Before Midnight's Veil

“Troubled, are we? A headache perhaps?”

Du Chen started, his composure momentarily broken, but a wave of relief washed over him as he recognized the voice. “Flaying,” Du Chen quipped, “You ought to rename yourself 'Ghost-Skin'!”

Flaying let out a low chuckle. He settled beside Du Chen, his face still bearing the features of the deceased Frith, and the smile, under the shroud of night, was unsettlingly eerie.

“Deigned to seek me out, have you? What grand affair warrants this audience?” Du Chen inquired.

“Indeed, a matter of considerable import,” Flaying replied. “However, perhaps you should first untangle the predicament before you!” He gestured towards the five women, a knowing, half-smile playing on his lips, much to Du Chen's simmering frustration. “Do not ask me how to proceed. The troubles brought by women are beyond my purview. Nevertheless... I can offer some counsel!”

With that, Flaying sealed his lips. He gazed at Du Chen with a faint, enigmatic smile, leaving Du Chen utterly piqued.

Noticing Du Chen's darkening expression, Flaying clapped him on the shoulder. “Tell me first: do you, or do you not, harbor any interest in those two maidens below? Do you desire to take them as wives?”

“No interest whatsoever,” Du Chen declared emphatically. “I harbor no intention of marrying either of them, for I have no inclination towards matrimony at all!”

“I yearn to believe you,” Flaying yawned, leaning languidly against a tree branch. “Yet, you are, by all accounts, a rather conventional man... Are you deceiving me, or merely deluding yourself? Hmm? Haha!” He pointed nonchalantly at Avril and said, “That girl is named Avril, yes? In Saint John City, she leveraged her family's power to force a marriage...”

Du Chen nodded. He did not inquire how Flaying had come by this knowledge.

“Firstly, you must comprehend this: Even if you were a divine being, you could not expect a mere fifteen-year-old maiden, ignorant of the world, to consider matters from your perspective or gauge your feelings. Her age and maturity simply do not allow for such an understanding! In her eyes, you are likely akin to a beloved... plush toy. Once she fancies it, she merely expects her parents to procure it for her!”

“There is some truth to that! Who would have thought someone as dispassionate as you would possess such insight into a young girl's heart! Continue!” Du Chen drawled, a slight curl to his lips.

Flaying's finger then flicked towards Annie. “She is a descendant of Thunder Halberd Batuk. Her family wields immense power and she herself is doted upon beyond measure! You wish to decline the marriage, yet fear that a direct refusal would dishonor the Batuk Family. After all, the old patriarch of that clan can command the winds and summon the rains; a mere stomp of his foot can shake the Three Continents. Few indeed would dare to brazenly refuse a request put forth by their house!”

Du Chen nodded once more.

Flaying reclined on the tree branch, his hands clasped behind his head. He continued, “Given your circumstances, to deal with such a young lass, the inferior stratagem would be to reveal that the ‘plush toy’ is not as wonderful as she imagines. However, this would tarnish your impeccable reputation, thus rendering it a poor choice!”

“Your tedious prattle today is truly excessive!” Du Chen urged impatiently.

Flaying let out a silent laugh. Yet he pressed on, “The middling stratagem, then, is to present her with a superior ‘plush toy’. But this is merely a middling choice for two reasons: firstly, you would be hard-pressed to find a better ‘plush toy’; secondly, should a woman who loves you shift her affections, would it not leave you utterly disgraced!?” Flaying burst into hearty laughter, yet the sound resonated only within the confines of the tree canopy, not a single trace escaping outwards.

Du Chen also chuckled. “And the supreme stratagem?”

Flaying remained silent for a long moment. Then, with a sudden wave of his hand, he said, “There is no supreme stratagem. In matters of the heart, no 'supreme stratagem' exists! If I must offer counsel, I give you this adage: ‘He who hesitates when action is needed invites calamity!’ Better a swift severance than prolonged agony!”

With these words, he sat upright. He delivered a resounding thump to Du Chen's chest. “You, Emissary of the Yetha God! Master of the Newin River's eight hundred li banks, and thirty thousand subjects! Controller of two of the era's peak Battle Gods! Sovereign who commands the elite Fallen Gods and the Red Phoenix Battle Formation! Manifest your true spirit, and act upon your will! The word ‘hesitation’ should hold no sway over you!”

A dull ache throbbed in his chest. But Du Chen straightened, rising to his feet. He stamped upon a Lotus Pedestal, returning Flaying's blow with a punch of his own. He laughed, “My thanks for your... idle words!”

A shimmer of golden light appeared, and Du Chen vanished from the tree canopy.

“Idle words, indeed?” Flaying gazed at the starry sky, shaking his head. He suddenly shrugged, a scoff escaping him. “‘He who hesitates when action is needed invites calamity’... perhaps it truly was nothing but idle words after all...”

His gaze shifted. It lingered from the starry expanse to the tree canopy, then stretched into the distance. It settled beneath the towering Hot Spring Mountain, coming to rest on the apex of a cloud-piercing, silvery-white colossal edifice — the Battle God Academy Library!

Faint starlight glimmered. The observatory on the library's uppermost floor pulsed with pinpricks of light, echoing the celestial display. Within the observatory, Sherine clutched her chest with one hand, her frame heaving with violent coughs. With her other hand, she slowly sketched upon a canvas.

Harry, Beibei, and Andy, the trio gathered around the dining table in the hall. They ate and drank, all the while listening to the women outside, who had been “discussing” for well over an hour, continue their impassioned debate.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in Harry's ear. He gaped in astonishment. “Mas... oh, Harry understands! Harry shall attend to it immediately!” He murmured a few words to Beibei and Andy. Then, waddling his corpulent frame like a rolling snowball, he made his way to the doorway.

