A week had passed since the mission began.
During that time, Bi Ri had tried several times to spend some time alone with Shi Yun Lan. However, she was constantly surprised by Phyllis, who was also trying to win her young master's heart.
This made Bi Ri angry, but she quickly calmed herself down and reminded herself,
'I am just his woman. I'm not his wife or anything like that.'
She felt relieved whenever Phyllis failed to receive even a warm glance from him.
Meanwhile, Shi Yun Lan had no idea what was happening.
'What happened to those women? They are weird...'
He was thinking about it while visiting his father.
He wanted to ask his father for a favor, but when he arrived, he found Shi Yun Suan walking out of the office.
Excitement filled Shi Yun Suan's face.
"Oh?! You—!"
"Hello, brother."
Shi Yun Lan greeted him calmly and asked for permission to enter the office.
Shi Yun Suan wanted to fight him again, but he remembered his brother's overwhelming strength.
More importantly, he had already received a mission that could directly raise him to the position of the family's next heir.
He smiled maliciously.
'It doesn't matter! Once I get that beauty, I'll be in the highest position!'
...
Shi Yun Lan entered the office, greeted his father, and sat before him on the floor.
Shi Yun Han looked at his son.
"Is there something you want?"
"Yes. I want books and manuscripts about the human body."
"...?"
Shi Yun Han didn't understand what was going through his son's mind.
However, he had promised to let Shi Yun Lan do whatever he wanted, so he asked,
"Do you want the best books, or just the basics?"
"I want to know the smallest unit in the human body."
Shi Yun Han thought for a moment.
Before he could answer, another voice echoed through the room.
"You can go to the Southern Continent. They are the best in that field."
Shi Yun Lan immediately knew that his grandfather wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
And he was right.
Shi Yun Lai approached him and lifted him from the ground as if he were still a child.
"The Southern Continent?"
Shi Yun Lai smiled.
"Yes. Especially the Jian family! I'll ask for—"
"Father!"
Shi Yun Han immediately interrupted him.
His father was about to smirk, but he noticed the gloom spreading throughout the room.
He understood immediately.
"Little Lan, you can leave."
Shi Yun Lan didn't ask any questions.
He simply left the room.
As soon as he disappeared, Shi Yun Lai looked at his son.
"What is wrong with you, little Han?"
Shi Yun Han sighed.
"Did you forget about the Jian family?! Lan can't coexist peacefully with them after he refused their daughter!"
Shi Yun Lai shook his head.
"You are too sensitive when it comes to your son. If it were truly a problem, we wouldn't be able to communicate with them today."
He paused before continuing.
"Do you think we understood each other all these years?"
He pointed at himself.
"When I was young, I once had a death match against one of them. I was even about to kill him."
He smiled.
"But now, we are friends."
"I know, but..."
Shi Yun Han rubbed his head.
"You must know that my sons aren't in a suitable state to become the heir of the family."
He sighed.
"Suan is a real rascal. He wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his own fellows just to survive.
Erk is smart during normal times, but he loses his mind whenever he smells a woman.
And Lan is just..."
He paused.
"...emotionless."
Shi Yun Lai looked at him.
"You can try to guide them."
"I try..."
Shi Yun Han sighed.
"Suan went to the Southern Continent to try his luck with that woman, Jian Blu Eva.
Erk was sent to work with men only so he could control himself.
And I ordered Lan's women to do whatever it takes to awaken his heart."
Shi Yun Lai smiled.
"I see. You're doing your best."
"My best?"
Shi Yun Han smiled bitterly.
"I have a bad feeling about Suan. Erk escapes with his friends to spend nights in brothels.
And Lan just came to ask for a way to train instead of being surrounded by beautiful women."
He spread his hands helplessly.
"What should I do?!"
"..."
Shi Yun Lai hadn't expected that his son was struggling so much with his grandsons.
"You are wrong."
Shi Yun Han looked at him.
"You have to discuss things with them instead of directing them according to your own imagination, as if they were tools."
"..."
Shi Yun Han couldn't object.
