Family Z 2

"Have you found out anything?" Min rubbed his temples as he looked up from his documents.

"Not yet, your highness. It is hard to operate in public without raising suspicions, even more so when the hidden families have their own way of obtaining information," a lanky man bowed before Min.

"Then put more effort into it. Have you not found anything at all?" Min was getting impatient. He wasted 10 years trying to find and locate the hidden families yet there wasn't even as much as a sign of them.

"We know that the eight hidden families have scattered and only a few keep contact with each other."

Min rested his gaze on his assistant and narrowed his eyes in disdain.

"This is pretty much useless information," these words stabbed the assistant in his vulnerable and frail heart.

"Yes, your highness. Please forgive me," his assistant nervously lowered his head even more.

"Go and schedule another ritual," Min waved the assistant away.

He spent a lot of his power training exorcists and he needed to replenish again. He just had to wait for another ten years before Lia's sacrifice bore fruit and he could completely make the Ghost King's ability his and attain even greater power than imagined. The golden power.

Min went through his documents about the hidden families again. He left the funds and affairs to Elder Z but kept an eye on the activities. When the Ghost King wasn't present, the council decided over these affairs, however, now that there was a Ghost King, all decisions went through him.

Min was actually glad that Elder Z took care of these meticulous affairs while he could concentrate on his plan yet all these years bore no fruits, only frustrations.

"Worried?" a bright voice swayed in the room. Leo's smile lit up the dim studies.

"How did the mission go?" Min rubbed his temples again.

"We purged at least a quarter of the ghosts in the south but they keep appearing. There needs to be something done in the mortal world. How are those five faring?" Leo was referring to Yano's team.

"They're doing what they can with little people. Not many wish to go to the mortal world."

"Any clues?"

Min shook his head and Leo's eyes darkened. He could see how frustrated Min was about the lack of information. He was impatient too but couldn't show it, he had to be Min's mental support. The bright light to this dark counterpart and Lia was the one balancing them out.

Lia...

Leo threw that thought away and turned to leave.

"Rest more," he said before the door closed.

***

Lia slowly pressed down the door handle. The cold breeze from outside and the dim moonlight hit her but it was nothing compared to the tall male with short brown hair and narrowed eyes before her.

He sized her up before he let out a small smirk and slightly nodded his head to indicate she should let him in.

Lia remained in the doorframe not breaking the eye contact. He seemed to be about her age yet the dangerous and mischievous glint in his eyes paired with his high nose made him look down on her. She felt a slight shudder but didn't move even as his smirk grew wider and the hostility surrounding him rose.

As he saw she had no intention letting him in, he casually said, "A nice place you live in. Quite hidden and peaceful, almost eerie."

She didn't answer him. He sighed. He put his hand on her shoulder and for the first time, Lia felt a tremendous weight pulling her to the ground.

He used the brief second she froze and walked into her house, "Apologies for intruding."

His carefree voice pulled on her nerves, "If you're sorry about it, don't fuc- don't come in."

He gave her a wry smile and opened each door. Lia wanted to stop him but every time she got anywhere close to him he evaded until he whistled when he opened another room.

"Bingo."

"Do you always go to someone's house in the middle of the night and go through their belongings? Don't you have a bit of decency in you?"

"It's an esteemed hobby of mine."

Lia was fed up. She didn't calculate that someone as boisterous and blatant as him would appear. She had no idea what he wanted. If he was an enemy, she could use the corpse and kill him. He would be a powerful corpse compared to the pathetic excuse of an immortal 'First' was.

"Anyone who keeps a corpse isn't quite decent either," he crouched down and examined it.

"You're quite vicious, feeding him to the ghosts."

Lia didn't say anything but she was alarmed.

"Yup, watched you," he gave her another smirk but the hostile feeling he gave off didn't cease.

"You're sure full of yourself," Lia sneered.

She couldn't kill him for now, she needed to know what he wanted. She didn't even notice someone was watching her and he could've seen her ability.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" Lia headed to the kitchen.

"Eh?" the male was briefly perplexed but followed her. This was a weird turn of events.

"You're not afraid?" he sat on the table and waited for the tea.

"It seems like you have a good reason to appear here, you're not afraid, so why should I be? Are you going to do something outrageous to me?" Lia poured him and herself a cup of tea before sitting opposite to him.

She lightly smiled but wished nothing more than to tear that bastard in front of her to shreds and go to sleep.

She had a vague plan for the second and third son and didn't have time to deal with an unknown, pain in the ass variable.

The more she thought about it, the more she gripped the teacup until it was on the verge of breaking. Only then did she calm down again.

He, on the other side, felt a bit surprised seeing her smile. He knew she was pretty however as beautiful as the small smile was as much as hatred he could feel from it.

"A good reason...?" he lamented on her words and painfully slowly brought the cup to his lips.

He smirked a bit when he saw her eye twitching. It was quite funny to see her attitude towards him. He really wanted to tease her a bit but then reminded himself she might be an enemy.

"I won't harm you," he simply said but Lia could clearly see his distrustful eyes.

"I'm just curious to know what Elder Z's son did to you so that you killed him like that," he shrugged his shoulders.

