When Miyeon lost her sister and her mother in a blink of eye , She started working for an undercover Mafia group and went on a mission to find the book of holy Street

After his early 'retirement,' Lin Zhi returned to Japan where his adopted daughter lived.

Only to face a locked door.

"...Open Sesame...?"

How will Lin Zhi handle his family life, his nonexistent love life, and his game life all while dealing with anime characters from different series who just wouldn't leave him alone?

Notice: No actual knowledge of FFXIV/WoW needed.

Subaybayan nating panlalakbay nila Sesame, Elvin at Renzo sa mundo ng laro.

Para malaman natin kung paano sila maka-survive sa laro..

Malalakas na player at halimaw ang makakalaban, mahirap mga Quest ang mapagdaanan.
 
At maaari pang maaring mangyari...

Kung saan susubukin ang kakayanan, katatagan pati na ang pag-iisip.

Ito ang Game Fighter, lalabanan na nila ang bagsik na laro ng buhay.

After coming out of the temple, Fan Xian had been followed by three people. He didn't know whether they were spies from the Brocade Guard or men from the palace, but whoever they were, he was not going to let them follow him today.
Having picked off those three adversaries, Fan Xian made sure once more that there was nobody following him, and then finally set off again. After exiting the alley, he did not get into a carriage, because any contact he made with people would leave traces that could be followed by Northern Qi. On the damp street, the passersby slowly grew in number. Under cover of the crowd, Fan Xian lowered his head, and quietly walked alongside the masses of this foreign country.
According to Overwatch Council procedures for losing a tail, he was supposed to look for a fabric store or similar establishment, and then exit through the rear door, making a number of twists and turns before finally arriving at his destination. But Fan Xian did not employ this method. Firstly, he did not believe that anyone was following him; secondly, he believed that the more twists and turns he made, the more people he would come into contact with, which would make him more easily discovered. He crept carefully and secretly into an official's residence, unsure what he was going to do there.
Luckily, at that moment, the skies above Shangjing began to open once more. The fine rain was silent but visible, and it effectively covered up his tracks.
Near the Royal Academy in the southern district of Shangjing, there was a neighborhood where commoners lived known as Zhangjiadian. It was a mixture of good people and riff-raff, filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but in the past few years, order had been reasonably well-kept. On top of that, living quarters were cheap, so it had slowly become more crowded. Petty merchants without much of their own money had also begun hawking their wares there, making some extra cash. They set up shop fronts on the street and sat there doing business.
This area was unlike Xiushui Street; here, they sold everyday goods at cheap prices, and naturally not of the best quality. The third shop that one passed on the east side of the neighborhood was one such establishment. The shop sold palm oil that had come from overseas, imported through the City of Dongyi. Although it was cheap, it tasted fairly good. But its color was unappealing, particularly in the winter months, when a layer of white scum would form over it. As a result, households with a little bit more money would opt for rapeseed oil from the east of the Kingdom of Qi.
Luckily, the majority of people always lacked disposable income, so this oil merchant, who didn't even have a sign outside the storefront, still managed to keep going. But he didn't employ staff; other than the shopkeeper, there was only one part-time shop assistant.
It had been raining on and off all day, and there were not many people walking out and about in Zhangjiadian. Today it was less busy, but the oil merchant's business had little to do with weather conditions. Any household who had no oil to cook with would stop by, so the oil merchant was not worried. Instead, he set out a stool and sat in the doorway to his shop, watching the rain fall outside.
Perhaps he really was getting old. The young shop assistant had seen him staring blankly into space a number of times this year, much more than he had before.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like to buy some oil." Someone stood at the entrance to the shop, blocking out the drab daylight from outside. The shopkeeper waved a hand and ushered him in.
The person took off a rain hat to reveal an ordinary-looking face. He laughed and entered the store. "Young man," he said to the yawning shop assistant, "I'd like to buy some oil."
"What kind of oil would you like?" asked the shop assistant, all smiles. "We've palm oil, and we've also just had some rapeseed oil come in from the east of Qi." The shop assistant was respectful, but secretly felt apprehensive. If they came into the shop, of course they wanted to buy oil. Why waste words?
"Give me half a catty of palm oil."
"Very well," said the shop assistant in a loud, clear voice. He nimbly poured and weighed the oil, then saw that the person's hands were empty. He couldn't help but scratch his head. "Sir, how are you going to carry it?"
"Do you have pots here?"
"We do. Three coins for one wooden pot." The shop assistant was happy to be doing business.
The customer said nothing as they took their oil-filled pot. He seemed to be thinking about something.
"Is there anything else?" asked the shopkeeper curiously.
"Do you have sesame oil?"
"Do we have sesame oil?" he asked out loud, not particularly loudly. Sitting in the doorway, the old shopkeeper's withered right hand trembled.
"We don't have anything that high-quality, I'm afraid," said the shop assistant dispiritedly. "This is Zhangjiadian, nobody can afford sesame oil around here." As he spoke, the shopkeeper slowly made his way back to the counter and waved a hand to dismiss the shop assistant. He looked at the customer and smiled.
"Sesame oil is too expensive. Except on festive occasions, people don't normally buy it. There's still half a year until the next festival, so we haven't ordered any."
"It's not just for festival days. It's also for holding remembrance ceremonies for people," said the customer, smiling.
The old shopkeeper became more respectful. "If you tell us how much, then we can place an order on your behalf, sir."
The conversation had reached its crux, so the two men lowered their voices. But the customer's memory was very good, so he rattled off the weight he needed clearly and unambiguously. "I want seven catties, three taels, nine maces and four hao... of palm oil." [1]
The old shopkeeper shuffled the beads on his abacus. "There's an issue with the price," he said reluctantly. "Sir, would you mind stepping into the back room to discuss the matter further?"
"Sure."
The old shopkeeper told the shop assistant to keep an eye on things, then led the customer into the back room. The shop assistant realized at that moment that the man was not discussing buying oil, but selling oil. He couldn't help but stand slack-jawed, thinking how lucky it was that he had managed not to offend this sesame-oil seller.
This sesame oil merchant was, of course, Fan Xian in disguise. He followed the shopkeeper into the back room, and found that that it was completely unlike the meeting place he had imagined - it was bright and airy.
They did not exchange pleasantries over cups of tea. The shopkeeper looked at Fan Xian, caution showing in his old, muddy eyes. "Did you come from the south, sir?"
Fan Xian nodded.
The old shopkeeper made a welcoming gesture. Fan Xian breathed a secret sigh of relief. Yan Bingyun's procedure had been rather complicated, and begrudgingly, he had no choice but to reel off another string of numbers.
At that moment, the shopkeeper finally confirmed his identity, and he felt his whole body relax. He fished around in his sleeves, his hands trembling, and took out a knife coated in poison. Fan Xian understood that if a visitor was a Qi spy, the shopkeeper would have to break things off with him immediately.
This was also why Yan Bingyun had felt so humiliated after his capture.
The shopkeeper looked at him. "Sir, are you part of the Overwatch Council?"
Fan Xian shook his head. "I think that given the current circumstances, it's best we keep words to a minimum."
The shopkeeper laughed bitterly. "It has already been a year, a whole year, and we've heard no news from above. After the incident with the spymaster, the royal court has not sent a single person to take over his position. I presumed that the royal court was preparing to have us go silent."
By "going silent", he meant for a spy in enemy territory to immediately cease all action after a problem arises to avoid being exposed. The period of silence might only last a month... or it might last a decade.
Fan Xian frowned. As head of a spy network, Yan Bingyun's capture was impossible, because he did not need to personally take on the dangerous duties of delivering information back to Qing or making inquiries himself. But the Eldest Princess had made her move, leaving the Overwatch Council's northern spy network paralyzed.
While Yan Bingyun had been in Northern Qi's hands, the royal court and the Overwatch Council had not dared to take the risk of getting in touch with those who had gone silent, and so there had been a year-long period of silence.
"I hope that a year of inactivity hasn't meant that everyone's gotten rusty."
"Do not worry, sir." The shopkeeper knew that as the young man had been able to take Yan's place, he was definitely a formidable member of the Council. Smelling the faint scent of blood on him, the shopkeeper was careful to respond. "I await your orders, sir."
"There are three matters; some urgent, others not." Fan Xian looked at the old man. He knew that he and the countless other Council spies had had a very difficult year, drifting in the wilderness like homeless orphans, so he made sure to speak gently. "The most important matter is that we immediately find out where Xiao En has been taken. The second matter is to investigate the true reason for the hostility between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor."
This was something that Fan Xian did not understand. It seemed that the young Emperor had bitten off more than he could chew.
The shopkeeper's face did not change. Although he knew that both of these tasks were extremely difficult, he could only calmly wait for the young man to give his third order.
"Investigating Xiao En's whereabouts is urgent; the matter in the palace less so." Fan Xian muttered something to himself. "As for the third order, I want to make something clear: the palace treasury has been smuggling goods to the north these past few years."
The shopkeeper squinted. There was a strange light in his eyes. "That is an issue regarding Xinyang, sir. Has the Council finally decided to make a move?"
Fan Xian shook his head. "Find... find out the truth for me, but don't make a single move against them. Make sure every factor that can be controlled is controlled. If the Council decides to make a move in the future, you need to make sure that everything you have at hand is enough to salvage this route entirely.'
"Understood." The shopkeeper knew that this was a long-term mission, and that he could take his time.
Fan Xian was thinking about something else. He didn't know whether that business with Master Cui was his mother-in-law's attempt to test him, or whether she was now making demands of him, so he had been forbearing. Although Xinyang did not know that the business with the pamphlets and Guangxin Palace was Fan Xian's doing, the clash in the Ministry of Justice had gradually brought his conflict with the Eldest Princess to the surface.
[1] Catties, taels, maces, and hao were all units of measurement used in imperial China.