“Esteemed young ladies, it is past nine in the evening,” Harry offered an awkward smile. “Are you not weary? Do you not require rest?” He then pointedly addressed them one by one, beginning with Helen. “Fair maiden, did you not mention an engagement with a friend at the southern docks...? And Miss Kristina, is your esteemed father not currently...”

A thought sparked in Helen's mind. Feigning realization, she offered an apologetic smile. “Indeed, I had almost forgotten! Please, Sir Harry, inform your master upon his return that I shall pay my respects another day!” Helen, who had been mediating both sides of the argument, possessed good social standing. After bidding farewell, she departed.

Kristina, however, seemed to utterly miss Harry's subtly veiled dismissal. Instead, she declared loudly, “Yes, we do need rest! Annie, come on, we'll spend the night at your fiancé's place!” She pulled a reluctant Annie inside. “Tonight, I absolutely must await Francis's return and make him clarify everything!”

Though Avril presented herself as a delicate, demure young mistress, she marched in alongside Kristina, showing not an ounce of weakness. Meanwhile, the mischievous Professor Mina, who had fanned the flames of discord, merely shrugged and followed suit.

Harry offered a wry smile and closed the grand doors.

After Helen left the dormitory district, her emotions surged. Three parts fear, three parts unease, three parts anticipation, yet one part lingering anxiety. She hurried to the beach on the south side of the docks. Catching sight of the figure standing with hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the sea, all her mixed feelings instantly transmuted into abject dread. She abruptly dropped to one knee, respectfully uttering, “Your Excellency, Helen has a petition for you!”

Through repeated interactions, Helen had come to understand the “temperament” of this mysterious Master before her. She hastily added, “Whatever Your Excellency desires, simply command Helen. Helen shall procure it for you, even at the cost of her life!”

Du Chen slowly turned. His gaze was cold, his expression aloof. “Are you attempting to bargain with me? Do you presume there is anything I cannot acquire? Or rather, do you truly possess the ability to obtain something that even I deem unattainable!?”

“Helen would not dare, nor was that my meaning!” Helen quickly replied. “Naturally, Helen lacks the standing to negotiate with Your Excellency. But Helen is truly without other recourse. I can only once more entreat you... I beg Your Excellency to rescue my father and my Divine Pet, Sulan!” Helen finished her plea rapidly, her heart pounding with trepidation as she awaited Du Chen's response.

Du Chen, however, did not directly address her request. Instead, he raised a different matter. “A moment ago, those two maidens were bickering ceaselessly; your mediation was quite commendable, wouldn't you say?”

A layer of cold sweat beaded upon Helen's forehead. She simply could not fathom the mind of the man before her. Was her previous action right or wrong? It could fatally impact the lives of her father and her Divine Pet!

Du Chen's voice grew even colder. He spoke with an almost palpable undercurrent of killing intent. “Your Soul-Ensnaring Art is quite ‘interesting’ – interesting enough to leave a little something behind in that maiden Annie... How amusing. Though I erased those ‘little things’ from Annie's memory, who would have thought they had already taken root and blossomed, causing Annie to fall in love with Francis? Heh, truly fascinating!”

Helen jolted in shock. Even a fool would understand that Du Chen was speaking ironically, expressing immense displeasure. “Your Excellency, forgive me! Helen's capabilities proved insufficient...”

“Silence yourself!” Du Chen turned, clasping his hands behind his back, facing the sea and presenting his back to Helen. After a moment of still silence, he spoke. “Helen, you are indeed deserving of a myriad deaths! However, that ‘little thing’ your father presented to me last time was truly rather exquisite. Therefore, for the sake of that ‘little thing,’ I shall, for a moment, overlook your past transgressions as a lapse of judgment. Now, tell me, what has befallen your father and Sulan?”

That “little thing,” of course, referred to The Master, Alex!

Helen's heart leaped with joy. Lord Francis's tone had taken a favorable turn!

“Mighty and benevolent Your Excellency,” Helen began, “My father and I were pursuing Rogliff on the Arcania Continent. However, Rogliff suddenly acquired a multitude of new henchmen. Furthermore, the woman who fought your friend on Mount Tianshan last time reappeared. It was she who wounded my severely injured father, capturing both him and Sulan... Yet, after her capture, Sulan used her psychic abilities to leave me a message. She conveyed that they would be transported to Mount Tianshan, likely within the next few days! I secretly shadowed their captors for a distance and discovered they have already reached Mount Tianshan today. Alas, I alone possess no means to rescue my father and Sulan. Thus, I came to the Battle God Academy to implore you, O supremely benevolent Your Excellency!” Helen concluded her frantic explanation, her gaze fixed on Du Chen's back with desperate hope.

“Mount Tianshan, you say?” Du Chen, hands clasped behind his back, gazed towards the southwestern sea, slowly nodding. “By the stroke of midnight, your father and Sulan shall return unharmed!”

Helen was overwhelmed by both elation and apprehension. Yet, she voiced a concerned reminder, “Your Excellency, those captors are not only numerous and powerful, but they are all High-level Battle Gods! And it is now only a little over two hours until midnight; for you to travel to Mount Tianshan and back would require...”

“Hmph!” Du Chen let out a cold snort. Then, a proud smile graced his lips. “Mere ants, and a short sea journey to Mount Tianshan? How much time do you imagine I would waste on such trifles? Wait here!”

As he spoke, a burst of golden light flared around Du Chen, and he abruptly vanished.

Only Helen remained, staring blankly at the sea, utterly dumbfounded. Before midnight, to traverse a hundred li of sea, contend with dozens of High-level Battle Gods, and rescue two individuals... What power could possibly accomplish such a feat!? Could it be... was he truly a god?