An indescribable joy — one that felt as though it welled up from the very depths of the soul, impossible to put into words.
As everyone gathered around Jie to offer their congratulations, Jie listened to the laughter and cheering around her, and slowly closed her eyes.
Then she breathed in, long and deep.
It was like finally feeling solid earth beneath her feet and fresh air filling her lungs — wave after wave of quiet contentment washing over her. And at last, a brilliant smile broke across Jie's face.
"A gathering… huh? Well then, we'd better make it a proper one this time." Jie said, smiling. "Last time I didn't even get to eat anything Xiao Yu cooked…"
"Then I'll go get ready right now."
Yu jumped to her feet and turned to head out of the old temple. "I'll head back to Yuwei House — everyone come on over, yeah?"
"Won't we be disrupting the normal business there?" Jie asked, sounding a little curious. Yu just smiled and winked:
"We'll be fine. Aside from a few regulars, there's never anyone at this hour anyway… it's a small operation, barely scraping together enough to pay Ji-ge's rent as it is…"
Ji: ???
Feeling two pairs of very "friendly" eyes swivel toward him, Ji felt his entire being seize up.
And the moment he caught Shu-jie's gaze growing warmer and more benevolent by the second, he got the distinct feeling he might not live to see tomorrow's sunrise.
"Hold on — when have I ever charged you rent?!" Ji's eyes went wide as he turned on Yu, voice rising — then, catching the light, unbothered smile on Yu's face, he felt a wave of pure helplessness wash over him.
"Don't be so hard on Xiao Yu."
Jie laughed, then teased Ji with a grin. Shu had just let out a sigh when Yi's instigating voice piped up:
"Aiyah, Ji-ge, no use hiding it — I saw the whole thing with my own eyes. I was right there when you collected Xiao Yu's rent, remember? Xiao Yu even asked for a few more days' grace, and you said—"
"Yi!"
"You actually collected it?"
Shu turned to Ji, putting on a look of grave solemnity. Ji's eyes went wide: "Absolutely not!" Heaven as my witness!
What followed was a cascade of incomprehensible declarations — "Yi's framing me," "Xiao Yu's been corrupted," "it must be Little Thirteen leading everyone astray" — and suddenly, inside and outside the old temple alike, the air was filled with boisterous, infectious energy.
It was only then that Wang, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke — his tone carrying just a trace of puzzled confusion:
"Speaking of Little Thirteen… has anyone seen where he went?"
At that, almost everyone present — save for Chongyue and a handful of the other agents — paused and glanced around.
And it was only then that they realized: at some point, Anthony had vanished without a trace.
"Where did he go?" Wang frowned, the question coming out with just a hint of unease.
The answer came from Xi, calm and unhurried:
"About five or six minutes ago, right when Jie-jie came back, he slipped out of the temple quietly… I lost track of him after he went outside."
Xi said it evenly. Wang went quiet for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
"Well — as long as he's alright… though — you actually noticed?"
Wang looked at Xi, mildly surprised. Xi was silent for another beat, then answered with some difficulty, as if the words didn't come easily:
"…He called me 'jie' earlier."
"Pfft."
Nian, nearby, couldn't hold back a laugh. "Xi-gua, so even you have moments like this, huh?"
Xi turned around and shot Nian a withering glare — and there was even the faintest hint of a flush creeping in at the edges. Wang watched the whole scene unfold, and once again let out a quiet sigh.
Once again, a gentle exasperation at this rowdy bunch — but…
Wasn't it actually kind of wonderful?
If anything, this was exactly what the Sui family was supposed to look like. The way things used to be — endlessly tangled up in one trouble after another, never a moment's peace — that was never what a real family should feel like.
A little noisy was fine. More than fine, honestly.
And besides…
Wang looked up, his gaze landing on Jie — on the easy, bright smile on her face — and quietly closed his eyes.
Everyone was enjoying this. That was more than enough.
So then, that left only a handful of loose ends to tie up.
"Let's have the gathering first."
But after a moment's reflection, Wang let out a sigh and, unusually, took the initiative to steer the conversation.