A family inclined to kindness and charity would grace the descendants.
Thanks to one small act of kindness,
by providence she comes across a grateful friend;
Fortunate that her mother,
has done an unperceived good deed….

Men should rescue the distressed and aid the poor…
Who would have guessed that kindness in this world ultimately would be the road that one must choose, that proverbial fork in the road?

Clouds of rain float on eastern winds as new vines start to blossom.
Though drums of war roar too loudly and their brilliance has been lost,
a green grass carpet greets the sun by the break of morning.
Let us wait for the yellow leaves, a few gourds are harvested.

A serving of the Welcoming Set Meal was basically eaten by Yuan Zhou. Right now, only the price of the set meal was unknown to him.
"System, what’s the price of the set meal?" Yuan Zhou asked curiously.
The system displayed, "This set meal is a variety of the seat charge①. The price for each serving will be shown on the price list at noon tomorrow."
"You can’t even tell me now?" Yuan Zhou felt rather speechless.
The system didn’t answer him this time. It seemed to be reluctant to tell Yuan Zhou.
However, Yuan Zhou wouldn’t give up so easily. Soon he opened his mouth again, "If you don’t tell me the price, I won’t need to pay for this serving, right?"
Before he said that, Yuan Zhou first checked the cash in the drawer and the balance in his bank account. He even confirmed the numerical digits after the decimal point.
With that excuse, Yuan Zhou didn’t believe the money-happy system still wouldn’t tell him the price. Even if it didn’t tell him directly, Yuan Zhou could also work out the price of the set meal in a reverse direction after the money was deducted.
A smile appeared on the face of Yuan Zhou, who was quite complacent about this terrific idea.
The system displayed, "20 RMB for each serving."
As anticipated, the system reported the price to him in order to charge him.
"Humm. With that price, I can afford it," the usual expressionless face was suddenly filled with a happy smile.
It was unknown if the system would hold the grudge and scam him again next time.
Suddenly, Yuan Zhou recovered from the bliss and said, "System, is the price of 20 RMB too cheap?"
Nonetheless, the system didn’t have any reaction.
"All right. I might as well prepare to start the business," Yuan Zhou pulled the clothes straight and said carelessly.
After all, he didn’t need to absorb any cost for the dish. Yuan Zhou loved the business without cost the most.
Having cleared some parts of the restaurant, Yuan Zhou pulled open the door. At that moment, the customers would soon arrive to drink.
After that time, Fang Heng also became a regular customer of Yuan Zhou’s restaurant. He was first a regular customer of drinking liquor and then he started to savor the dishes.
However, he was quite dissatisfied with the rule of not providing dishes while drinking. But who did he think Yuan Zhou was? He was the Compass and his rule was to follow the rules.
Therefore, Fang Heng’s protest ended up with a failure in the end.
Nonetheless, that didn’t really affect Fang Heng coming to draw the lottery every day and the reward was naturally a pot of Bamboo Liquor worth of 5888 RMB.
Fang Heng only managed to get the reward twice.
...
On the next early morning, Yuan Zhou ate 4 Duck Oil Sesame Seed Cake without a break along with a bowl of iced soybean milk that he had prepared with the soybeans provided by the system.
Of course, his own breakfast had to be more diversified. While eating the sesame seed cake, he drank a mouthful of the icy soybean milk comfortably.
When he realized the time was almost up, Yuan Zhou began to open the door. As expected, Mu Xiaoyun was waiting at the door tamely. After running in a long distance, she carried a flush on her face, which let the young girl appear more beautiful and lovely.
"Morning, boss," she might have recalled that Yuan Zhou would treat her today, hence Mu Xiaoyun greeted him with embarrassment.
"Come on in," after a nod, Yuan Zhou turned around and went back to the kitchen.
After dishing up the Duck Oil Sesame Seed Oil, Yuan Zhou found Mu Xiaoyun was still standing at the usual place uneasily.
"Come and sit here. You are a customer right now," Yuan Zhou signaled Mu Xiaoyun to sit at the middle of the long table.
"But....." before Mu Xiaoyun finished speaking, she was interrupted by Yuan Zhou.
"There are only five minutes left before the business time starts," Yuan Zhou said seriously.
"Ok. Sorry to bother you, boss," Mu Xiaoyun didn’t want to affect the business, hence went up and sat down soon.
"Just eat it," Yuan Zhou set down the sesame seed cake and began to prepare the breakfast.
The breakfast today was naturally the Duck Oil Sesame Seed Cake, with only 95 pieces left.
It was the first time for Mu Xiaoyun to eat Yuan Zhou’s dishes ever since she worked here. Immediately, she understood clearly why the customers were all fond of eating here.
"Boss, it’s sooooo delicious," with a mouthful of the sesame seed cake, Mu Xiaoyun complimented repeatedly, speaking with a lisp. Now she finally understood why so many people came and waited in line.
"Humm," Yuan Zhou indicated that he had heard her with a nod. Then he continued to prepare the breakfast.
By then, there had been customers waiting in line outside the restaurant.
The first several people were all from the Gourmet Backup Group. The group was filled with Mu Xiaoyun’s messages with the content that Boss Yuan would treat her to the Duck Oil Sesame Seed Cake. Therefore, they didn’t feel surprised about it.
Others who weren’t in the Gourmet Group nevertheless felt puzzled. There happened to be one right now.
"Look, somebody is eating inside. But isn’t it not the opening hours?" A customer waiting after tens of people asked with puzzlement.
"That’s true. There are still three minutes left. Compass never breaks his own rules," this customer seemed to have a deep understanding about Yuan Zhou’s rules.
"But someone is indeed eating inside. Wait, wait. Is it Xiaoyun?" This customer stretched out his neck and eventually saw Mu Xiaoyun who was eating in the restaurant.
"Has Xiaoyun saved enough money?" The customers were slightly curious.
With the friendly thought of sharing the big surprise with others, the person who was ahead of them and happened to know the truth said, "No, Boss Yuan is treating. He is treating Xiaoyun to the sesame seed cake."
"Ho Ho. I’m awake today," the customer revealed an expression of "Don’t joke with me".
Last time, few people knew about Yuan Zhou treating others in his spare time. This time, however, was different. After Mu Xiaoyun’s excited advertisement in the Gourmet group, all group members got to know about that.
The influence was nevertheless more substantial.
"I feel it should be a clear and sunny day today and it’s not likely to rain," a customer knowing well of Yuan Zhou’s rules looked up at the cloudless sky seriously.
"Xiaoyun has definitely saved enough money, as a sesame seed cake is not so expensive," this customer must have a stomach of a foodie. When he spoke of the words of sesame seed cake, he couldn’t help but swallow some saliva.
"It is said by Mu Xiaoyun herself that Boss Yuan is treating her to that," a customer from the gourmet group said affirmatively with a smile on his face.
"What the fu*k?" The customer who had just talked about the weather suddenly made a sound to himself.
Another customer beside him seemed to understand, saying, "It must be the sound of your worldview breaking apart."
"You are right. Actually I think I have a good-looking face, too. Will Boss Yuan possibly treat me to one?" The customer suddenly stroked his own face and then said confidently.
"Even Yin Ya has never succeeded," a customer tried to frustrate him.
"Then I believe Boss Yuan definitely has a good reason to treat Xiaoyun," the customer said with a resolute and decisive tone.
"He truly has. It’s said that Boss Yuan has obtained the qualification to be listed on the gourmet map because Xiaoyun endeavors much to publicize for him earnestly," a customer from the gourmet group affirmed the statement that there was a reason and then explained to them.
"That makes sense now. After all, Boss Yuan is exactly the Compass." The customer let out a sigh of relief.
All the discussions during the breakfast in the street were unknown to Yuan Zhou. Anyhow, he always believed that he was a magnanimous and charming man.
With a good mood, Yuan Zhou decided to serve a new dish, the Spiced Egg.
As the Spiced Egg was boiled and prepared with the stew ingredients and the earthen pot, the flavor seemed to be unique. And the ingredients were excellent due to their freshness. Nonetheless, as the time was limited and he needed to make preparations beforehand, the dish was only available to be eaten at noon tomorrow.
Therefore, they could only smell the taste today without any chance to eat it. It was simply a torment for those foodies. After all, the stew ingredients were originally very fragrant and became much yummier with Yuan Zhou’s secret recipe.
Torturous...
① 	The seat charge is the money (usu. a small amount) charged for the basic service to each of the customers when they dine in the restaurant. In this chapter, it means every customer has to pay the seat charge for the welcoming set meal.

In a remote oriental country, there is a small and odd restaurant that has refused the three-star rating by the Michelin Guide several times. 
“The price is fairly expensive over there, 288RMB for a set meal of Egg Fried Rice and a bowl of soup. Ah, and an extra small plate of pickled vegetables as well. Even so, there are still a long line of people queuing up and waiting for a taste. Reservations are not accepted there, only waiting and queuing personally is allowed. 
“Numerous people fly there on their private planes just to queue up. Furthermore, parking bays and parking spots are not provided there. The service is terrible here. Customers have to clear the tableware themselves and wipe the table as well. For god’s sake, the boss is literally crazy.” 
---Michelin Guide
-----
Release Rate: 5 Chapters/Week; will be released on Mon, Wed, Fri and Weekend;


