Emperor's Reckoning

The golden lanterns shimmered as the two walked on the street of festive.

The cultivators nearby naturally turned their heads, seeing that the lady fortune-teller was up close. However, neither of them dare enough to approach her because of the figure she was walking with.

"I-I can not believe it," muttered one cultivator.

"That's..."

"Him? With her? He didn't even take his reward?!"

Everyone hissed and dissed but only inwardly. They knew better than offending the aloof young man who had beauties almost every time he walked.

Vivi smiled under her pink veiled, then the smile turned into a genuine chuckle. "It seems like you garnered more attention than me."

"A bit hostile, but attention is attention," said Lyon nonchalantly as he put his hands behind his head.

"Oh? I'm surprised someone as young as you can take this situation really calmly."

"Yeah, well, maybe I just don't care about a stranger's opinion," answered Lyon before he let out a sigh.

"Is that so? Then, am I a stranger to you?"

"I know your name," Lyon smiled as he give her a glance. "That for one takes me one step closer than the rest of your customers."

Vivi's eyes widened for a bit as she paused.

"Hm?" Lyon also stopped before he turned around. "Is something wrong?"

Vivi smiled as she shook her head. She walked past him, "Please don't call them customers."

Lyon raised his brows before he turned around and walk at the same pace as her. Side by side, one whose beauty was halved covered, the other, a walking charismatic time bomb.

"What should I call them then? The fated?" Lyon jested.

"Actually, yes, that sounds a lot better," said Vivi.

"Oh?" Lyon raised his eyebrows before he smiled and shook his head. "What do you want under this moonlight?"

"Hmm... you have a talent for romantic phrasing," Vivi chuckled. "I reckon your wife has a hard time putting you on a leash?"

"I'm not into that kind of play," answered Lyon nonchalantly.

"What?"

"What?"

Vivi suddenly had a red hue of blush on her cheeks as she realized what Lyon had just said. "You... do you... That's not what I meant!"

"Oh really? Then there is no need to get so flustered over th-... Oh? Oh~" Lyon grinned. "Okay..."

"What?!" Vivi furrowed her eyebrows with her shoulders raised to a stiff.

"Nothing," Lyon smiled before he turned around and resumed his stroll.

"Hmph," Vivi followed up and walked by him. "Lyon, can I ask you something?"

"Sure?"

Vivi took a glimpse at his face who was clearly nonchalant about the gazes of his surroundings. The young man was young and had a charismatic face. He looked more mature than his age sometimes but other times not. He was random. (Really? Is Cecile really talking about him being a secret lover of Mother Luce?).

She clearly had doubts. The senior that she was talking about was way older than she was and the young man beside her was way younger than she was. (The gap of their age is too far apart! Then again... even his cultivation is not that high? What kind of bullshit fate can tie the two?!).

The more she thought about the more severe her headache was.

"Lyon, do how did you meet Mother Luce?" asked Vivi.

Lyon suddenly paused before Vivi did the same.

"Hmm? Lyon?" Vivi turned around. The mere silence of the young man made her heart thumped as her goosebumps rose. She could feel that there was something that was ready to strike her from the words that the young man was going to spout.

"Who?" Lyon asked with a dumb laughing face.

The chilling spine that she felt immediately fell flat. Her brows twitched a bit before her glance turned slightly furious at him.

"Mother Luce, do you know her?" asked Vivi. She determined to get to the bottom of this. The message that Cecile left, might be the biggest gossip that she had ever heard in her own circle. (There is no way that I'm telling Mother Luce without some additional info! She is a respected seer!)

"I' uh... perhaps?" Lyon scratched the back of his head as he chuckled.

"Perhaps?! You mean you might have not seen her before?" asked Vivi. (How could someone forget that beautiful fairy? Especially him).

"Yeah, it's a bit complicated, haha," Lyon laughed.

Vivi frowned, "A bit complicated?"

"Well, yes, there might be a chance that I have met her (or even better than that!)?" Lyon grinned.