Lia almost broke her teacup, "you know his identity?"

He simple nodded.

"He was an eyesore, that's why."

He almost choked on the tea, "That's it?"

This time Lia simply nodded. She enjoyed seeing him frustrated. He barged in and threw her off, he should be happy she didn't cut his annoying head off.

"Let's get to the point or else leave," Lia sipped on her tea and looked indifferent.

"What do you plan to do with the corpse."

Lia stopped for a moment and thought if she should tell him or not.

"I'll plan to kill the Z family," she looked at him, "is what I'd say, what would you do?"

It was quiet for a second, the static tension seemed to freeze the whole house to the smallest corner.

"Then I wouldn't mind helping you," he said but his eyes were still distrustful.

"Why would you do that?" Lia also didn't trust him and jumped as he headed to her bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she was furious and tried to push him from her bed.

"I'll be staying here for a while," he simply yawned and pulled the blanket over himself.

Lia took a deep breath and had to control her anger.

"You won't."

He turned to her and smirked, "I will."

Since Lia came back, she has kept her distance from people if it wasn't part of any plan, yet this guy just came and without any scruples or hesitations barged into her life to occupy everything.

"You won't," her voice went several degrees down but he just snorted in response.

"I'll stay here and see how you deal with the Z family."

"Didn't you say you'll help me?"

"You want me too?" he sat up and smirked.

"I can do without you."

"Fair enough," he went back to sleep.

"Hey," Lia kicked him, "What's your name?"

"Interested?"

"You want to freeload here so at least you owe me that."

"It's Noel, yours?"

This time Lia sneered, "You came here without knowing? Didn't you know that you shouldn't give others your identity so easily?"

"You-"

Lia was in a good mood, she finally got him off her bed and he grunted in pain as she told him to sleep on the sofa.

The second and third son of Elder Z were respectively called 'Second' and 'Third'. They left home early in order to pursue their dreams of establishing a business that would make them float in money.

The immortal world now was not that different from the mortal world. They borrowed a lot of convenient inventions from the mortals as they evolved at a frightening speed.

In the past, the immortal world was full of nature and the immortals would bored roam around. They had no need to nurture themselves but since some of them descended, they brought back many great things such as delicacies, fashion and entertainment prompting businesses to flourish and the establishment of currency to happen.

One of those businesses was that of Second and Third whose brand specialised in desserts became an instant hit and much sought after. However, the immortals soon got bored of it and they had to invent new flavours and types to match the constant change of the market and consumers taste.

In every city was a store full of their signature sweets. The rivalling businesses couldn't even compare to it. They lacked the innovative and creative approach the brothers had.

Lia had her breakfast as Noel joined her. She followed his movements and disdained him for making himself at home in her place but she remained quiet until he sat down.

"What do you know about tea?" Lia's question threw him off guard, he analyzed her but she continued to eat without giving him a glance.

"Not much."

"Then what about running a business?"

"Not much."

"You're completely useless."

Noel almost spat out his food, "What are you-"

"Behind this city is an area full of mountains. I wonder why no one took advantage of it?"

Noel was completely lost. He opened his mouth and closed it again. What should he say to it? He had no idea.

Lia was in a good mood again and smiled at him but from his side, it seemed like she was mocking him.

She went to check the corpse and locked the door. She would be out for the whole day and didn't know what Noel would do, much less trust him.

She grabbed a small bag, checked the contents and left the house after giving Noel another mocking smile.

In the city centre, the immortals walked around and the mood was carefree. Laughter filled the air.

Lia went to a small deserted store that had various sweets, left untouched, displayed.

The clerk immediately treated her seeing they finally had a customer in ages but was left disappointed when Lia asked for the owner. The clerk had no reason to refute her and soon Lia sat with the owner, a small middle-aged man at the table and sipped tea.

"You said you had a proposal for me?" the boss sized her up.

He wasn't sure if she was doing this because she was bored or if she was serious. Either way, she quite young in his eyes.

"Yes, please lend me your kitchen first."

The boss was reluctant but seeing he had nothing to lose he agreed. Lia started to work in the kitchen and pulled out her small bag. She never needed to cook since she had attendants who would do it for her but because she wanted to impress Min, she poured all of her efforts into learning the craft.

Yet Min rejected her food every single time, instead, it ended up in Leo's mouth who loved anything she would prepare.

Lia finished a small green pudding and gave it to the owner, "Please try it."

The boss took a spoonful and his eyes widened. It was bitter with a hint of sweetness, it was a particular taste. It wasn't sweet enough to be called a dessert but it also wasn't bitter enough not to be called one.

However, the most surprising thing was that it made one crave for more, despite the strange flavour, it was alluring to the tongue.

"What do you think?" she smiled at him

"This could sell," the boss nodded solemnly.

It was something fresh and addicting. There was no way, people wouldn't go crazy over it especially immortals who always sought something new.

"It works with all sorts of sweets."

"I see," the boss was very happy about this, "what do you want in return?"

"I just want you to become popular and make your business flourish."

"What's the deal though?" the boss ran a business for a long time to know nothing was free.

"If the time comes, I'll ask you fo a small favour. But first, shall we get to work?" Lia pointed at the kitchen.