When Yunhe left, Zixu tapped the basket of pastries he bought and explained, "I actually came to see you."
Yujia relaxed her expression, calmly facing him and wiping all internal screaming from her mind. "What for?" she asked.
"Didn't you promise me before to help me out? I heard that Young Miss Jing likes sweets, but I don't have much of a sweet tooth. So help me try these out and see which one is best, alright?" His hands reached over to the basket, pulling apart the layers to reveal a variety of different pastries. 
Yujia pursed her lips together. "Could you not ask your younger brother? Did he not have a sweet tooth?"
Zixu leaned backwards, blinking. "Ziyang is sickly. I'm sure he would like to eat all these sweets, but I don't want them to upset his stomach."
She looked at the food, then shrugged. Though she was reluctant to help, it was free food. Besides, she promised to help as well, and she couldn't really go back on her words without it being awkward.
"Alright, alright," she relented. "I'll taste test for you. What's the first row?"
"They're a variety of cakes," Zixu explained, "They all have different fillings. The light violet colored ones here," he pointed, "is black sesame paste. Over here, with the pink ones, are red bean paste. The green ones are lotus seed paste. The yellow ones have a salted egg center with bean paste." 
Yujia reached her hand forward for the pink cake, but she paused when she looked at all the paint smeared over her fingers. Zixu, meanwhile, pulled out a pair of chopsticks and picked up a pink one for her, lifting the cake up to her face.
She stared at him. He looked at her innocently, eyebrows raised.
There was no way she was going to let him feed her. 
Yujia stood up, raising her hands up and saying, "I'm going to find a basin of water. Will be back soon."
Zixu chuckled, setting the chopsticks and cake back down. "Take your time."
Upon hearing his laugh, she narrowed her eyes. He was teasing her again. Regardless, Yujia went to wash her hands— it took a little bit of extra soap and scrubbing to get all the oil paint off her skin— and moments later, she came back with clean hands and an open mind to try all the good food.
This time, she used a pair of chopsticks, carefully picking the tiny pink cake up. It was still warm when she bit into it, the soft red bean filling crumbling into her mouth. The cake, being bite-sized, fit into her mouth entirely, and her eyes lit up when she ate it, her head nodding enthusiastically. When she finished chewing and swallowing, she exclaimed, "It's really good!"
Zixu smiled. "That's good to hear. I did buy these pastries from a new shop this time, and though I haven't ever tried them, they said that the red bean paste cakes were some of the best." He nudged the basket closer to her. "Try the other flavors too." 
Yujia picked up the dainty lilac-shade cake, tasting the aromatic sesame filling coupled along with the sweetness of the sugar. She tried the green one after that, and then the yellow one, with the salted duck egg. Upon eating the yellow one, Yujia nodded even more enthusiastically. She gestured at the other yellow cakes, saying, "The yellow one is the best, I think. The saltiness of the duck egg and the sweetness of the cake and filling match really well. The sesame one is delicious too, but if I had to pick a least favorite one, it would probably be that one."
Hearing this, Zixu gave a thoughtful nod. "Do you not like the sesame flavor in general? The second layer has some sesame balls. It's a recipe from the imperial palace, or so I've heard."
Yujia had sesame balls in the past, and she did enjoy them. So quickly, she pointed out, "I do like sesame. Let me give those a try." 
As Zixu pushed forward the layer with the sesame balls, Yuija's eyes were greeted with perfectly-round desserts. The dough of sesame balls were made with glutinous rice, which was then rolled in white sesame seeds and afterwards deep-fried into a crispy perfection. Inside them, while she took a small bite, there was a sweet red bean paste filling. The contrast of textures from crisp to soft and chewy made it a delight to eat. Yujia had to give her approval for this classic snack. 
Next to the sesame balls were more pastries, some an outer shell of thin golden layers and an inner sweet filling, others with stamped patterns and beautiful dyed colors. Below that layer, there were cakes that were translucent like crystals, molded into delicate patterns and looking almost too beautiful to eat. After that, there were even more pastries, cakes, candies, custards, and jellies. 
As Yujia sampled through all of them, Zixu just kept on bringing out more and more layers of baskets and varieties out of seemingly thin air. It felt like he was presenting a whole store— no, a whole street— of snacks and desserts to her.
She could never stop eating. There seemed to be no end to the amount of pastries that Zixu had brought.
At one point in time, after sampling another kind of dessert, Yujia really had enough. She was too stuffed, and Zixu was pulling out yet another layer, explaining about the peach-blossom-shaped cakes on the plate. 
It was too much. Really too much. This was not what she imagined for lunch, and at first, she didn't mind sampling the pastries, but she could not be more full than her current state of being. Even a foodie like her had a breaking point. 
Yujia held out a hand, another hand resting on her stomach. She declared, "I'm stuffed. If you give me any more desserts, I will die."
"Ah, really?" Zixu grinned, his eyes shining. "I was afraid I didn't bring enough."
"You've got to be kidding me," Yujia managed a laugh. 
Zixu only shrugged a shoulder, not giving an answer. He pulled the layer of cakes back, closing it with the other layers as a lid. Once he stacked that basket up, he leaned forward, resting his arms over the basket and his chin on his arms. 
"So," he questioned, "which one did you like best?"
Thinking back to all the sweet things she just ate, Yujia winced. She was going to get diabetes at this rate, and right now, anything not sweet sounded awfully good.
"Probably the first layer," she admitted, "with the salted duck egg."
"Great. I'll keep that in mind." Zixu smiled a little more now.
Yujia thought back to the original reason for why he asked her to sample all these cakes and brought it up. "You're going to buy those for Miss Jing?"
His smile faltered by a slight degree. "Yes. Probably."
"I hope she'll like them," she replied.
There was brief silence for a moment, then Zixu suddenly said, "I've been wondering for a while now. Junior Sister, you looked quite… interesting when you walked in here. What were you doing?"
Yujia looked down at herself, staring at all the purple pigment powder that dusted her robes. "I was inventing," she confessed honestly. 
"Inventing what? Would you mind telling me?" Zixu asked, giving a charming smile and looking into her gaze attentively. 
"It's hard to explain, but another kind of ink, I suppose." Yujia stood up, turning to face the courtyard's exit. "Would you like to come along with me to see? It'll be easier to understand then."
He blinked, then stood up as well. "Of course. I would love to see."
…
Yujia brought Zixu to her courtyard, waving at the messy table of paints, mullers, paper, brushes, pigment, and oil. 
"This is it," she declared, "It might not look like much, but I promise you— it's revolutionary."
Zixu walked to the opposite side of the table. He lifted a page where Yujia had tested her colors on, brushing his long fingers over the blue shade. When he lifted his hand, the blue paint had left a stain. "It's not dry?" he mused.
"No. It's a kind of ink made of oil. Oil paint. This kind of paint will be different than all the water-based ones, since water dries fast in air, yet oil takes much longer to dry," Yujia told him.
"I see." He set the page down. "A slower drying time would give the painter more time to paint, wouldn't it?" 
"Exactly! That's one of the benefits of painting with oil. You could leave a painting overnight and come back to it." Yujia propped an arm on the table, using the other arm to wave at certain things in her messy station. "By mixing the oil and the pigments, I managed to create the paint. It's stored in a liquid state, so it'll be much more different than traditional inkstick and inkstone." She grabbed a paintbrush, dabbing it in a bit of the sapphire paint she managed to create. "You can give it a try on the paper over there."
He took the paintbrush from her, the warm skin of his hand brushing against hers for a brief moment. Very carefully, he moved the brush against the page, watching the way the paint transferred and observing the smooth application of paint.
"Isn't it amazing?" Yujia proudly stated.
"I've never seen anything like it before," Zixu responded, "It's marvelous. You're marvelous."
Yujia looked down, unable to hold back her grin. Her cheeks reddened, and she murmured, "Thanks."


At 24 years old, Yang Yujia is an unemployed art major, living off heavy debt and instant noodles. During a high-school reunion, Yujia gets drunk, does stupid things, and when she wakes up again, Yujia is no longer in the correct world, time-period, or body. 

Unfortunately, as a transmigrator, Yujia does not seem to have much luck either— instead of transmigrating with a set of stunning martial arts skills, knowledge that would aid her in troubling situations, or a position of royalty that would make her life much easier, Yujia is the fourth (illegitimate) daughter of a small merchant. And what skills does she have to help her survive this world?

A pretty face, witty mouth, and useless artistic talent?

Good enough. 

...

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It took a while for Shuang'er to come to her senses.

She could see that this Daoist youth was not deliberately teasing or playing with her, but rather had truly not taken her words to heart. Seeing the youth's calm and serious expression, she began to get angry for some reason.

She hatefully declared, "You will die."

Chen Changsheng opened his eyes wide and replied, "Everyone will die."

Shuang'er retorted, "You know that this is not my meaning."

Chen Changsheng very earnestly replied, "Thank you for telling me these things."

Shuang'er's face was extremely unsightly. "The Madam wanted to end the engagement. Your response was to get payback. What need was there to insist on getting angry and saying that you came to end the engagement? Could it be that you thought that this was the only way you could recover a little face? If that really was the case, then whatever, but why did you have to change your mind at the end? Such a fickle look is really not appealing."

