Teacher by day, Farmer by passion
Chapter 293 - 293: Fairy Pavilion [2]

As Ace stepped into the pavilion, a warm fragrance greeted him, floral, subtle, and clearly engineered to soothe the senses.

The interior of the Fairy Pavilion was elegant and ethereal, with floating lights drifting lazily through the air like lazy fireflies.

A girl stepped forward to greet him, bowing with practiced grace.

"Welcome to the Fairy Pavilion," she said. "I'm Rose. We've met before."

Ace tilted his head slightly, studying her face.

Ah. He did remember.

"You were one of the four who visited Sky High Sect a while back," he said.

A teasing smile crept onto his lips. "You were the eldest, weren't you? I still remember your expression when I found you and your sisters alone with Lily."

Rose's polite composure faltered immediately.

Her cheeks flared up with color, and her eyes darted to the side like a startled squirrel.

"I—w-we… it was a misunderstanding!"

"Of course it was," Ace said, not even trying to hide his amusement.

Rose cleared her throat loudly, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.

"Pavilion Master Luna is waiting for you," she said, her voice an octave too high.

Ace gave her a courteous nod. "Lead the way, Miss Rose."

Still pink in the face, she spun around and began walking, shoulders stiff with forced grace.

He followed, the corners of his lips still twitching upward.

They moved up the spiral staircase floor by floor, the interior of the pavilion becoming increasingly refined the higher they went.

Silk banners drifted gently from the ceiling, enchanted lanterns hovered midair, and faint melodies of zither strings echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Rose didn't speak during the climb, though her ears were still visibly pink.

Finally, at the very top, she stopped in front of a pair of large doors adorned with silver carvings of moonflowers and fairy wings.

With a tight, awkward motion, she pointed at the door.

"…She's inside," Rose mumbled, then immediately turned on her heel and dashed back down the stairs like her shoes were on fire.

Ace raised an eyebrow.

"What an elegant farewell," he said to himself, then reached out and pushed the doors open without hesitation.

They swung inward with a soft chime.

The room was bathed in moonlight, even though it was mid-afternoon outside.

A ceiling illusion spell, perhaps. Or maybe the pavilion simply did not care for the rules of time.

At the center, by a circular table carved of moonstone, sat Luna.

The Pavilion Master.

Her long silver-blue hair spilled over her shoulders like liquid silk, her robes shimmering with starlight embroidery.

Her gaze was calm and serene.

Luna stood gracefully and walked over, offering a polite bow.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said with a radiant smile.

Ace gave a courteous nod and took a seat.

She handed him a cup of tea, and he accepted it silently.

Then… she just stood there. Staring at him. Smiling. Practically glowing.

Ace could feel the intensity of her gaze boring into his side profile.

He sighed, eyes still on the cup. "What?"

"I don't know," Luna replied innocently, clasping her hands behind her back. "You're the one paying me a visit."

"…Right." Ace blinked and let out a breath. "That's true."

He took a sip of the tea, then glanced up. "I heard you recently had an inauguration ceremony. Weren't you already the pavilion master?"

"Oh, that!" Luna rolled her eyes with a playful scoff. "Why didn't you show up? All my elders kept saying you were disrespecting me. But forget them, they're shortsighted, too stupid for their own good."

"I was in seclusion," Ace said evenly.

"In seclusion?" Luna nodded thoughtfully. "Convenient."

"No, really. I've been in seclusion for the past six months."

Luna tilted her head, her smile not budging. "Six months? But… we met two weeks ago."

Ace froze. "We did?"

She sipped her tea. "You handed me the artifact I requested. And it was the original, not a replica. I was touched, I even offered myself. Remember?."

Ace stared at her. Slowly, the memory resurfaced, handing off the artifact, her delighted face, her absurb reaction when she got it.

His eye twitched. "So… I've only been in seclusion for six days?"

Luna took a calm step back from the table, as if instinctively distancing herself from incoming thunder.

Ace slumped slightly in his chair. "Ahhh... that little sister of mine is becoming a real troublemaker…"

"Oh, by the way," Luna said, swirling her tea with a satisfied smile.

"That inauguration wasn't just for show. Our Fairy Pavilion branches are scattered across the country. But with the artifact you gave me…" she leaned in, voice full of pride, "I used it to fight for absolute control."

Ace raised a brow. "So you got it?"

She grinned, eyes sparkling. "Well, yes. Their replicas didn't stand a chance against the original."

With a gleeful giggle, she reached into her sleeve and produced it. "Ta-da!"

it was a stunning comb. Coral blue with accents of rich gold, shaped like the crest of a wave, glinting with an almost ethereal glow.

Ace looked down and ask, "what does it do?"

She twirled it between her fingers and gave a playful flick through the air.

Pop.

Pop. Pop.

Dozens of translucent bubbles floated out, shimmering with pale iridescence as they drifted lazily across the room.

Luna beamed. "Anyone who gets hit by a bubble gets a massive temporary boost in both physical and soul power, for three whole hours! Like, a gold-rank expert jumping a whole major realm, Dark-Gold rank!"

Ace blinked, visibly more impressed now. "That's… absurd."

"And since mine's the original," she added proudly, "it doesn't have any negative debuffs or limits like the fakes."

Ace's curiosity piqued. "Mind if I try?"

Without hesitation, she handed it over.

He swiped it once. More bubbles floated out, dancing in the air. But when he glanced back at Luna, her reaction wasn't what he expected.

The joy on her face had quietly deflated into something… complicated. Pity?

"What?" Ace asked, uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Luna hesitated. Then, biting her lip and looking anywhere but at him, she murmured, "Well… only virgins are supposed to be able to use the artifact."

She stared straight at him.

Ace froze.

Silence filled the room.

The bubbles popped, one by one.

Pop. Pop. Pop.