Honestly, there was still something nagging at the back of his mind —
— The Year Beast situation was resolved, but what lay ahead could easily be imagined: no small amount of wrangling and red tape. The Sisuitai, the Grand Flame Emperor's side…
Even with the Year Beast gone, there were still plenty of negotiations to be had, rights to be fought for — and it was easy to foresee how long and drawn-out those disputes might become. In fact, it was entirely possible that, precisely because the agents' power was now something to be wary of, the wrangling would only be more pronounced.
Even the gathering tonight at Yuwei House might end up interrupted by some of that.
Normally that'd be one thing — but of all the times for it to happen, Little Thirteen had to be missing, and the Stygian Vessel couldn't get in… where on earth had that kid run off to?
The moment his thoughts landed on Anthony's current whereabouts, Wang felt a wave of weary helplessness.
Going by instinct alone — whenever this particular person was nowhere to be found, it usually meant he was in the middle of causing some kind of scene.
For a moment, Wang's thoughts drifted, and his gaze slid toward the entrance of the old temple.
He could almost picture a certain someone making a nuisance of himself somewhere out there.
---
"Aw, come on, don't be stingy — just a little, just a little…"
"Hey, don't just listen and say nothing — what do you think of the proposal I just laid out? Hold on a second, this craftsmanship is really something, could I get a closer look at this?"
"Don't be so uptight, don't be so uptight — I just helped you sort out a massive headache, didn't I…"
Within the imperial palace, behind the curtained screen, the reigning True Dragon of Grand Flame listened to the endless, unbroken, and utterly shameless stream of words pouring from the person before him — and fell into silence.
He felt profoundly, deeply tired.
As it turned out, Wang's instincts were not wrong in the slightest.
If anything, this was exactly on the nose.
When Anthony was nowhere to be found within eyeshot, it almost certainly meant that a certain Artificer had already made his way somewhere else entirely and was busy causing trouble — or making a nuisance of himself.
Never failed.
After what felt like a very long time — long enough that Anthony had apparently talked himself nearly hoarse and was peering curiously through the curtain — the True Dragon Yan Li finally let out a long, weary exhale:
"…Do you know that conduct like yours could reasonably be called a gross act of disrespect?"
"If We so wished, We could have the guards drag you away right now — flogging, beheading, there's no shortage of charges to be leveled… if We were you, We would not be making such a racket inside this hall."
"Oh, don't be so formal about it."
Anthony smiled and said: "Besides, you haven't actually called anyone to take me away, have you?"
"…And why are you so certain that We would not?"
Yan Li looked at Anthony, something complicated moving through his gaze, and said as much.
"Because you are good."
"…?"
"Ahem — in any case, I trust that Grand Flame would never treat a man of merit this way… and besides…"
Anthony paused briefly, then, still smiling, said quietly: "Can you honestly tell me you're not even a little tempted by my proposal?"
For a moment, Yan Li said nothing.
If he were being perfectly honest… not likely.
There was so much he wanted to say to the person standing before him — so much he wanted to rebuke him for — but every word, when it came to his lips, he swallowed back down.
Not only because of who this person was, or out of the dignity befitting a True Dragon of Grand Flame — but also, genuinely, because…
He couldn't bring himself to it.
However outrageous this person's antics, he had still accomplished something so absurd that even the True Dragon of Grand Flame had to admit it defied all reason.
So could someone please explain to him what was going on?
How had he woken up to find the Year Beast beneath Sui Mausoleum simply… gone?
It was only when Anthony had somehow bypassed every guard and barged into the imperial hall to ramble at him nonstop that Yan Li finally pieced it together: ah, so the Sui family had mobilized as one and completely put an end to the Year Beast…
Completely put an end to it…
What in the — what do you mean, completely put an end to it?!
When that bewildering piece of news had first reached him, Yan Li felt his entire Dragon self go sideways. And the worst part was, after sending people to verify it over and over again — even including his own sense of the world — every single source confirmed that impossibly bizarre report.
So just like that, Yan Li woke up one morning to learn that while he'd been sleeping, the Year Beast had completely collapsed — and that come his next life and the one after that, this would never be a problem he'd need to worry about again.
He was, to put it plainly, absolutely dumbfounded.
He'd even woken up wondering if he was still dreaming.
Because how else could news this absurd be real?