"In truth…I really came to end the engagement. It's not important whether you believe it or not. It's just that right now, I really don't want to end it anymore."

"Why?"

Chen Changsheng cocked his head as he pondered this question. A smile gradually appeared on his young and tender face, because he had found an answer that he could convince himself with. "Because…you never asked me for my name."

Shuang'er did not understand.

"From the moment I entered the estate until now, whether it was the Madam or you, none of you asked me for my name."

Chen Changsheng looked at her and seriously said, "I am called Chen Changsheng. I know that this name is very crude, but Master hoped that I could live forever. The intention was very good, so I've always used this name."
(TN: Changsheng '长生' of Chen Changsheng means long life/longevity.)

While he was saying these words, his eyes were very bright and his expression very upright.

Shuang'er abruptly felt that this seemingly normal Daoist boy seemed to be emitting a sort of light. Probably from that serious temperament? She understood his reason, and then she mysteriously felt a sense of shame.

From the moment he entered the Divine General's estate until now, no one had asked him his name. But he had never shown any anger or seemed to suffer any humiliation. Whether he was talking to the Madam or Shuang'er, he had always acted very courteously, not lacking in any aspect of etiquette, even to the extent that he felt rather stuffy. However, the wondrous thing was that those people that made him unhappy were even unhappier than he was at the end.

It wasn't that he was specialized in making other people unhappy, but rather that he very earnestly did the things that he thought should be done. No matter if it was ending the engagement or changing his mind, he felt it was all right and proper. He was absolutely certain, so much so that it made people feel like they couldn't object. Consequently, those people that he made unhappy would eventually become so depressed that it was very difficult for them to be happy again.

Shuang'er had grown up in the Divine General's estate. Because of her young lady, her status was exceptionally high. Even the Divine General and his Madam did not say any harsh words to her. She had never before encountered a person like Chen Changsheng and was very unused to this sort of feeling. She subconsciously began to feel uneasy. Perhaps to convince Chen Changsheng or to convince herself, she strengthened the tone in her voice and said:

"In the entire continent, only my young lady has the true blood of the Phoenix! She is unique!"

"In my senior brother's notebook, there is a phrase which I've always felt to be very reasonable. Today, I will give it you in the hopes that you will be able to seriously learn from it in the future. He said: Every person in the world is unique."

Chen Changsheng sincerely said to her.

...

...

At the end of the long street was a simple stone bridge. Under the bridge flowed not the Luo River, but an unremarkable little stream. Chen Changsheng walked onto the bridge and then turned to look back at the general's estate. He saw countless quiet, but still bustling, great houses and beautiful gardens, the Xu Estate standing out amongst the rest as the most eye-catching and illustrious. He couldn't help but shake his head.

On arriving at the capital, he had not gone to any of those famous sights, nor was he in a rush to head to the Mausoleum of Books. Rather, he had freshened himself up a little by the Luo River and then headed directly to the general's estate—he wanted to end the engagement. He was truly in a rush. If he became wed to the young lady of the general's estate, if his illness could not be cured, was there any need to involve the other side? Even if it could be cured, it would most likely waste many years of time.

He did not want to waste the years of her youth, yet he had not imagined that in the Xu Estate, he would encounter that arrogance, that contempt, that ridicule. Now that he thought about it, after he turned ten, the temple no longer received any gifts from the other side. The two sides had cut off relations, perhaps indicating that the other party had long had the intention of breaking the contract.  He had come today to voluntarily annul the engagement, so it should have been achieved very effortlessly, an affair which both sides should have been delighted to see. But he did not think he would encounter this sort of display, and as a result, he had decided to change his mind on the spot.

He had not cultivated and he wasn't a Daoist priest either, but he had studied the Daoist scriptures since he was a child and had been deeply influenced by them. Taken together with his gloomy future prospects, among the three thousand great Daos, he had chosen the one of following his heart. The so-called "following his heart" was to do everything in a way that left him with a clear conscience. Journeying ten thousand li from afar to come to the capital and end the engagement was following his heart. To not end the engagement was also following his heart. The Divine General estate had been discourteous, so he did not want them to follow their hearts, because if he allowed that, it would be difficult for him to accord with his heart's desire.

Of course, even now, Chen Changsheng only wanted that Madam who concealed coldness behind a kind face and the maid who only looked at the sky to feel a little anxious. After a few days, he would naturally return the marriage to the other side. Human life was beyond value. The young lady Xu's happiness was always more important than the cold reception and arrogant gazes he had received. He still felt this way.

However, in the end, it still made people feel very unhappy. At times, Chen Changsheng himself would forget that he was only fourteen years old. In the end, he was still but a youth, possessing his own pride and dignity. After being humiliated, there would always be some emotion.

He walked down the bridge and bought two sesame seed cakes from a stand by the street. Crouching on a stone by the stream, he nibbled on the sesame seed cakes while gazing at the distant Divine General's estate. His mood was a little sour. He knew where this emotion had arisen from, but he also understood that if he let this emotion flood through him, it would harm his body, and would be of no help in resolving this problem.

On the distant Luo River, reflections sailed across the surface of the water like clouds. On the long street opposite the river were wolf riders that had come from the west. Even separated by such a distance, it was still possible to smell the rancid stench arising from the mouths of massive wolves. A dark shadow drifted across the river. He lifted his head and saw the snow-white wings of a Pegasus as it towed a grand and luxurious carriage north. In an arrow tower on the distant city wall, Red Falcons entrusted with carrying military information were constantly flying in and out. In the even more distant azure sky, the city guard's flying carriages were on patrol, looking just like those bothersome dragonflies outside a temple.

This was the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty. There were countless mystical scenes that someone from the rustic countryside would find very difficult to imagine. Chen Changsheng gnawed on the sesame seed cakes and opened his eyes wide, taking in these scenes with relish while comparing them to the records in the Daoist Canon. He didn't know when he would get the chance to see those legendary mystical spirits, like the Spirit Tortoise which was said to have supported the stone pillars of the Li Palace for more than three thousand years, and maybe there were still those incomparably noble and awesome dragons spoken of in legends in the Imperial Palace. It was said that the rarest and most respected Golden Dragon had not appeared amongst humans for tens of thousands of years. Would he have an opportunity to see it in the future? That's right, there was also the legendary Phoenix…

The sesame seed cake was very delicious and also very hard, so eating it was quite the chore. Chen Changsheng had originally thought that he had cast the bitter experience he had in the Divine General's estate to the back of his mind and successfully dispelled his sour mood, yet when he thought of the word 'Phoenix', he very naturally thought of the true blood of the Phoenix that he had just heard about today. He thought about that young lady Xu who possessed the true blood of the Phoenix, and then he thought about those little gifts he received all those years ago…

He looked at the final bit of the sesame seed cake in his fingers and vacantly stared at it for a while. Only then did he put in his mouth, carefully chewing it thirty-two times before swallowing. From his sleeve, he removed a handkerchief, which he used to wipe the crumbs off his hand. Standing up and taking up his luggage, he disappeared into the crowd.

