Honor of the Imperium Battle

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there,"

Xu Hanyu said respectfully, bowing his head directly to show his sincerity.

He looked up and found himself face to face with a young girl who seemed to be around the same age as him.

There was no response, he looked up again into her face clearly but she was wearing a veil and greenish attire that is embedded with a flowery pattern on it. Despite not seeing her entire face, Xu Hanyu thought that her eyes looked pretty.

Then, without saying anything, the girl just walked off, and he watched her head towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

She just ignored me..?

The young man stood there for a moment in confusion, unable to tear his gaze away from the figure of that mysterious girl. Suddenly, a voice called out his name,

"Hanyu'er!" It was Xu Lian, who was slowly approaching him.

"Are you alright? I saw you bumped into that lady just now." Xu Lian slowly walked towards Xu Hanyu with a worried eyess looking him up and down and touching his face with worry.

Xu Hanyu shook his head to reassure her and replied, "I'm fine, Jie. I accidentally bumped into her, and it was my fault."

Xu Lian nodded after hearing the young man's reassurance. "I'm glad you're okay," she replied with a small smile on her face.

"Come on, let's go find a table to sit at." Xu Lian said holding his arms with her.

Then he just nodded in agreement, and started to look around the area.

While observing the area, Xu Lian tugged on the young man's arm and pointed to a quiet corner where the storyteller was facing. "Over there" she whispered.

Xu Hanyu looked where she was pointing and saw the small, empty spot in the area where the storyteller is. It was away from the noise of the restaurant, just right for some peace. Then, both of them made their way to the quiet corner, carefully navigating through the tables and chairs.

When they arrived, they paused to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Xu Lian sat down on one side of the table, and Xu Hanyu took a seat across from her then put his bag of the remaining baozi on the table. After settling into their seats, Xu Lian and Xu Hanyu took a moment to look around the area, taking in the various sights and sounds around them.

Just then, a waiter approached their table with a polite smile.

"What can I get you both today?" he asked, ready to take their order.

Xu Lian smiled broadly at the waiter and said, "I'll have your specialty dish for today, and a cup of tea, please." The waiter nodded in understanding and quickly wrote down her order on his mini paper before looking over to Xu Hanyu, waiting for his order.

Xu Hanyu noticed that the waiter was patiently waiting for him and smiled, "Ah, I'll have the same thing as what she ordered," he said.

The waiter nodded once more, writing down Xu Hanyu's order, "Alright, it will be ready in fifteen minutes." then he headed off to the kitchen.

While both of them were waiting for their food to arrive, the old man seemed to have finished the story, and people around them started to clap their hands.

"Good story!"

"That was a good one, old ghost!"

"Haha that was fun!"

Xu Hanyu also started to clap even though he didn't catch the tale the old man was telling. He felt the energy in the area and wanted to join in the celebration, even if he was a bit lost.

As the applause died down, the siblings exchanged smiles.

"Jie, is this what a storyteller is like?" the innocent Xu Hanyu whispered to his sister.

"Seems like it. I barely see people like him. Let's see what he has to share next." Xu Lian responded calmly.

The storyteller took a moment to arrange his thoughts, clearing his throat loudly as he prepared to begin. He cast a knowing smile at his audience, sensing their eagerness to hear a good tale.

"Hey old ghost, what tale are you gonna tell us next?" One of the customers in their area asked.

The storyteller laughed softly, stroking his weathered chin with a calloused hand.

"You all just can't get enough of my stories, can you? Well, I think I have a new one for you today." He leaned back with his eyes shining with mystery.

"Have you ever heard the tale of the Seven Flame Sovereign?"

The faces of the audience in the crowd were full of excitement, and shook their heads together.

"No, no, no! We've never heard about that! Old Ghost, tell us the story!"

"Yes, tell us quickly! Haha!" another customer chimed in.

Xu Hanyu watched the other customers shout with excitement and listened to their chatter. He was also eager to hear the legend and hoped it would be a gripping story that would keep his attention.

The audience hushed as the old storyteller chuckled saying, "Alright, alright, settled down now. Let's have a quiet moment so I can start this tale."

The room also went quiet as what the storyteller said, and everyone settled in as they started drinking and eating their meals.

He was quite pleased with the silence, then continued, "Good, good. Now let me tell you a tale... a tale of the Seven Flame Sovereign," the storyteller began with a strong and clear voice.

"There was a person called 'The Apollo' of the West. 'The Apollo' tried to take over, he brought a storm of trouble to the land. The skies turned dark, and the ground shook with his power. The remaining six personas, bound by their sacred duty, rallied together to face him. They wielded the elemental powers bestowed upon them by the Seven Flame Sovereign, each one representing a different part of her strength."

