. "Actually, there *is* something I need your help with."

"What is it? I can do anything!" Otto looked at him seriously, his golden eyes unwavering.

"I need you to eat properly and take care of yourself. You're way too thin. I don't know if it's malnutrition or something else, but it's not healthy."

"By the time I return," Lu Mian said with a teasing smile, "I hope you've become a 'double-door refrigerator.'"

Otto looked at the bright, dazzling smile in front of him and took a deep breath.

But his previous conviction had already melted away, folding into a soft smile.

"I'll live well, I promise," he replied. "But turning into some buff guy? Not really my thing."

"I'm not even that skinny. Everything's where it should be."

"Just because you haven't *seen* it doesn't mean it's not there…"

As he thought that, a flush quietly crept up his pale neck to his cheeks.

Lu Mian mistook the reaction for a lack of acceptance toward his "refrigerator" suggestion and didn't dwell on it.

"If you run into something you can't handle," he said, conjuring a glowing lily from golden light, "just hold onto this tightly. No matter how far apart we are, I'll sense it—and I'll come back to your side."

He had planned to hand Otto the lily, but upon seeing his white bishop's robes, he changed his mind.

In the next moment, he affixed the glowing lily to Otto's chest, sizing him up and nodding with satisfaction.

His work done, Lu Mian gave Otto's not-so-broad shoulder one final pat before turning to leave.

Otto watched Lu Mian's back as he walked away, not looking away until his figure completely vanished.

He looked down at the golden lily now resting on his bishop's robe—feeling an unexpected warmth in his chest.

No... he wasn't going anywhere.

Even if he was left behind, he would eat well and live well.

People praised him as the Flawless Bishop.

But no one ever understood why he always wore the same bishop's robes, or why a single white lily adorned his chest.

Many noble ladies had dared to ask him about the meanings of that platinum robe and the golden lily.

All they received in return was a tender smile.

...

In the year 1476, you and Kallen took the sealed [Erosion]-containing "purple box" and left Schicksal.

You resolved to hide it where no one could ever find or misuse it.

Kallen had proposed that the Red Kite Immortal of Shenzhou, one of the ancient martial arts masters of the Taixuan tradition, might be able to preserve this cursed power.

So the goal was clear: make it to Shenzhou.

That same year, you and Kallen headed east, crossing mountains and rivers, shaking off every pursuer Schicksal sent.

You were traveling with Kallen.

You were traveling with Sharkman.

Travel.

Sharkman.

This rhythm persisted for a full year.

It wasn't until the following year that you finally arrived in Shenzhou and found the Taixuan Sect's hidden sanctuary on Mount Taihu.

However—

Mount Taihu, long revered as the site of the "Taixuan" school, remained covered in mists, shrouded in illusions.

But there was no trace of divine energy.

Why?

Because the sacred mountain had already been burned to ash. Its peaks once lush with green were now wrapped in a dirty "cloak" of black soot and scorched rubble.

You didn't even need to see it clearly to know what had happened.

A massive fire had swept the land, reducing life to cinders. All that remained was a dead and barren ruin.

Kallen stood silently, her lips slightly parted, unable to voice any thoughts. She only gave a few broken gasps.

The mountain once called "Immortal" had lost all its divinity. Let alone find the Red Kite Immortal—there weren't even traces of life here.

If you were to dig through the ashes, maybe you'd find a few fragments of bone—fragments of the "immortal" that once lived here.

Kallen lowered her gaze, looking down at the "purple box" wrapped in chains of golden energy.

What should she do now?

She instinctively looked at the man beside her—Lu Mian, still smiling faintly, as if nothing in the world could shake him.

That smile inexplicably calmed her heart.

Just like the day her father had "come back to life" years ago.

Lu Mian *was* smiling… but the smile on his face might have meant something entirely different than Kallen imagined.

These people had once been respected elders.

And when Lu Mian thought of how the Red Kite Immortal had nurtured seven disciples who then "cheered her up" by cremating her en masse—he could barely hold back a laugh.

It wasn't quite schadenfreude.

But the comparison was simply too amusing.

Otto and Kallen would *never* do something like that.

And even if, someday, they completely lost their minds and wanted to—well, it would already be too late.

**We won.**

**We can all win.**

Lu Mian kept thinking about it and didn't realize whether it was joy turning into sorrow, or a curse laid upon the mountain—but he choked on the dust in the air and coughed violently.

"Cough—cough, cough…"

Seeing this, Kallen's eyes narrowed and she hurried over to pat Lu Mian's back.

After a moment, he recovered and wiped away his tears. His voice slightly hoarse, he said:

"Well… the environment on Mount Taihu really sucks now, huh?"

His words fell into silence.

Lu Mian turned to look at Kallen—who was still staring at him blankly, not saying a word.

That confused him.

"Kallen? What are you thinking about?" He waved his hand in front of her.

"…Ah." Kallen snapped out of it, forcing a smile. "I was just thinking about the purple box."

You didn't question her words. In your heart, she was still that brilliant but stubborn fool.

You had already planned how to deal with the box, even without the Immortal.

You would seal it yourself.

After all, there was nothing in this world you *couldn't* do.

When climbing the mountain, you walked in front.

You didn't see the look in Kallen's eyes behind you—nor how she tightly clutched the hem of her dress.

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