He had not noticed that not far from him in the corner of a street, an unremarkable carriage was parked. On the shaft of the carriage in some unremarkable place, the slightly dim crest of a blood-red Phoenix could be seen. Of course, even if he could see it, he would still not know that this crest represented the estate of the Divine General of the East. After the young lady of the Xu Estate was born, the Divine Empress had bestowed the blood-red Phoenix on the Divine General's estate as a new crest. This was a supreme honor and also a sort of proclamation.

The warhorse hitched to the front of the carriage had the blood of the Unicorn. Its eyes that looked at the flowing water under the bridge seemed very cold. The eyes of the old lady in the carriage were also very cold, but hidden within were also astonishment and wariness.

She had been following Chen Changsheng ever since he left the Divine General's estate. She had not imagined that the youth would be so calm after seeing the capital of the Great Zhou. He was completely unlike an inexperienced child from the countryside. This was because she did not know that this youth had grown up with countless scrolls. Within these scrolls, he had seen countless sights, traveled countless li of roads.

...

...

Xu Shiji sat in his study, his body which was tall and sturdy as a mountain emitting a faint smell of blood. In a tree, more than ten zhang away on the other side of the window, a kingfisher bird was so alarmed that it buried its head in its wings and didn't dare to make a single noise. That powerful Qi which carried a bloody scent about it was proof of this Great Zhou Divine General's power, and also indicated that his current mood was very terrible.

What made his mood so violent was that half of a jade pendant on his table.

"Back then when Father was Grand Minister, he had the deep trust of the Divine Empress and, following orders, was sent to Mount Tai to preside over the book burning ritual of reporting to the Heavens. The demons wanted to disrupt this affair, and sent Gong Yangchun to assassinate Father. Father was heavily wounded. Even when His Holiness personally came to Mount Tai, Father could not be cured. It was only when a traveling Daoist passed through Taishan County that father's injuries were finally cured. Thus, we have this marriage contract."

Madam Xu said in a low voice, "From the looks of it, that Daoist truly does seem to have some skill."

Xu Shiji lifted his head and looked out the window at the azure sky. "In this boundless universe, the winds follow the tiger and the clouds follow the dragon, and there exist an innumerable number of experts. In the field of medicine, that Daoist could be called a saint, so naturally he can't be ordinary. Or else why would father betroth Little Rong to that person's descendant?"

Madam Xu was somewhat uneasy and advised, "At the moment, the most important thing is that marriage contract…if that Daoist's background is not impressive, if he isn't someone important, it's not necessary to be too overly cautious."

Xu Shiji's expression was cold. "Let that young Daoist wake up a little."

Madam Xu's voice dropped even lower, such that one would have to listen carefully to hear clearly. "That little Daoist doesn't seem to be someone that will take his leave for any random benefits. If he continues to harass us, what then? During next year's opening of the Mausoleum of Books, the southern sects will definitely send a diplomatic mission. At that time, I'm afraid they will formally go to the Imperial Court to propose. We can't let anything go wrong."

Xu Shiji narrowed his eyes like a fierce tiger about to sleep. "Then we just burn him into ash and toss it into the Luo River."

The rainy season would arrive in the next few days and the Luo River was on the verge of rising. Whether it was bones or ashes, when thrown into the Luo River, they would all quickly disappear.



To pick is to choose. This is a story about choices. Three thousand worlds full of gods and demons, with a daoist scroll in your hand, you are able to control the entire universe…

At the beginning of time, a mystical meteor came crashing down from outer space and scattered all over the world. A piece of it landed in the Eastern Continent, with mysterious totems carved upon it. Through the observation of these totems, humankind comprehended the Dao and established the Orthodoxy.

Several thousand years later, the fourteen years old orphan Chen Changsheng left his master to cure his illness and change his fate. He brought a piece of marriage vow with him to the capital, thus began the journey of a rising hero.

Yize still took his grandson to continue shopping on the street to buy snacks, and did not notice an ordinary villager approaching.
At the moment when the two people passed by, Ize felt only a huge force hit his shoulders, and his figure instantly stood unstable.
Years of fighting experience made his body instantly pose a fighting posture, and 2 Shinōbi appeared on the side of Elder Izawa 2 in succession.
Just when Elder Izawa was in a fighting posture, the villagers on the opposite side scratched his head and said: "Old man, didn't he just hit him, as for such a big battle, is it to want to swindle people.
It looks like you are quite old. At such an old age, I still think that you are too shameless to have no shame. "
A Shinōbi standing on the side of Izawa grabbed one of the villagers' arms in an instant and twisted behind him, saying, "Who said you are wrong, blind?"
"There is also a helper. If you are unsuccessful, you want to do it." The villager arrested shouted.
"It is Uchiha Clan who is responsible for the safety of the villagers. Waiting for the patrol team to come, I will definitely punish you guys who corrupt Konoha."
Elder Izawa's complexion was a burst of green and a burst of red.
