The sudden call of "Cousin" sent a jolt through Shi Yi's body.
He lowered his head, his memories churning. After a long moment, he recalled a distant relative on his mother Yuyue Xian's side.
A cousin, separated by more than three generations of blood.
"The door's unlocked. Come in," Shi Yi said.
No sooner had he spoken than—
Click.
A hand gently pushed the door open, and a girl of fifteen or sixteen stepped inside.
Though young, she carried herself with striking presence—her figure was full, her legs long and pale, like polished jade pillars.
Dressed in a flowing green skirt, her hair was styled in two buns, lending her an inexplicably cute air.
Her name was Yu Zimo, a distant relative of Shi Yi's mother, Yu Yue Xian. She could call Shi Yi by his name privately, but given his higher status in the family hierarchy, she now addressed the slightly younger Shi Yi as "Cousin."
"Zimo… Cousin Zimo, have a seat."
Shi Yi waved a hand, and a Heavenly Passage flickered behind him. A modest wooden chair materialized before Yu Zimo.
This was furniture he'd crafted by hand back in Stone Village in the Great Wilderness, each piece made with care.
Chairs, tables, benches, pots, pans, bowls—every miscellaneous item was stored in the spaces of his nine Heavenly Passages.
The tenth passage, though a small world, a miniature universe, was filled with earth, water, fire, wind, and yin-yang chaos—hardly a place for clutter.
"Thank you… Cousin."
Yu Zimo pursed her red lips, glancing at the chair. It was crude, uneven, and looked uncomfortable. She wanted to say she didn't need to sit, that she'd leave after a few words.
But seeing Shi Yi's earnest enthusiasm, she sighed inwardly, lifted her skirt, and sat. He was her cousin, after all—she'd give him this courtesy to spare him embarrassment.
"No need for formalities, Cousin Zimo. Why does the Stone Emperor want to see me?" Shi Yi asked, curiosity piqued.
He'd been back for nearly a month. Why summon him now, of all times? Was there some hidden agenda?
"I'm not sure, but I think it's because of your exploits in the Void God Realm's Second Domain, where you dominated all challengers."
"This shook every major power in the Lower Realm's Eight Domains. Even the orthodoxies of the Upper Realm have taken notice. Cousin, you're at the center of a storm…"
Yu Zimo's delicate brows furrowed, her tone tinged with worry. "Cousin, you're the hope of the entire Martial King's Manor. Please be cautious on this trip. Whether it's me, Aunt, or the whole manor, we can't survive without your protection."
She wasn't lying. The Martial King's Manor was held together by Shi Yi alone. If he followed Shi Hao's lead and ran off, the manor would collapse in moments.
The manor's current stability rested on Shi Yi's identity and talent.
First, his status as a direct descendant of the Martial King's Manor.
Second, his gift as a Double-Pupiled bearer.
People were drawn to strength, a herd mentality.
Everyone knew that Shi Yi, with his Double Pupils and ten Heavenly Passages, was destined to rule the Desolation Domain—or even ascend to the Upper Realm—barring an untimely death.
Investment. They had to invest heavily. The Vermilion Bird, in the Great Wilderness, had forcibly betrothed a Fire Kingdom princess to him. The Zhu Yan, meanwhile, had nudged the Stone Emperor to offer a Stone Kingdom princess.
The Vermilion Bird, Zhu Yan, Stone Emperor, and Fire Emperor—rulers of the Desolation Domain's ancient kingdoms—were all betting on Shi Yi's potential, captivated by his Double Pupils and Ten Heavenly Passages.
On the surface, the Martial King's Manor had no pillars left. Its elders were dead, the Demonic Spirit Lake annihilated by Ya Zi and Bi'an, and most of the Rain Clan's younger generation had barely escaped.
The manor's influence had been uprooted.
Yet, with multiple major powers investing in Shi Yi, no one dared touch him—unless they courted death themself.
Why invest in Shi Yi instead of eliminating him as a threat?
First, Shi Yi had no grudges with most powers in the Eight Domains. Investing in him now promised benefits without drawbacks.
Second, with the Martial King's Manor's elders, the Rain Clan, and the Demonic Spirit Lake gone, investing now was like sending aid in a crisis—maximizing returns.
This wasn't a novel.
Shi Yi wasn't a protagonist.
He didn't provoke untouchable forces one day and unbeatable enemies the next. His cautious nature ensured he didn't make enemies everywhere.
"Cousin Zimo, worried already? I haven't even agreed to go yet. He wants to see me, so I have to go?" Shi Yi said, exasperated.
"Cousin, you're young and may not understand. When the Stone Emperor summons, we have no right to refuse," Yu Zimo said, shaking her head.
Her cousin was a bit naive. Ten Heavenly Passages made him a prodigy, and the Heavy Pupil was a ticket to divinity, but an unripened genius wasn't a true genius.
Not that she blamed him.
He was only eleven, after all.
Being a few years older, she felt obliged to guide him.
"No right to refuse?"
Shi Yi neither agreed nor disagreed. Though it felt coercive, he had no intention of openly defying the Stone Emperor. Liu Shen was his final trump card, not to be played lightly.
"Cousin, you don't need to worry too much. The Stone Emperor's summons is likely just to betroth the Sixteenth Princess to you, binding you to the Stone Kingdom's royal family," Yu Zimo reassured.
While comforting him, she privately worried that Shi Yi's stubbornness might lead him to reject the Stone Emperor's goodwill.
If he did, slapping the emperor's face, the Martial King's Manor might struggle to remain in the Stone Kingdom.
"Again?"
Shi Yi felt his world crumble. First, the Vermilion Bird had forced a Fire Kingdom princess on him, practically strong-arming him into agreement. Now the Stone Emperor was doing the same?
Come on.
Did they all think he, Shi Yi, was some lecherous fiend?
"Again?" Yu Zimo asked, puzzled.
"One of the Great Wilderness's four ferocious beasts, the Vermilion Bird, shoved a Fire Kingdom princess at me. If the Stone Emperor does the same, won't the two sides end up fighting?"
Shi Yi felt life was absurd. Other matters aside, being force-fed women left him at a loss for words.
Happy? Not quite.
Annoyed? Not really.
"It's fine. The Sixteenth Princess already knows about the Fire Kingdom princess, and the Stone Emperor surely does too. They must have a tacit understanding to maintain balance. Cousin, it's you who's suffering, sacrificing so much for the Martial King's Manor."
Yu Zimo sighed softly, feeling Shi Yi's burden was immense.
To prop up the family, he had to accept two princesses he'd never met or known.
Thankfully, whether the Fire Kingdom or Stone Kingdom princess, both were betrothals, not Shi Yi marrying into their families.
Betrothal—alliances—had little impact on Shi Yi himself. The Fire and Stone Emperors aimed to tie him to their causes, not shackle him with a woman.
Shi Yi's future would surely outshine them.
They wouldn't meddle recklessly in such matters.
_
If you want to support me and read advanced 100+ chapters and also other stories: patreon.com/Caluem