Vivi was slightly irked by the grin that his face made. "Are you trying to hide something?"

"Yes?" Lyon shrugged. "I mean, you are a fortune-teller, so, like, you know if I'm lying or not, don't you?"

Vivi sighed, "We don't always read fate every minute."

"I see," Lyon merely nodded before he continued his stroll.

(He doesn't know Mother Luce? He doesn't seem to be lying and tonight is all I got!) thought Vivi before she followed him up.

"When you say perhaps? What do you mean?" asked Vivi as she slightly bend over and peaked at Lyon's face.

"It means what it means, I perhaps know this Mother Luce, or perhaps I don't know this Mother Luce of yours, why are you so interested in it anyway?" asked Lyon.

"Hmm," Vivi straightened up her back as she commented, "Maybe because you have something to do with her?"

"I do? Why do you suspect so?" asked Lyon as he furrowed his brows.

"Because your wife said so?"

"...." Lyon paused as his eyes widened. "What?"

"Oh? Your wife didn't tell you?" asked Vivi as she furrowed her eyebrows, "How odd..."

"Hmm..." Lyon put his hands down as he contemplated. "Is this Mother Luce, a seer?"

"Wait, so you literally don't know anything about her?" asked Vivi in disbelief.

"No idea, doesn't ring a bell... yet," said Lyon as he grinned.

"What? What do you mean?" Vivi frowned (This guy is really confusing).

"However," Lyon sighed. "If my wife said that I knew her, then I do know her, I hope I can meet her soon though, but, you seers are the ones that do the visiting right?"

"Yes, that is correct," Vivi nodded. (He lost his memory?).

"Then, if you meet her, can you tell her that I would love to meet her?" asked Lyon.

"E-En, sure," Vivi furrowed her brows. "Do you lost your memories perhaps?"

"Woah, that's quite a question you got there," Lyon chuckled.

"Do you?" she squinted her eyes.

"Yes, you can say that," Lyon nodded.

"Oh? I'm sorry for the rude question then," Vivi humbly bowed her head. (So he does lose his memories, that would make sense, but still, secret lover? Really? I guess the only thing to do now is to ask Mother Luce herself).

"No need to apologize," Lyon shook his head. "Will you join us going to Alchemy Union tomorrow?"

"Hm? Oh no, I'm sorry but I have matters to attend," said Vivi with a smile.

"So you are leaving tonight?" asked Lyon.

"No, I will leave tomorrow first thing in the morning," said Vivi.

"So soon? Fate must be cold, huh," Lyon jested.

"Indeed it is, but not all the times, just every now and then."

"I see, then this is it? Is that all that you want to talk about?" Lyon smiled.

"Please don't say it like that, our meeting is fated," Vivi nodded.

"You believe in fate that much?" asked Lyon.

"How about you? Lyon Torga? Do you believe in fate?" asked Vivi with a smile.

"I believe that some things are not fated indeed," Lyon smiled before he took her hand.

The slight gesture almost made the onlookers pop their eyes out. They couldn't believe how assertive the young man could get. Then again, they resigned themselves in realizing that this was the same young man that put an end to two kingdoms in First Heaven due to the over escalation of a simple problem.

Vivi looked at Lyon's deep and endless dark galaxy eyes. Fate was one thing and the mysteries behind his gaze were another. Some might say peace, some might perceive it as never-ending, but those who were captivated by his gaze were by no means small in number.

He was obviously not the most handsome cultivator that she had ever met, but there was something under that black pearl eyes that drew her attention more than it should.

"D-Don't...//" she could only mutter the words as his face came nearing. Not an ounce of strength was found inside her body. She couldn't resist the way he grabbed her wrist as she couldn't resist her heart thumping.

"Get your hands off my lady!" a shout was heard before an ax swung down with all of the momentum needed to cleave the entire city in half. However, just right at that moment, a cold whisper was heard.

"Get your ax off my emperor."

*Crack!

The driver had his pupils shrunken as his prized weapon shattered right before his very eyes.