The villagers suddenly shouted at this scene: "Everyone saw that, I didn't move him. He vomited blood himself, and he couldn't let him lie to me."
Yize waved his hand and said: "Let him go, just hit it by accident."
"Yes." Shinōbi, who grabbed the villager, let go of his hand, and the villager stumbled out of the crowd suddenly, disappearing without a trace.
"Elder, your injury?"
"No problem, when I was just hit, I thought it was a sudden attack. It was because I was too sensitive. It affected the previous injury.
Today, I rarely took my grandson to go shopping. Didn't expect an accident, Matsushima, just go shopping here today, buy what you want to eat and go home to eat, OK. "
"Grandfather's injury matters. Wait for Grandfather's injury to go shopping with Matsushima. When the time comes I want to buy a lot of delicious food."
With a smile on his face, Izawa said: "Okay, when the time comes Matsushima, I want to buy everything from Grandfather."
With his grandson walking in the direction of his family, Ize's mind was full of doubts as he walked.
At that time, the villagers who had come across had already entered Yize's sight. According to his estimation, the two sides should not be able to collide, but in the end they did.
Are you really old, some dim-sighted from old age, have no hunch of danger at all.
Before the collision, Ize did not have any hunch.
Sensitive body has become more and more dull when he was young, Izawa sighed.
As for the possibility that the villagers were pretending to be a ninja expert, Izawa never thought about it.
Uchiha clan, in Fugaku's house.
Fugaku and Uchiha Kon sat opposite each other.
Uchiha Kon said with a smile on his face: "It's a good performance. It is estimated that Elder Izawa is mad at you. These Konoha Elders pay more attention to their faces.
It was even thought by a villager that he wanted to touch porcelain, and think about Elder Izawa's complexion at that time. I was unable to bear and wanted to laugh. "
"This trial was quite smooth. The next step is to find a suitable time to go directly to a ruthless one and make him completely disabled. It can no longer be mixed with things in the village."
Elder Izawa's injury was not serious, but the impact was so sudden that he was mistaken for someone to be assassinated in the street, and Chakra, with the body, broke out and forced the injury.
After 2 to 3 days, there was no problem. Several Elders visited the hospital one after another.
Whenever I think about this, Izawa's face becomes ugly. Once this kind of thing spreads, his face in Konoha is completely lost.
In his own village, a villager was scared to vomit blood, and was vilified for touching porcelain and misrepresenting people.
Fortunately, many Konohagakure Shinōbi people understand that he vomited blood because he caused physical injuries.
In the past few days, the grandson Matsushima often came to see him, giving him great relief, shopping again with the grandson, eating various foods, and satisfying the grandson's wishes.
All the way to peace, not at all collided with people again, Elder Izawa did not take it seriously, 2 Shinōbi relaxed in charge of Izawa, it seems that the collision a few days ago was just an accident.
Time passed slowly, half a month time passed, Danzō's Land of Stone trip achieved good results, and Iwagakure increased troops again at the border, holding down a large number of Shinōbi in Kumogakure.
At the same time, Kumogakure sent 3000 Shinōbi, led by multiple Kumogakure seniors, to confront the Konoha at the Land of Moon border.
Konohagakure appears to be calm and tranquil. Fugaku's half a month is extremely leisurely.
In secret, he keeps an eye on the information of several Elders, especially Elder Minamoto who is responsible for the food supply of Land of Moon Konohagakure Shinōbi.
The assassination squad targets him as the next person and must always understand his every move.
At the same time, the timing of the action against Elder Izawa is ripe. Ize will take his grandson to go shopping in the village every one or two days and taste Konoha's food.
It was another sunny morning when Matsushima came to Izawa's house again, and both grandfather and grandson began to hang out on the street.
This half a month, Izawa felt the joy of the world, two people were walking on the street, and the crowd was very lively.
In a secluded alley in the street, a wave of Dark Mist surging reveals two ordinary villagers.
These two people, one person is changed by Fugaku's Shadow Clone, and one person is changed by the body.
2 people walked towards Konoha street one after another.
Fugaku scanned the crowd on the street. Elder Izawa's back was easy to recognize, with a child beside him.
2 people approached slowly, talking while walking, gradually approaching Elder Izawa.
Yize has noticed 2 people behind him, but 2 people not at all are suspicious. Like most villagers, they occasionally buy a few snacks to taste.
Soon Izawa forgot the two of them, and took his grandson to continue to taste the next food.
At this time Elder Izawa's hands were full of snacks and skewers.
At this moment, the two villagers behind him suddenly fired.
"My sweet sesame balls are delicious."
"Salty sesame meatballs are delicious. They are too sweet and too greasy."
At first, the two people just communicated loudly, and finally they even became quarreling.
Shadow Clone suddenly shoved the body and shouted: "Go to hell you."
The body receded towards the back instantly, and behind him was Elder Izawa. Fugaku's body stretched out with one hand, and stumbled toward the front.
At the same time one after another thin Dark Mist began to gather on the arm, Fugaku's arm contracted and the elbow bent.
Dark Mist is diffuse at the elbow tip. If you stare at Fugaku's elbow at any moment, you will find that one of his outstretched arms suddenly disappeared.
At a distance from Elder Izawa, the elbow hidden in the Dark Mist was just above the joint in the middle of the back spine of Elder Izawa.