As the storyteller continued weaving his tale, the waiter approached discreetly, carrying Xu Hanyu and Xu Lian's order.

"Here's your specialty dish for today," he whispered, careful not to interrupt the storyteller. Then he slowly put down the dishes on their table.

Xu Hanyu smiled appreciatively and thanked the waiter, who then discreetly retreated.

The old ghost leaned back, letting the tension build. The audience also leaned in closer widening their eyes with anticipation. "In a huge battle that shook the skies, the six combined their powers, creating a bright show of complex hues. The fight was so intense it broke mountains and changed the flow of rivers. In the end, they managed to stop The Apollo, but it came with a price. Their bodies were broken and they lost a significant amount of their wuqi, leaving them far from their former strength. Other than that, this also had completely changed on the bonds among the personas forever."

With a smile, he continued, "As the clan's strength faded, outsiders noticed their weakness, leading to their tragic end. From this downfall, a legend was born–a secret shared through the years, a dark story of betrayal and the hope that followed. Thus, the tale of the Seven Flame Sovereign became part of history, serving as warning about how the quest for power can bring darkness."

The audience started to murmur in agreement, some nodding as they felt the weight of the story.

"What happened next, old Ghost? Did those guys really die?" one of the audience asked with a curiosity of their voice.

The storyteller chuckled softly, rubbing his chin.

"Well, dear friends, that's all there is to the legend. I'm just a humble storyteller, passing on this tale just as it was told to me." He shrugged, then added, "No one really knows what happened to the remaining personas after the battle against The Apollo. Some say they managed to survive, while others believe they vanished into thin air."

"That sucks!" one of the audience shouted with dissatisfaction.

Xu Lian, hearing the unanswered question, let out a frustrated sigh.

"Ugh, I really wanted to know what happened to them too..."

Then Xu Hanyu tried to comfort his sister, softly replied, "It's alright, Jie. It's just a story. Let's not worry about it too much."

"I hate tales that leave you hanging, you know that, little brother..?" Xu Lian spoke up with a frustration in her voice.

Now, Xu Lian's mood starts to go down again. Sometimes it's really hard to handle her, thankfully, Xu Hanyu was understadable enough.

The young man just nodded in understanding, clearly sympathetic to his sister's frustration.

The young took his utensil and started to eat the food in front of him. Xu Hanyu's eyes sparkled with satisfaction as he enjoyed a mouthful of the specialty dish in their table–juicy cubes of chicken in a sweet soup.

He looked at Xu Lian, excitement shining in his eyes. At the same time, Xu Hanyu thought that maybe encourage her sister to taste the food with lighten up his sister's mood.

"Jie, you've got to taste this, it's delicious"

Xu Lian laughed at her brother's reaction and grabbed her chopsticks, taking a bite of the dish.

"Oh, you're right. This is really good...!" Xu Lian said with a wide smile on her face.

Aiaa, Finally did it..!

Xu Hanyu and Xu Lian started eating their food quickly, and enjoyed every bite of the tasty dish in front of them. With each bite they felt happier and smiled at each other while enjoying their meal.

Later on, they finished their meal, Xu Lian looked extremely satisfied and let out a sigh of contentment.

"Phew! That was truly a delicious one," she said with satisfaction in her eyes while leaning back into her chair.

Xu Hanyu chuckled at his sister's state.

"I've never seen you like this before," he remarked, continuing to laugh. Xu Lian then turned her attention to the task at hand,

"Well, it's a delicious meal... Anyways, let's take care of the bill now." she began glancing around for a waiter.

"Hey, over here..!" she called out to a nearby waiter.

The waiter, who was attending to other guests, heard Xu Lian's call and turned towards their table.

He approached them and asked, "Yes? Did you need something?"

Xu Lian replied, "Yes, we'd like to settle the bill, please."

The waiter nodded and assured them, "Of course, I'll bring the bill right now." With that, he nodded once more and turned to head toward the kitchen to fetch the bill while the two of them patiently waited for the waiter to return with their bill.

"Jie, now that I remembered, today is the day you get picked up of your school..?" Xu Hanyu asked as he was also thinking about how Xu Lian would be leaving soon to attend the Tri-Orchid Institution, and the thought of being alone made him feel even more lonely.

The Tri-Orchid Institution was an academy renowned for nurturing young talents, specifically those around the age of sixteen who were there to elevate their cultivation skills. This year, however, Xu Lian, who had just turned seventeen, had decided to delay her attendance for a year at the institution due to her choice to stay with her younger brother, Xu Hanyu.

Xu Lian chuckled at Xu Hanyu's question, his gaze turning sheepish.

"Yes, that's correct," she admitted.

Then the young man let out a sigh, "Then why did you bring me out if you're supposed to leave today?"

