8 This must be a joke, right?
Upon the refined and elegant man's earnest and deepest wishes, Shang Xuan and Na-er were ushered into a limousine and drove towards a high-end mansion.
Under the careful watch of the thirteen bodyguards, the two youths emerged from the luxurious vehicle to stand before the entrance, a dazzling scene bestowed on their eyes.
Following an hour and a half's ride, they had entered the uninhabited, forested region extending from Tianxing's borders. The car followed alongside of a discreetly developed asphalt road to arrive at the end of a large clearing devoid of any further human interference.
Before them lay a large lake with sparkling clear water, with an extravagant spread of trees serving as the natural guardians and sentinels. Towards the depths of the forest, the mansion lay submerged in a peaceful shroud of vines, branches, and leaves.
The building was developed with a modern touch, employing on the newly appreciated design trend of rectangular blocs of bullet-proof, one-sided walls of reinforced glass.
The outer structures were comprised of a mixture of titanium, quartz, and cobalt to create a sturdy and attractive mansion the size of half a football's field with three stories aboveground.
Given its current circumstances of being hidden in the dense forest away from the bustling noise of civilization, the building with its natural backyard and lake appeared to fit the notion of a secret hideout.
The futuristic design and apparel of the mansion were exceedingly attractive to the modern viewer with a penchant love for natural scenery, alas…
…the two youths standing before the scene were hardly impressed.
"Ah Hu… if you were going to adopt a modernistic trend emphasizing ergonomic design… why didn't you simply copy over one of the more refined designs created by the Rosary Blacksmith Association? That way, you wouldn't be finished with such a horrid compatibility with the environment."
The Flame Ancestor remarked with a dry and lazy tone, Na-er following up with a subtle nod of dissatisfaction. As the bodyguards' lips twitched in frustration and disbelief, the thirty-year-old man named Ah Hu scratched at his head, his countenance blossoming with an embarrassed flush.
"Master… the mortal worlds don't possess the Chi Flux Stone, which is necessary to even create the materials and alloys required in the designs by the Rosary Blacksmith Association. Thus… we simply didn't have much of a choice, ah…"
The heartfelt sigh released from the dignified man seemed to echo the sentiments of disappointment from all three of those knowledgeable of the paradise known as the Rosary Blacksmith Association.
With a slight shake of his head, Shang Xuan stepped forward to stride towards the door of the mansion, his fingers taking the proffered key to open the door.
Naturally, the bodyguards were left outside, upon Ah Hu's order.
"Well, this is at the least, much better than my current residence, ah."
The walls were constructed from delicately carved blocks of topaz, and the floor was of a beautiful cover of quartz. As he walked around, the youth discovered that the rooms all sported secondary panels of glass, and neatly arranged patterns of light rushed underneath the transparent surface.
Upon closer examination, Shang Xuan discovered that the patterns of lights formed easily recognizable characters and numbers, arranging into a readily manipulated display – with graphical input and output.
"You've ported over hologram technology and made it compatible with the dismal resources here?"
The Flame Ancestor's surprised praise caused Ah Hu's chest to swell with pride and elation, and the man hurried to bow in thanks. As he lead the two youths into the living room, the dignified man tentatively explained the specifications of the mansion with a low voice.
"Master, the mansion is capable of automatically regulating indoor temperature, humidity, and pressure to the inputted preferences. Furthermore… there are a lot of features, including a wide-broadband internet connectivity, training facility, library, kitchen, screen interfaces, and much –"
"Brother Hu, you're late! Master, welcome home! I see that Sister Na has been doing rather well since the last time we've met!"
An energetic voice cut across Ah Hu's voice as the three entered the living room, displaying two youths who had readily relaxed their bodies into the arranged chairs.
Rising to their feet after glimpsing upon Shang Xuan and Na-er's presence, the two youths dipped into a formal bow unique to that of the Flame Ancestor's domain of influence.
"I should have kept you all as spirits, and not allow you to partake physical form…"
The Flame Ancestor groaned with exasperation as he drove the palm of his right hand into his forehead. Besides him, Na-er reached out to pat at the wrinkles on his face, easing his muscles with her fingertips.