Uchiha Fugaku said to Uchiha  Itachi in front of him, "Uchiha is the first Clan in Konoha, and it can take power without a coup."

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The atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly turned hotter by a notch. Theeya observed Dawood's balding head was trickled with beads of perspiration. 

"I guess all three of us are haunted by the same pair of red eyes. It seems like it's a family curse, what really is in the secret cave, Professor?" Dawood turned to Professor Jeff Everett.

"Richest beyond man's wildest dreams and the Holy Grail of Immortality," Jeff stated in a quiet but firm voice. 

"But Jeff, why did the thieves die if they have access to the Holy Grail of Immortality? It doesn't make sense," said Theeya.

"Now that is something that we will figure out after looking at all the parchments. You see, the inscriptions on the parchments have been identical so far except for some symbols in certain parts. Look, the words are the same, it is the same poetic description of Open Sesame and what lies beyond the cave's door," Jeff pointed at the tablet showing the pictures of the parchments to Dawood and Theeya.

Dawood cleared his throat, "Excuse me, I don't read ancient Egyptian."

"Oh, I'm sorry, here is the translation," Jeff recited the poetic words:

"Open Sesame to all the riches your eyes could hold
Close Sesame to protect what matters most to the world 
Gold comes to naught in the face of death
The true treasure of the immortal life lies beyond Open Sesame 
Only with the reddest blush of a maiden would it be unlocked."

"Hmm, while we are cracking our heads on the riddle, let's dig in," said Dawood motioning us to start paying attention to the food that was served to us. 

"Fair enough, we still have the whole of tomorrow to talk about this," Jeff took a bite of his falafel.

After an uneventful dining experience, with decent food and small talk with the two gentlemen Theeya could not help but compare the stark contrast between the two men. One was so devilishly handsome while another was a balding unattractive man. 

"Who are we meeting tomorrow?" asked Theeya.

"My distant cousins Hameed and Hamood. They are twins. Seems like the curse got to them as well," he sighed.

"That's interesting. I would have presumed the curse would only affect one twin at a time and not both at the same time," Jeff's interest was piqued. 

"It was said that our ancestors were brothers. Not sure how the curse is distributed," shrugged Dawood.

"I just want to stop these nightmares. My cousins began having the after their father passed away 18 months ago. That was when I found out that I would be next in line to inherit the curse," continued Dawood. 

"Your business seems to be doing well," I took note of the endless stream of patrons walking into the restaurant with a considerably long queue that extended all the way into the lobby and the front entrance of the hotel. 

"Our Chef works his magic well," he beamed. 

Theeya had to concur. Dinner was delectable indeed. 

"Let's cheers to an end to nightmares," Dawood raised his glass and three glass clinked in unison. 

"We have a long day tomorrow so we better don't over indulge in the alcohol, we better get to bed now shall we?" Jeff gave knowing smile to Theeya, reminding her of her drunken episode on flight earlier that day. 

Theeya felt her blood rushing to her face and Dawood commented on her blushed face.

"I think we have found our blushing maiden as described in the ancient writing! We just have to feed her some drinks!" he laughed merrily, making Theeya blushed even redder.

"I think it's best to go to bed earlier today. It had been a long flight today," Theeya mumbled.

After saying goodnight, Dawood bade Theeya and Jeff goodbye and turned his attention to a couple at the table near to the entrance of the restaurant. As they crossed over to the lobby and made their way up the five flight of stairs, Theeya noted that Jeff was an extremely fit guy for his age.

At Level 3, Jeff suddenly reached out to her hands and pulled her closer to his chest. Before Theeya could shout out loud he assured her: 
"Don't be alarmed. Someone is following us," Jeff kept her in his embrace as she nodded and rested her head on his chest. 

They lingered on Level 3 for the next three minutes as a man wearing a baseball cap stared at them until he walked back down the stairs. 

"Better be safe than sorry," said Jeff as he broke the hug. Still holding her hand, he walked up the remaining two levels to the penthouse. After making sure that they were not being followed, they entered the room and double locked the door. 

"Jeff, who would want to follow us? I mean like who was that?" Theeya asked. 

The question went unanswered as Jeff checked the bathroom and the wardrobe to see if there were anyone hiding in their room. 