And then, on top of that, Yan Li had learned what it truly meant when they said every mountain has a higher peak — that defeating the Year Beast was only the opening act…
Because very shortly after, Anthony had delivered the next bombshell: "Oh, by the way, forgot to mention — Jie-jie came back to life too. You'll probably be getting a report from Sisuitai about it any moment now — I wanted to give you a heads-up before your blood pressure spikes."
Yan Li had nearly choked on a mouthful of blood then and there.
Blood pressure? Frankly, talking to you is when my blood pressure reaches its absolute peak!
I can see you came here specifically to be insufferable!
And yet every single word the man had said was true!
For a moment, the look in Yan Li's eyes as he regarded Anthony grew even more complicated than before.
And Anthony, meeting that look, only grinned wider — feeling a wave of deep, thorough satisfaction wash over him.
He'd known it. The moment Jie-jie came back, making a beeline for the Grand Flame imperial palace had been absolutely the right call.
It was like finally pulling a rare card after ages of grinding — after pulling off something this huge, if he couldn't come here and dangle it in front of Yan Li's face, he'd feel like something was missing.
Of course, Anthony hadn't come here purely to gloat — that would've been too shallow even for him. The truth was, he'd come with business to attend to.
The goal, naturally, was to lay the groundwork for resolving some of the fallout ahead…
"Well then, Your Majesty — we've talked enough, and the jokes have been made… I wonder, have you given the real matter any thought yet?"
And so Anthony's expression shifted, growing serious, as he addressed the True Dragon in a quiet but direct tone. The True Dragon's brow furrowed, and he fell into consideration once more.
"Your Majesty, allow me to remind you again — this is a one-time opportunity. Once it passes, there will be no second chance."
Anthony raised a hand, the gesture solemn. Yan Li sighed: "We know."
Even knowing that opportunities once lost don't return — still, this matter was… enormously weighty.
What Anthony had proposed was, in a single phrase, something that could shape Grand Flame's national policy for the next hundred years.
And all of it had begun with the collection of items Anthony had referred to, somewhat dismissively, as "little trinkets" when he'd arrived.
Things like the upgraded [Lachimaeus's Roar], the [Autonomous Mineral Detection Array], the [Transmuter]…
An entire assortment of the Artificer's ingenious little gadgets — blueprints Anthony had dug out from the most obscure, cobwebbed corners of the Artificer's archives.
And then Anthony had proceeded to wave all of this in front of Yan Li's face, asking over and over: Tempted? Aren't they something? Want to buy a couple right now? Twenty percent off, limited time offer!
Initially, Yan Li hadn't been particularly inclined to humor the Sui family's Little Thirteen.
But what he'd brought out was simply… too good to ignore.
After running a few trials under Anthony's guidance, Yan Li completely lost the ability to hold back.
Lachimaeus's Roar hardly needed introduction — its mining efficiency was absurdly high; a single activation could outperform hundreds of people working day and night for several days straight. The Autonomous Mineral Detection Array, further boosted by Anthony's Stygian King enhancement, could locate ore deposits nearly a dozen kilometers down — surpassing the current maximum depth limit of any mineshaft in existence.
And the [Transmuter]? That thing had gone straight into the territory of alchemy.
It could literally refine mercury into gold.
No smoke, no mirrors, no tricks.
After seeing the entire suite of Anthony's delightful little devices in action, even Yan Li's hands were trembling slightly.
And to make it worse, Anthony kept sweetening the deal: Like them? None of these have anything to do with the Sui family — yes, I'm the one providing them, but you can have people verify it, one look and it'll be obvious these have zero connection to the Year Beast… no side effects whatsoever when you use them!
And I'm giving you friendship pricing — you'd pay less than market rate, and compared to the productivity these things would unlock, it's essentially giving them away, right?
But that was precisely where the problem lay.
The cheaper the price, the more Yan Li felt something was off.
Cheap was good, yes — but this was too cheap.
What was he actually after?
After a long moment, Yan Li raised his eyes and fixed them on Anthony — and then, in the prolonged silence that followed, finally let out a sigh.
Then, softly, he posed the question:
"You needn't dance around it so much…"
"Tell Us now. What is it you truly want?"