"Well, they haven't arrived yet, and I wanted to spend the entire day with you before leaving." Xu Hanyu nodded, then asked, "I understand but father knows we're out right?"

"Well, uhm hehe...that.." Xu Hanyu noticed Xu Lian's reaction, clearly hiding something.

"Here's your bill...!" The voice of the waiter interrupted.

Seeing the waiter return shortly after while carrying the bill in his hand, interrupted Xu Lian who was about to say something. He placed the bill on the table and stated,

"Here you go, the bill for your meal. That will be two hundred silver..!"

Xu Hanyu's eyes widened and he let out a soft gasp as he heard the bill of their dish.

"Alright," Xu Lian smiled softly.

"Jie.. isn't that a bit too expensive..?" Xu Hanyu asked with concern.

"It's alright, I'm paying for it." she said reassuringly.

Then Xu Lian thanked the waiter and took the bill, examining the items listed. She then fished out her wallet from her mini pouch bag, preparing to pay the bill.

"Here you go, just keep the change."

"Alright, thank you..!" the waiter then turned his back walk away with the money.

"Let's go, little brother..!" Xu Lian then took Hanyu's and went outside the restaurant.

After they left the restaurant, Xu Hanyu suddenly remembered his question earlier that Xu Lian didn't answer.

"Jie, you haven't answered my question." Xu Lian looked puzzled and replied,

"What question?"

"Did our father know we were out?" Xu Hanyu asked.

Xu Lian showed a sly smile on her face, and leaned closer to Xu Hanyu. She checked the surroundings to make sure no one was listening and playfully whispered to the young man, "Promise me, Hanyu'er, you won't breathe a word of our great escape to Father. We wouldn't want him to get even mad at this stubborn sister of yours."

"well..." Xu Hanyu sighed.

"Ehemm...Ehemm.."

Just as she whispered, they heard a sudden cough of a man that interrupt them, and turned to see Lord Xu. Both Xu Lian and Xu Hanyu stiffen as they realize that they had been caught.

"haha..g-greetings, Father.." Xu Lian said nervously.

"Greetings, Father," Xu Hanyu said with a straight back.

***

After Lord Xu caught them, he instructed them to go to the reception hall. Both of them lowered their heads, feeling guilty for sneaking out.

"Father... I didn't mean to sneak out..." Xu Lian said in a soft, remorseful voice.

"Hai... Lian'er, as a young lady, how could you sneak out without my permission?" Lord Xu asked with a worried expression and tone in his voice, putting his hand on his forehead in distress.

He got a little furious about Xu Lian's behavior, as in the Wu Shu Continent, it was considered highly inappropriate for young ladies like Xu Lian to sneak out without their parents' permission. Such behavior was disrespectful and could harm the family's reputation.

Lord Xu believed it was the first time Xu Lian had sneaked out of the house, but in reality, she had been doing this since she was a child.

"I'm sorry, father... It was my fault. Hanyu'er didn't do anything. Please just punish me alone.." Xu Lian kneels and pleaded.

Then Xu Hanyu thought it was unfair if Xu Lian is only getting a punishment, so he also kneels down and asks his father to be punished.

"Father, I also sneaked out so I deserved a punishment..!" Xu Hanyu said while bowing.

Lord Xu couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, contemplating what to do about Xu Lian and Xu Hanyu. As a worrywart, he didn't want his children to get harm especially Xu Lian who's a growing lady, could get harass by outside people.

His expression softened as he looked to his two children, and realized the reason behind Xu Lian's stubborn behavior. He understood that she had sneaked out because of her strong bond with Xu Hanyu and her reluctance to leave for the Tri-Orchid Institution. The two siblings had always been close since then, and Xu Lian was feeling especially reluctant to say goodbye to her younger brother. Since today was the day of her departure for the institute, someone would be coming to pick her up soon.

After careful consideration, Lord Xu finally made his decision. He let out a sigh and decided not to punish the two of them. He had an understanding of their bond and didn't want to punish Xu Lian for wanting to stay by her brother's side.

"Rise up, both of you. I decided not to punish you this time, but only this once. I understand your attachment to each other, but Lian'er must go to the Tri-Orchid Institution. Hanyu'er, you must support and encourage your sister on this path."

"Thank you, father." Both of them thanked Lord Xu in unison and bowed with respect.

Both of them lifted their heads as they stood up, showing a face full of relief and sadness. They knew they had a second chance, but even without punishment, they still had to deal with the upcoming separation. They looked at their father with serious expressions, silently accepting that Xu Lian would soon be leaving for the Tri-Orchid Institution.

Just as Lord Xu finished speaking, a clansman rushed inside the reception hall, panting slightly, interrupting the silence with news.

"Master, a guest from the Tri-Orchid Institution has arrived,"