Satisfied that the room was clear, he looked out of the window overlooking the street in front. 

His face was grim. "Everyone want to live forever and be rich, Theeya. We just have to be on guard if we want to stay alive and safe," he said.

"Who else knows about this besides the descendants?" whispered Theeya.

"Everyone who knows the descendants," Jeff replied. 

"So we have forty families feuds to worry about now and them sending spies and hitmen or assassins to kill us?" Theeya frowned.

"They won't kill us so soon, not until we found the cave anyway," Jeff shrugged like it was a normal everyday occurrence to have assassins hot on his trail.

"And you are not worried about it?" Theeya looked at him incredulously. 

"We all will die one day, Theeya. Have no fear. They won't kill us now. We have the nightmares to deal with for now, enough now let's turn down for bed," he patted on her head yet making her feel like a child. 

That night Theeya had another restless sleep with the red eyes appearing in front of her again. This time it was at the lobby with the red lights. Somehow the red eyes appeared redder than ever and the white fangs sharper than ever. Theeya saw couples on the floor and on the couch. On closer look, they were vampires feeding on humans. One male vampire looked up and saw that his female human companion was ashen white, he dropped her dead body to the floor and flashed his fangs in a smile at Theeya. It was Jeff Everett's face. Then the evil laughter started. Every vampire in the room started laughing in unison. The sound was deafening. Theeya placed both her hands to cover her ears and screamed with all her might. 

"Theeya, Theeya! Wake up!" Theeya felt her shoulders being shaken by two firm hands.

She opened her eyes and saw Jeff's concerned face inches away from hers. She screamed again. 

"Hush, it was just a dream, Theeya!" Jeff tried to hold her while she fought him off. 

The dream felt so real! 

"Let go of me!" Theeya screamed and bit into Jeff's right hand. 

"Ouch! What came over you Theeya!" Jeff took a step back and withdrew his hands from her shoulders. 

Theeya stared at Jeff like a frightened animal. 

"What did you see in your nightmare?" Jeff pleaded. Blood was trickling down his hand where teeth punctured his skin. 

"You're bleeding," Theeya suddenly came to her senses. 

"I'm sorry, let me help you with that," she got up and took out the first aid kit to tend to Jeff's wound. 

The sky was still dark outside. A quick look at her phone showed 4.44am.

"Jeff bleeds. He can't be a Monster or a vampire," Theeya shuddered at the memory of her nightmare and suddenly she felt sorry for hurting Jeff. 

"Now do you want to tell me what you saw in your dream that made you attack me?" asked Jeff. 

"It was another nightmare," Theeya looked down.

Jeff rolled his eyes, "Obviously!"

"Can we talk about it in the morning when the sun is up? I still feel sleepy," said Theeya. She just felt like curling up into a ball and crying herself to sleep. 

"Fine. Just try not to attack me the next time you wake up," he said and turned off the light. 

Theeya found solace by hugging the love shaped giant pillow on the water bed and slowly drifted into a restless slumber. 

"Prove your worth!" she was rudely awakened by the red eyes again, her heart beating so fast she felt she could die from fear.

"Prove what worth? How can I prove my worth?" It was at that moment that she regretted her decision to fulfill her late father's wish. She did not sign up for these nightmares.

"Father never warned me about this," she whispered as her eyes caught the first ray of sun shine peeking through the window. 

Then her attention shifted to the couch and noticed that Jeff was still asleep. 

She boldly walked over and sat down on the carpeted floor while watching Jeff sleep. She decided that he was more devilishly handsome than god-like. After her nightmare she truly believe that only one associated with the Devil could be so good looking. 

Feeling like a voyeur watching Jeff sleeping, Theeya suddenly felt self-conscious and stood up and walked to the window. She stood by the window and thought she saw a hooded man in blue who stood at the corner of the street looking towards her direction. She rushed to her bag to get her glasses out to get a clearer look. By the time she wore her glasses and looked through the window again in a matter of minutes, the man was no where to be seen.

I was running away from them. 

My baby was crying in my arms as I tried to shush him. 

The biting cold was harsh my already thin frame. My baby’s lips started turning white. I glanced at how my baby boy stopped crying. I continued running until the town was far behind us and all I could see in front of us were just a field of thick snow. 

My baby’s lips turned blue. 

“Oh Lord, please don’t let anything happen to him,” I prayed to God and caught sight of an old church up the hill to the left of the snow-covered path. 

“Hang on there, baby, we are almost there,” I whispered to him. 

The falling snow was heavier as the minutes ticked by. Soon we were caught in a blizzard. 
With much difficulty we managed to reach the old church.

My heart sank as I saw that it was a dilapidated and abandoned church. It only meant one thing, no warm fire to save my baby. 

I went inside anyway as that was the only shelter available for miles on end. There was no fire wood by the fire place. No blankets, no rugs or anything that I could use to warm us up. All my baby had was me. I cuddled him closer. 

I was losing my baby. 

“No, God! Lord if you can hear my prayer I am at your House right now please let my baby live! You can take my live, please let my baby live!!! Please Lord I beg you,” I kept repeating my prayer believing if I prayer hard enough God will really grant my wish and let me trade my life for my baby’s life.

I did not know how long I prayed. When I finally checked on my son he was cold and dead. God did not help us. My prayers went unanswered. I wished the Earth would just open up and swallow me up as I lost the will to live on. I had lost my son, what else was there for me to live for? 

My last thoughts before I lost consciousness was, “God failed me.”

********************************

This incarnation:

Theeya is the direct descendant of one of the original Forty Thieves. When everyone thought it was just a bedtime story that was popularized in the 1001 Arabian Nights. Their entire life changed course, taking on a totally different direction the moment Ali Baba killed all forty thieves. Theeya’s ancestors were guarding their family heirloom zealously. The only clue her late father guarded zealously was the parchment containing clues to where the secret cave was. Every man of each generation tried and failed to unravel the well hidden secret. Years later, it became her father’s obsession. Unfortunately he died without fulfilling his wish, that was to claim his birth right. 

As her late father had no son, only daughters, Theeya took it upon herself to continue her father’s legacy, to reclaim their family’s inheritance. 

She consulted the help of a dashing Professor, specialising in Egyptology, to unravel the mysteries of the parchments passed down from her forefathers. She found herself falling in love with Prof Jeff Everett, a man whom she thought to be gay. 

Only two years before that Theeya turned down the marriage proposal from her ex who cheated on her and had a baby with another woman when they were stil together. 

Theeya promised herself that she had no time for romance. She must not get married. She must not let her father down.

It was up to her to get to the secret cave and find that Holy Grail of Immortality even if that means going to the end of the world looking for it, not that she mind to travel with the devilishly handsome Professor Everett. 

Her legs would go jelly and she would swoon each time she was in the Professor’s presence. Can she really survive her adventure with Professor Everett?

As they traced the footsteps of men who lived for the secrets of the cave and the Holy Grail, they found the other descendants of the original Forty Thieves. One thing in common bound them, one thing that none could ever ignore, the bloody red eyes that would haunt their sleep. Would these nightmares end once they unravel the ancient secrets of the Forty Thieves cave?

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