He asked, puzzled: "Why go to such lengths, and yet offer these things at so low a price, with so flimsy a justification?"
At that, Anthony went quiet.
After a long silence, a soft exhale.
"Actually, Your Majesty — you're overthinking it."
Finally, Anthony straightened up, meeting Yan Li's gaze openly, and said in a quiet voice:
"There's no grand conspiracy, no elaborate scheme working in the shadows… it's simply that I want my family to be able to live a normal life."
For a moment, the hand Yan Li had half-raised behind the curtain stilled. He looked up at Anthony — who wore an expression of complete, unaffected ease.
Anthony continued:
"Your Majesty, I won't say more than I need to… I only want to say: this is my one and only purpose."
"Because of the Year Beast, they have endured disruption and hardship for more years than anyone should have to count — suffering and difficulty beyond measure. I won't go on about it at length. I will only say this: in that regard, Grand Flame owes them."
He raised his head, holding Yan Li's gaze through the curtain, and spoke each word with deliberate weight:
"The Year Beast existing — that was reasonable, and I could accept it. Grand Flame did much to support them through it, and for that we are genuinely grateful. But it came with no small amount of hardship. So: we went and ended the Year Beast. And now, at last, we've come to ask you to account for it."
Yan Li said nothing, only turning his head away in irritated silence —
"Your Majesty!"
Anthony raised his voice sharply, calling out directly. Yan Li exhaled slowly, then said, in a measured tone:
"We understand."
"What does Your Majesty mean?"
"We mean that what you wished to say — We have heard it."
Yan Li lowered his eyes, speaking plainly: "Since you want an accounting — then… what accounting do you want?"
"What I want… oh, there's quite a lot, actually."
Anthony suddenly laughed, then began ticking things off on his fingers: "Sisuitai's surveillance, the restriction on gathering freely, the constant wariness and suspicion we live under…"
Then Anthony raised his head, and with sincerity — each word measured and deliberate — he spoke:
"Your Majesty, what I hope for — is that from here on, they can live as people do."
"No longer as agents — but as individuals living in Grand Flame. A group of people who all belong to the same family."
"I also hope they can return to the lives they actually want. The lives they love. You know what the agents are like by nature, don't you, Your Majesty?"
"…You've truly handed Us a thorny problem."
"Well then, Your Majesty — what do you say?"
Anthony asked quietly: "These are the terms I am offering."
Yan Li regarded Anthony, standing there in the open — and fell silent. Anthony, for his part, met Yan Li's gaze with calm composure, waiting for his answer.
Time passed, second by second. The hourglass completed one full cycle, the sand flowing slowly downward…
At last, Yan Li lowered his hand.
"Very well."
Then, eyes cast downward, he said evenly: "We agree."
"Only — can you guarantee that they will not sow chaos within the court?"
"Second Brother and I will keep Jie-jie in line."
Anthony answered simply: "As for the others — do you still not know them, even at this point?"
"…Fine. Then so be it."
Another brief silence, and then Yan Li looked up and gave his answer. Watching the smile spread across Anthony's face, he finally gave in to the question that had been sitting with him:
"Now then — might you answer one question for Us?"
"Your Majesty may ask whatever you wish."
"Why go this far?"
Yan Li asked quietly. Anthony paused at the question — then smiled, and answered:
"You might not believe me if I said it, but… I actually do rather like this place, Grand Flame."
"And… I'm quite fond of the family I have now."
"I see…"
The True Dragon sighed. Then he asked once more: "Then, one final question — Po."
"Where do you come from?"
Yan Li leaned forward slightly, giving voice to the question that had been circling in his mind for days.
Things had reached a point where Anthony had even produced tools that clearly did not belong to this world — if Yan Li still couldn't read something from all of this, he might as well stop being the True Dragon of Grand Flame and just go to sleep.
The Sui family had probably suspected as much for some time — they simply didn't seem to care overly much.
Anthony paused briefly at the question, then gave a quiet smile:
"Does it really matter, Your Majesty?"
"Even if I am a traveler — the one standing here, in this moment, is real."
"Why dwell on it?"
"If you insist on an answer, then… let me think."