But he still added,
"Father, I have more than ten sons and daughters to take care of. None of them has the right to become the heir except those three.
And yet, all three of them are still unsuitable.
And those—!"
"Those are your sons too."
Shi Yun Lai interrupted him.
"The elder sons. You want to treat them differently so they can become reliable, but you've forgotten something important."
He smiled gently.
"You are a father, and they are your sons.
Not a head of a family and his followers."
Shi Yun Han fell silent for a while.
Then he asked quietly,
"Did I do it wrong?"
Shi Yun Lai shook his head.
"You tried."
He paused.
"But you have to be with them and have a heart-to-heart talk..."
Then he added,
"...except little Lan."
"What?!"
Shi Yun Han hadn't expected that answer.
Shi Yun Lai looked at him seriously.
"When you reach my level, you'll understand that little Lan is a special case."
"What do you mean, Father?!"
Shi Yun Han suddenly felt worried about his son.
Shi Yun Lai's expression became solemn.
"He has been cursed since the moment he took his first breath."
"...!!!"
Shi Yun Han froze.
He couldn't understand what his father meant.
Shi Yun Lai continued,
"You killed the man who possessed your son, but the curse was already inside him.
He is emotionless because of it."
Shi Yun Han's knees felt weak.
His breathing became heavy.
"How... can I help him?!"
Shi Yun Lai answered calmly,
"Let him continue his training.
When he reaches the King Level, he'll be able to reach his domain and notice the curse.
Then he can destroy it."
Shi Yun Han couldn't accept that answer.
Tears appeared in his eyes.
"What about you, Father?! You are at the Supreme Level! You must be able to destroy that curse!"
Shi Yun Lai smiled weakly.
"Supreme Level?"
He shook his head.
"I told you before. I'm only at the Sub-Supreme Level.
The real Supreme Level expert is somewhere in this world, and no one knows where he is."
"..."
Shi Yun Han lowered his head.
He let his father leave and spent several minutes regaining his composure.
Then he whispered,
"Well... I couldn't help him.
Nor could I protect his mother."
He let out a heavy sigh.
"I'm useless."
"..."
Shi Yun Lai looked at his son for a final moment.
Then he disappeared after leaving behind a few words.
"Don't let the past consume you.
Little Lan still needs a father who makes him feel safe, not a father who makes him feel worried."
His words remained heavy in the room.
Shi Yun Han sat there silently, thinking about them.
...
"What is wrong with both of you?"
Shi Yun Lan had returned to his room.
However, he found himself between Bi Ri and Phyllis, both wearing unusually revealing clothes.
For the first time, he felt something strange inside himself.
He looked at them with confusion.
"What is wrong with both of you?"
Phyllis became nervous.
She didn't know what to say.
Bi Ri, however, answered calmly,
"The head of the family ordered me to do so."
"Huh?!"
Phyllis hadn't expected Bi Ri to say it so directly.
Shi Yun Lan looked at her.
"And you? What is your reason?"
"WHAAAT?!"
Phyllis shouted nervously.
She didn't even realize that she had shouted in front of her young master.
Shi Yun Lan looked at her with the same indifferent expression.
"Why are you acting so strangely?"
Bi Ri secretly pinched Phyllis.
Phyllis immediately understood.
"It was the head of the family! He ordered me to do it too!"
"Well."
Shi Yun Lan simply left them and entered his room as if nothing worth his attention had happened.
Bi Ri and Phyllis stared at his back.
"What was that?! He didn't react at all!"
Bi Ri sighed.
"That's his problem. He can't properly evaluate feelings."
Phyllis knew that already, but she hadn't experienced it to this extent before.
She looked down at herself.
She knew she looked beautiful and adorable in those clothes.
Yet Shi Yun Lan hadn't even given her a proper glance.
He had spoken to her as if she were wearing armor.
"Bi Ri..."
Phyllis spoke first.
Bi Ri turned toward her.
"At first, I was shy because of the strange order from the head of the family."
She suddenly stood proudly.
"But now..."
Her eyes burned with determination.
"I will get him and make him love me soooo much!"
"Oh?!"
Bi Ri looked at her.
"I really love my young master too, so..."
She stood opposite Phyllis.
"I'll reach his heart first. And I'll give you some space after I'm done."
Shi Yun Lan heard their conversation from inside his room.
He simply shook his head.
However, Shion Lan's emotions were boiling inside him.
'That bastard Shi Yun Lan deserves to die a hundred times!'
Shion inside him was like a volcano.
Shi Yun Lan, however, remained as cold as ever.
...
Time passed.
Shi Yun Lan eventually went to the teleportation circle with his maids and guard, along with several of his followers.
The group stood around the formation while its destination was being verified.
"I didn't expect the head of the family to let Shi Yun Lan go to the Southern Continent."
"You know, he's his most spoiled son."
"But you can't deny his talent. He's already at the General Level and can face people at the Pillar Level despite his age!"
Shi Yun Lan heard the conversations around him but didn't care.
As always.
He simply waited for the teleportation circle to activate.
The light suddenly shone.
It swallowed the entire group.
In the next moment, they opened their eyes.
They had arrived in a strange place.
But there was one familiar face.
Shi Yun Lan looked ahead.
"..."
It was the girl who had rejected him three years ago.
Neither of them spoke.
Phyllis noticed the tense atmosphere.
"Bi Ri, what is going on?"
Bi Ri took a breath.
"She should have been our young master's fiancée."
She paused.
"But she rejected him."
"Wha—?!"
Phyllis almost screamed.
Bi Ri quickly covered her mouth.
The two watched the scene in silence.
As expected of Shi Yun Lan, he didn't care.
He simply approached the girl and extended his hand.
"It has been a long time, Jian Blu Narsi."
"Ah?!"
Jian Blu Narsi was startled.
"Yes... it has been a long time, Shi Yun Lan."
She shook his hand awkwardly.
She still remembered what she had done three years ago.
She had rejected him and chosen a man she considered lowly over him.
Now, standing before Shi Yun Lan again, she couldn't help feeling embarrassed.
The group walked together.
Shi Yun Lan remained calm and cold.
Jian Blu Narsi felt increasingly anxious.
She couldn't find anything to talk about.
It was similar to their meeting three years ago.
But this time, she felt that she didn't even have the right to start a conversation with him.
Soon, they arrived at the gate of the Jian family.
They entered.
Shi Yun Lan immediately noticed the difference.
The Jian family used nature as their habitat, unlike the Shi family, whose territory was filled with man-made palaces.
The roads seemed to have been arranged naturally.
Trees and flowers served as the main decorations.
Even the houses had been carved directly into the mountains.
After entering, Shi Yun Lan asked,
"Can I greet the elder?"
He was referring to the elder who had visited the Shi family three years ago.
Jian Blu Narsi nodded and led him toward her grandfather's room.
The others were left behind as the servants showed them to their guest rooms.
Leon looked around curiously.
After a while, a smile appeared on his face.
"A new place to work in..."
He clenched his fist excitedly.
"Exciting!"
Meanwhile, Bi Ri and Phyllis arranged their young master's room.
They had both agreed not to continue their previous mission for now in order to preserve their dignity.
At the same time, Shi Yun Lan entered the elder's room.
He greeted him respectfully.
"My greetings. I am Shi Yun Lan. We met three years ago when you visited us."
The elder looked at him.
"Ooh! You are the son of that brat?!"
Shi Yun Lan remembered the elder's prejudice against his father and his level.
He quietly suppressed his displeasure.
The elder continued,
"Shi Yun Lai told me that you want physique-enhancement techniques, don't you?"
"Yes."
Shi Yun Lan nodded.
"I am here to learn about the human physique and how to enhance it."
The elder carefully examined him.
Although both Shi Yun Lan and Jian Blu Narsi were at the same level, the elder couldn't help thinking,
'Although they are both at the same level, this boy is far more terrifying.'
He then glanced at his granddaughter and let out a quiet sigh.
"I can prepare a physician and a trainer for you during your stay.
You can rest today and come tomorrow."
The elder said those words while countless thoughts filled his mind.