"Uncle..."
Zhang Yue stared at the empty space where the blazing sword had vanished. Her dark eyes remained fixed there, as if it might reappear.
"So this is what awakened people can do?"
Zhang Yanjun smiled faintly.
"Among other things."
He rested his hands on the table once more.
"Awakening is merely the beginning. It is the moment a person's Spiritual Essence first answers their call. After that comes years of cultivation, discipline, and battle. The stronger one's Spiritual Essence becomes, the greater the feats they can achieve."
His tone was matter-of-fact, neither boastful nor modest.
"What you saw just now is the result of decades of training."
Zhang Yue's eyes widened a fraction more.
So... awakening wasn't a superpower.
It was more like opening a door.
Everything beyond that depended on how far someone could walk.
A strange excitement bubbled inside her despite herself.
A world where people forged flaming swords from Spiritual Essence...
Where sorcerers commanded spells and warriors strengthened their bodies beyond human limits...
A cultivation world.
Then another thought struck her.
If everyone began with awakening...
...and the original Zhang Yue had never awakened...
The excitement drained from her face.
Suddenly...
Everything made sense.
The pity in Lianhua's eyes.
The servants' careful words.
The strange silence whenever anyone mentioned her future.
She wasn't merely weak.
She was an anomaly.
Zhang Yue tightened her grip around the teacup.
"And... what if I never awaken?" she asked quietly.
Zhang Yanjun reached across the table and rested a reassuring hand over hers.
"Power doesn't always arrive on schedule, Yue."
His voice was steady, carrying none of the disappointment she had expected.
"You have survived things that would have broken stronger people. If anyone has the strength to carve her own destiny, it's you. Whether you awaken tomorrow, ten years from now, or never at all..." He smiled warmly. "You are still the young miss of the Zhang family."
His grip tightened ever so slightly.
"And as long as we're here, we'll protect you."
A smile finally returned to his face.
Zhang Yue chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Careful, Uncle. If you keep praising me like this, I'll start believing I'm special."
Zhang Yanjun let out a quiet laugh.
"Good."
He looked at her with the same gentle certainty.
"Because you are."
His voice softened.
"You're home now, Yue'er. We will do everything in our power to make sure you live a happy life."
Something loosened inside her chest.
For the first time since waking in this unfamiliar world, she felt... safe.
"Thank you, Uncle."
She smiled. "I'll remember that promise."
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
It was comfortable.
She took another sip of tea before another question surfaced.
"Uncle..."
"Hm?"
"Is it always this quiet here?"
He glanced around the courtyard.
"This manor."
She looked toward the long corridors stretching into the distance.
"It's enormous. But I've only met you, Grandfather and the servants. It feels..."
She searched for the right word.
"...empty."
"It has always been that way. Though don't mistake it for loneliness. We are a warrior clan and our people are scattered across the kingdom, each fulfilling their own duties."
His gaze drifted toward the quiet courtyard.
"As for this residence... my mother passed away shortly after I was born. Everyone urged my father to remarry, but he refused."
He smiled faintly at the memory.
"He spent most of his life stationed in the Northern Province. We were raised by our grand parents and nannies. So it was always just your mother and me."
Zhang Yue nodded.
That explained why the manor felt so peaceful... and so lonely.
A thought surfaced in her mind.
"My parents had an arranged marriage, didn't they?"
"They did."
"Is that how everyone gets married here?"
The question caught him off guard.
"Not everyone," Zhang Yanjun replied after a moment. "But among noble families, marriage is often tied to duty rather than affection."
He sighed softly.
"Your mother had very few choices."
"Why?"
"She was the greatest warrior of her generation. A top tier crimson order warrior, who was about to break the warden of veil and move into a master level."
Zhang Yue blinked. Even though she had no idea about the ranks and tiers, she could understand from her uncle's words that her mother held great power.
"Most men wanted a gentle wife who could manage the household. Very few were willing to marry a woman whose reputation eclipsed their own."
"And my father?"
"He believed he could."
A trace of regret flickered across Zhang Yanjun's face.
"But reality proved far more complicated. Brother in law, being a warden of the veil in sorcery, their married life was not an easy one."
Zhang Yue lowered her eyes.
"What if she'd fallen in love with someone else?"
He raised an eyebrow when he heard question.
"What if she married another warrior instead of a sorcerer? Do you think their lives must have been different?"
"You certainly ask unusual questions."
She shrugged.
"I'm just curious."
He smiled helplessly.
"Some people do marry for love. Romantic courtship isn't unheard of. But among noble families, it is far less common."
"So..." Zhang Yue tilted her head. "No secret lovers? No second families? No illicit affairs?"
Zhang Yanjun nearly choked on his tea.
"Yue'er!"
She blinked innocently.
"Where do you learn such things?"
"I..." She scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"I read them somewhere."
He shook his head, unable to suppress a laugh.
"They happen. We're all human. But they're hardly respectable."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"So people are expected to remain loyal to one partner."
"Well, for the most part."
He paused.
"Except royalty."
"I thought so."
She rested her chin on her hand.
"Kings always seem to make different rules for themselves."
A laugh escaped him.
"The royal family is an exception. Kings and princes are permitted to take consorts and concubines under tradition."
He waved a hand.
"Though it's far less common than the stories make it seem."
"And princesses?"
He looked at her in doubt.
"What about them?"
"They can't have multiple husbands?"
He opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again.
"No."
"Why?"
A helpless smile appeared on his face.
"Because that is how our laws have always been written."
"So..."
She tapped her finger against the teacup.
"The rules only bend in one direction."
Zhang Yanjun chuckled.
"You truly are your mother's daughter."
She looked up.
"Jie had a remarkable talent for asking questions that made powerful men uncomfortable."
Zhang Yue laughed.
"I think I would've liked her."
"You would have."
Silence settled between them once more.
Then Zhang Yanjun spoke again.
"Yue'er, if one day you choose to marry, I hope it will be because you wish to, not because circumstances leave you with no other choice."
He met her eyes.
"You will never have to settle for less than you deserve."
His lips curved into a reassuring smile.
"If your heart were ever set on someone... even if it's a member of the royal family... such a match wouldn't be impossible."
Zhang Yue's eyebrows lifted.
"You mean... I could become a royal consort if I wanted?"
"Of course." Zhang Yanjun smiled. "I heard that the Crown Prince has recently reached the age to marry. By all accounts, he's an honorable young man. If you were interested, our family could send a proposal."
Zhang Yue stared at him in silence.
Then a mischievous smile slowly spread across her face.
"Uncle...I think you're the one who should marry into the royal family."
"What?
"You're the head of the family."
She spoke with complete seriousness.
"If anyone should strengthen political alliances, it's you. Why sacrifice me first?"
Zhang Yanjun stared at her for a full three seconds.
Then sighed.
"Heaven help the poor soul who thinks he can out-argue you."