Fragments, Part Three
Compared to girls her age, Dianya was extremely authoritative. At only fifteen, she had already taken charge of the family, and her decisions on promotions and demotions were absolute, with even her blood relatives and elders not daring to contradict her.
This authority stems both from the methods employed and from the people behind the scenes.
Since taking over the family business, Dianya has been fair in rewarding and punishing people. The family business has actually expanded beyond winemaking, with the majority of profits coming from coastal shipping. Winemaking is now just a traditional custom, and its profit share has decreased significantly.
Brewing wine is hard work with meager pay, while sea transport is easy and highly profitable. Most people in the tribe are willing to work themselves to death for it, and almost no one dares to question it.
Of course, besides ability, my cousin's mother, Dean Tianshui, a level 87 Soul Douluo, and the renowned Lingshui Mirage Mist, is also one of the reasons.
Even though they were blood relatives, Kete didn't want to cause any more trouble at the moment, and could only offer a reminder to the boy.
Midway through the meal, with eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, Bai Cai reached out to grab a dessert. Suddenly, shadows fell over the next table as a young man sat down.
"Kete Belun."
After giving his name, the young man abruptly raised his glass and asked, "Shall we get to know each other?"
After swallowing her dessert, Bai Cai also raised her glass, "White Night."
The delicate fragrance dispelled the smell of alcohol, leaving the young man speechless. "Tea? It's fitting for the occasion."
The wine industry is thriving in the Belun region, and wine is the preferred beverage at banquets. It is rare to see someone drinking tea alone, so this young man is most likely from outside Belun.
"Young man from another country, are you aware of my cousin, Dianya's, identity?"
With one hand swirling a glass and the other pouring wine, the young man cautiously scanned his surroundings. Noticing that a certain young woman was busy socializing and had no time to pay attention to him, he finally lowered his voice and said, "My cousin, even though she represents the Belun Family, is much freer than ordinary girls. Not only her marriage, but everything else can be decided by herself, simply because her mother's status is extraordinary. She is the current dean of Tianshui, Edwina."
"That lord is not yet fifty, but has already reached level eighty-seven. He will surely be granted a title in a few years."
The young man poured himself a drink and sighed, "The phoenix does not associate with sparrows, and the true dragon does not keep company with fish and shrimp."
The wine was finished, and the young man countered, "For birds and fish, is it really a good thing to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy?"
The envious and jealous glances from those around them were unnecessary to say at this point. Bai Cai understood the young man's words perfectly. "Love me, love my dog; hate me, love my dog."
"Now that you understand, please leave. If you cause trouble, not only will..."
Before he could finish speaking, he caught sight of someone approaching nearby. The young man's expression changed instantly. "Well, I have no way to repay this kindness. If we meet again someday, I'd be willing to serve you like a dog or a horse. Brother, I'll take my leave now. Farewell."
After speaking, the young man quickly pushed back his chair and walked away without looking back, not even taking his wine glass with him.
Just a few breaths after the young man left, a pair of slender hands gracefully landed and then clasped together.
It felt like something bumped against the back of her head. Before Bai Cai could even ask, a whisper came from beside her ear, "My cousin is drunk. Please forgive him if he says anything incoherent."
Unaware Frisk any malice, Bai Cai did not report the young man. She leaned back slightly, then lowered her head and fell silent.
The moon was high in the sky, the guests had all left, the servants were cleaning up the clutter, and the courtyard returned to silence.
The stained glass windows reflected the moonlight, making them quite striking. Bai Cai returned to the mansion alone.
In the past few days, aside from goodwill, Bai Cai knew nothing about Dianya.
Even though she had guessed it beforehand, Bai Cai was still very surprised. Even without a title, she already represented the top combat power among Soul Master.
Aside from the Sun Moon Empire, Star Luo Empire, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling Empire, Limit Douluo have already gone into seclusion, Super Douluo are in closed-door cultivation, and there are fewer than a few dozen Titled Douluo.
Among these Titled Douluo, some are nearing the end of their lifespan, others are suffering from serious old injuries, and at least one-third of them must be subtracted. On average, each empire can maintain a deterrent force with at most a dozen or so Titled Douluo.
Furthermore, aside from reclusive sects, the actual number of renowned Titled Douluo is even lower.
Dean Tianshui is naturally stronger than other Soul Master of the same level. At level 87, he is already close to the title realm. In terms of combat power, Edwina, whom Kete mentioned, can even be ranked in the top ten among the Dou Ling Empire.
The fact that the young man, despite being a blood relative, still fled the scene is likely one of the reasons.
However, this makes the situation far from optimistic.
As time goes by, this competition is nearing its end. Staying might mean facing Dean Tianshui directly, or getting caught up in disaster.
Bai Cai quickly made a decision: she must find out the truth as soon as possible and leave the Belun region.
Back in the room, the lights were still on, but the girl in yellow, her face covered by a thin veil, was curled up on the living room floor, her chest rising and falling very weakly, as if she had fallen into a coma.
"Um?"
Bai Cai casually closed the door, then summoned Kirlia, her Confusion quickly enveloping the girl as she began to probe.
There were no external injuries or bloodstains, ruling out an attack.
Slightly flushed cheeks and abnormally elevated body temperature indicate illness or internal injury.
Because she possessed protective Soul Power, if the difference in cultivation level was too great, rashly using Soul Power to probe could have serious consequences. Therefore, Bai Cai immediately withdrew her Confusion, and her Second Soul Ring lit up instantly.
The complete version of the Healing Wish can save anyone, whether from illness or internal injury, as long as there is still a breath left.
However, even after being enveloped in the healing light, and despite her body temperature rapidly dropping, the girl remained unconscious and showed no signs of waking up.
This is abnormal, very abnormal. The mechanism of the Healing Wish is different from ordinary healing Soul Skill, and it doesn't even require slow recuperation.
Having Calm Mind for years, Soul Master can quickly awaken even in deep sleep. Since they have fully recovered, why are they still in a coma?
Unless, of course, the underlying cause of this situation has transcended the realm of injury, such as a congenital disease or being Curse.
Covering her heart with a thin blanket, Bai Cai sighed, "Troublesome."
In this situation, conventional methods are ineffective, and the cause of the coma is still unclear. Even if the root cause is successfully identified, a cure is not guaranteed.
The Healing Wish is futile; even if some Immortal Herb were obtained, it might not be effective.
Misfortune never comes singly, and a delayed boat encounters a headwind. My heart is now the only clue. If something goes wrong, I will be even less able to investigate. I either have to learn from the Dragon King and endure for three years, or I have to run away and go back to school.
At this point, it was impossible to continue the investigation. Rationally speaking, rather than wasting time, it would be better to return to the school and go to the inner courtyard for intensive study.
But if he abandons his post, how will the Belun region resolve this disaster? And where will the wanted man go?
The academy cannot interfere in the internal affairs of the empire unless it involves crimes committed by Soul Master. However, I have no evidence to prove that the disaster was caused by Soul Master. Furthermore, I am still weak and have no prestige. Even if I report this matter to the academy, the academy will most likely not take it seriously.
To combat natural disasters, at least Titled Douluo is needed. Even though the academy has countless powerful individuals, Titled Douluo are not readily available; most need to be stationed in a region to oversee them.
Report to Tianshui?
Using Tina as a connection to directly confront Dean Tianshui seems like a feasible approach.
But what about the heart...?
Bai Cai looked at the bed. The girl was still unconscious, and her strength had diminished, making her seem much weaker than before.