Anthony closed his eyes gently — and then, at the very moment before departing the Grand Flame imperial palace, a smile returned to his face, and he gave his answer:
"I come from beyond the stars."
---
A short while later, Anthony walked out of the Grand Flame imperial palace with a light step, strolling down the street, before gradually slowing to a halt. He stood before the entrance of Yuwei House, drew a slow, deep breath — and pushed the door open—
"Yi!! Get back here right now!!"
The moment the door swung open, that roar of outrage hit him square in the face. Anthony couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh.
Now this felt right.
And so he slipped inconspicuously into the Sui family gathering — taking in the scene of everyone squabbling and messing around, of Yu carrying dishes out from the kitchen — and then turned his head, and found himself locking eyes with the eldest brother.
Meeting Chongyue's gaze, Anthony gave an awkward little smile.
As expected of the eldest brother — he'd slipped in so quietly, and been spotted the instant he walked through the door.
"You're back?"
Chongyue looked at Anthony, then settled into the seat beside him. Anthony gave a small nod.
"So — what were you just up to?"
"Ah… call it tying up a loose end."
Anthony exhaled softly, murmuring: "Mission accomplished, more or less — secured a promise from the True Dragon… From here on, all that pressure the Sui family used to live under is gone for good."
"Everyone can live as a real family now, normally. One less thing weighing on my mind."
At Anthony's words, Chongyue fell into silence — and then, finally, let out a long sigh.
"Po — you really didn't have to go to all that trouble. Even if you hadn't, wouldn't there still have been First Brother and Second Brother?"
Chongyue said as much. Anthony only pulled up a crooked smile:
"It's fine. Does it matter who does it?"
He looked at the seventh and eighth siblings roughhousing in front of him, at Ling-jie knocking back drink after drink over in the corner, at Nian yelling for Xiao Yu to bring another two bowls of peppers before getting her head shoved down by Xi — and a quietly delighted smile spread across his face:
"Besides — sometimes I think, if I can do something for everyone, it feels pretty good."
This way, I might actually feel like I've really entered a family…
Anthony thought to himself, with a kind of yearning he couldn't quite hide.
Finally… just a little sense of being alive.
Eating without flavor, breathing without feeling it, even with both feet planted on solid ground — the emptiness and weightlessness in his soul still told him, always, that this was only a Stand's shell…
He had never found any way to locate even a sliver of an anchor for his own existence.
But family — family had always been the anchor that tethered a person to life.
"If nothing else, Big Brother — just take it as me wanting to satisfy a little bit of personal ambition."
And so Anthony smiled and said as much. Chongyue paused slightly, then smiled as well.
"Fair enough — I won't say more on it. You're probably more sensible about this than Wang anyway… Jie looks like she wants to have a word with you, so I'll leave you to it."
Chongyue patted Anthony on the back and rose to leave — and Anthony looked up to find Jie standing before him, a half-smile playing at her lips.
"Sounds like someone's been busy doing remarkable things."
Jie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and settled in beside Anthony, still smiling as she spoke.
"Sure have — might be that in another couple of days, you'll be heading back to Baizhao Academy to teach."
Anthony laughed, turning to Jie: "Happy to be back? How are you feeling?"
"Truly wonderful…"
Jie said softly, heaving a quiet sigh. "It's been so long since I've felt this good… so many years, and I'd almost forgotten what Xiao Yu's cooking tasted like. When I took that first bite just now, I almost couldn't hold back the tears. Don't laugh at me."
"I wouldn't dream of it…"
"So — Anthony, truly, thank you."
Jie said it with complete sincerity, then added: "I'll do what I can to help you in return."
"You… never mind that, just hurry up and come back to life! That's what matters."
As she said it, Jie gave Anthony a gentle nudge on the shoulder and blinked her eyes, then continued:
"So — what are your plans from here?"
"From here on… this Stand will probably stay behind. Leave something as a keepsake — and also, if anything comes up in the future, maybe I can pull a couple of people from the Sui family to help out…"
Anthony thought it over, then gave that answer.
"Then come join the gathering right now. This is exactly the kind of moment that builds bonds."
Jie laughed and pulled Anthony to his feet, leading him back into the heart of the celebration.