"Master, then this wouldn't be exciting at all, no? After all, as the master obtains a vacation, so does the servants!"
The two youths before Shang Xuan were naturally the two other fire spirits in which he had dispatched forty years ago, when he first began to roam throughout the mortal world referred to as the Earth. Similar to Ah Hu, the two spirits had utilized their time to develop their identities as super giants of the world.
Ah Hu had decided to develop a private security company, known as the Heaven and Earth Association. From Shang Xuan's knowledge and the fire spirits' helpful inputs, the youth soon realized the scope of Ah Hu's diligent(?) efforts.
The major conglomerates and corporations, the private families who stood at the pinnacle of the Earth; they all relied on the security forces provided by the Heaven and Earth Association.
From the old Patriarchs and the pampered and prided Young Masters and Young Misses, the majority relied on the bodyguards employed from Ah Hu's management.
Ah Xi, who had decided to retain a teenage youth's appearance with a celebrity figure's countenance, had forced Tencent to rise from a small holdings conglomerate owned by a few individuals, to become a massive superpower in the global interchange of economics and social politics. As for the scope of Tencent, and thus Ah Xi's influence in Hua and the rest of the world, Shang Xuan did not need to explain.
Generic research, technology, social media and digital products enterprise, as well as entertainment capital…
Finally, Ah Mu had adopted an appearance not dissimilar from that of Ah Xi, and had formed an underground materials research group. The materials invested into the mansion, as well as the hologram technology – though horribly derived – that was compatible with the Earth's current specifications, was the fire spirit's trivial afternoon tinkering.
How the three fire spirits had obtained the capital to perform their 'miracles' onto the mortal world, Shang Xuan did not have any idea. Nonetheless, the Flame Ancestor hoped that he wouldn't have any further sanctions and blacklists upon his name after the conclusion of his vacation.
"You've been busy these forty years…" the youth muttered as he seated himself at the end of a sofa, Na-er rushing into the kitchen to distribute the purchased groceries into the refrigerator.
"But these are simply things that doesn't take much effort, right? What else did you do over the time that we didn't meet?"
Shang Xuan had asked this as an afterthought to check after his subordinates' wellbeing and enjoyment, but alas…
"Master, the research group under my lead has successfully replicated a portion of the Immortal Plane's technology for your use. Functional units include the Ascaris, infused weaponry, and spiritual equipment!"
"Master, the conglomerate under my control can mobilize approximately eight hundred and ninety billion RMB in capital, distributed between primary and secondary assets, as well as fifteen percent allocation to liquid funds."
"Master, the Heaven and Earth Association has a total of a hundred and eight spiritually enhanced mortal cultivators soulbound to my command. Each one of them… can eliminate a country in a matter of a week."
The reports of the three fire spirits hammered into Shang Xuan's consciousness with the driving force of the Earth Ancestor's fully enraged strike, causing his vision to warp and distort from the shock. The Flame Ancestor massaged his temples in great haste, but Ah Hu was not finished.
"Master, we have prepared all of the requisites necessary to pay off Master's debt to the Spiritual Conflux in the most optimal method possible."
Pu!
I'm definitely, definitely, definitely going to be sanctioned by the Three Realms!
The youth's heart howled in grief as he clutched to Na-er's returning presence in desperation, his mind falling into turmoil. With twitching lips, Shang Xuan faced the three fire spirits with expectant expressions on their countenances, a single question faltering from his lips.
"Look here, you three… are you sure that this is for a vacation? Why not make just say that you want me to conquer this mortal world instead, ah?"
"Our sincere wishes, but we do desire for Master to accomplish such an act!"
Ah Mu, Ah Xi, and Ah Hu chorused as one as their lips spread into a wide smile upon witnessing the Flame Ancestor's writh of agony.
The three fire spirits arose from their seats to bow towards the floundering youth whose hopeless mind was locked on the dreadful notion of being sanctioned by the Three Realms, and Ah Hu placed down a prepared suitcase onto the table at the center of the living room.
"Master, we shall take our leave for now. Please contact us whenever you need our assistance!"
With that, the three hidden influences of the mortal world dusted their hands clean of the consequences of their actions onto their master, and sauntered out of the mansion with grinning smiles and lightened hearts.