As Yu brought dish after dish out from Yuwei House's kitchen, Jie tasted a little of everything — and amidst all the laughter and chatter, she spent this rare evening with her family.
It really has been ages since she'd had this much fun —
Jie couldn't help but think to herself. Then she raised her eyes, and seemed to sense something.
She looked out over the gathering — Ling-jie had drunk herself into a stupor, Second Brother was back to playing the wooden statue, though he had begun speaking up on his own at least a little, which counted as progress. Eldest Brother was pulling various younger siblings aside to ask them this and that. Everyone else was occupied with their own small corners of the evening…
And seeming to feel Jie's gaze, she turned her head, and their eyes met — Jie and the other shared a quiet smile.
As Jie finished taking it all in, a deep, bittersweet feeling stirred within her.
She was home, at last…
The most familiar shape of her family — she had it back.
Such happiness.
She gently closed her eyes, then rose to her feet.
Time to go finish what's left…
She thought to herself, and then, with a smile on her face, stepped out of the gathering room.
She had felt it just a moment ago — someone had arrived. And once she confirmed who it was, a quiet wave of emotion rose in her heart…
Good. While the timing is right — let's go take a look.
With that thought in mind, she slipped quietly outside, opened the door of Yuwei House, and breathed in the gentle evening wind of Baizhao — then let her gaze reach out toward the far end of the road…
And there, at the end of the road, a fairy was slowly approaching.
She stumbled slightly as she walked, and her expression still carried a trace of dazed uncertainty even now.
Nervous.
Unbearably nervous.
Chun didn't even know how she had made it this far on her own feet.
She didn't even know what the first thing she should say would be when the moment came…
She's back.
The moment she had seen that figure on the street — and then later, when the news was confirmed — Chun had known it with absolute certainty, deep in her heart.
And after that, she had also learned about the Sui family's gathering… though His Majesty's side had issued word that it wasn't her concern, Chun had come anyway, pulled by something she couldn't resist.
Not out of any duty to Sisuitai. Entirely of her own will.
And yet — she didn't even know if she had the courage to face Jie.
After all, what had been done was done by her own hands… now, did she truly have the right to beg for forgiveness?
And yet no matter what, she had to come — she must come. Even if the very instant she saw her she turned and fled in blind panic, she still had to come — she had to…!
Chun fell silent for a moment, the thought flashing through her mind.
But still, she couldn't stop herself from halting in place.
When no more than ten paces stood between her and Yuwei House, fear and hesitation swept over her like a wave.
She didn't know what to do next…
"Chun."
Until, out of nowhere, a soft voice calling her name made Chun's eyes fly wide open.
And in that instant, a feeling close to disbelief began to surge in her chest — a tide of emotion like a dam breaking — she snapped her head up, and there, in the moonlight before her, was the person with the gentle smile…
And then she heard her say:
"It's been a while."
And at that, Chun could hold back the tears no longer.
Even as they fell, she raised her face, forced her mouth to open, and let a smile bloom:
"Yeah! It's been a while!"
---
"Whew… that really was one long gathering."
Some unknown number of hours later, aboard the Stygian Vessel, Anthony opened his eyes while seated on the toilet, and couldn't help but murmur as much.
Close call — I nearly called Xi 'jie' right there in front of Nian…
Anthony thought to himself, feeling a giddy sort of pleasure, then shook his head a few times to let the excitement gradually settle and his mind return to clarity.
Alright. Had enough of a good time — time to get back to work.
He gave a symbolic stretch where his soul sat on the toilet, then pulled up the monitoring feed to check in on the Lobby Corp branch aboard the Stygian Vessel.
Excellent — today's Adam Smasher and Muzan were both hard at work generating surplus value as expected!
In an instant, Anthony felt all the familiar groove of his working rhythm come flooding back.
Days like this — now this felt like normal life, didn't it?
And so, just as he was rising to check on this period's catch, he suddenly froze — and then saw the notification that had been pushed from the Stygian Vessel's data center…
[New world coordinates and entry point detected in the Primordial River]
[Verifying world coordinates… Verification complete]
[New World: Terraria]
[Proceed to entry?]
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Jujutsu x Mieruko: Oh no, am I a villain too?
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone