I stared at Grand Elder Luther in shock. Despite the garden's peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, my mind was in turmoil. Grand Elder Luther knew someone else who fought with the Mist Sword style? No. That was impossible. It couldn't be. Teacher and I were the only ones who practiced the Mist Sword style. Even if there were others, they would be in First Murim, not Lumina. Grand Elder Luther must've made a mistake.

"That isn't possible," I said. "My teacher created our fighting style herself. There's no way that you know someone else who practices it. A similar style, perhaps, but not this one."

Grand Elder Luther nodded.

"I know it's difficult to believe," he said. "But it's true. I know someone who practices the same fighting style as you. It's called the Mist Sword style, correct?"

My jaw dropped. It took me a few moments to recover my composure.

"But how?" I asked, a bit dazed.

My mind raced, shifting through the various possibilities, before settling on the most likely one.

"This person you know," I said. "Are they also a transmigrator?"

Grand Elder Luther nodded.

"Yes," he said. "She arrived in Lumina a long time ago. Like me, she's a Sixth Star martial artist."

My heart started hammering in my chest. Despite my initial disbelief, Grand Elder Luther's words started to sway me. I knew almost nothing about Teacher's history. She never told me anything about her past. All I knew was that she came from First Murim, and she had some kind of history with Blood Demon.

Teacher must've had friends and family back in First Murim, perhaps even other students. What if she taught the Mist Sword style to one of them, and they transmigrated to Lumina? In fact, what if the person that Blood Demon was looking for wasn't Teacher? What if it was this other person?

The urge to know burned within me. Now that I knew that there was someone else who knew the Mist Sword style, I needed to find them. I didn't care if they helped me grow stronger or not. All that mattered to me was that they shared a connection with Teacher as well. Aside from Anna and my family, Teacher was the most important person in my life.

"Who is it?" I asked, resisting the urge to grab Grand Elder Luther by the shoulders and shake him. "Where can I find…her?"

Grand Elder Luther held up a hand.

"Wait one moment," he said. "I will tell you. However, you must first agree to do a favor for me."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

Grand Elder Luther gave me an apologetic smile.

"Isn't that the way of the world?" he asked. "In order to gain something, you must give something first. I want to help you, Lord Gabriel. However, I need your help in return."

I crossed my arms and scowled at the old man.

"So this was your true objective all along," I said. "What's to stop me from walking away? Now that I know that there is another practitioner of the Mist Sword style here in Lumina, I can go and find her myself."

Grand Elder Luther nodded.

"Yes, you can," he said. "You may even succeed. Given who you are, your chances are quite high." He gestured to himself. "However, I ask that you listen to this old man's request before you turn it down."

I studied Grand Elder Luther for several moments. He appeared sincere. However, the way he baited me left a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn't enjoy being toyed with by anyone other than Anna.

Still, it couldn't hurt to hear the old man out. At the very least, I wanted to avoid making an outright enemy of him. He was the grand elder of Clan Thorne, after all. That made him an in-law. Lord Trevor and his sons already disliked me.

"Very well," I said. "I will hear you out." I held up a finger. "However, that's it. I promise nothing else."

Grand Elder Luther nodded.

"That's all I need," he said. "I'm sure that after you hear me out, you'll agree to my request. After all, it benefits you as well."

I didn't say anything. Instead, I just gestured for him to keep going.

"I need you to look after two people for me," Grand Elder Luther said.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean by that?"

The old man sighed, before he resumed walking and gestured for me to follow him. I hesitated, before going along.

"My grandniece, my sister's granddaughter, married into another Clan," Grand Elder Luther began. "It was part of a trade agreement between our two Clans." His face twisted with disgust. "It wasn't a happy marriage. My grandniece's husband was a foolish, philandering low-life who made her life miserable. His Clan was little better. I tried to help as much as I could, but it was never enough."

From the pain in Grand Elder Luther's eyes, it was clear that he loved this grandniece of his.

"Things improved somewhat when my grandniece gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl," Grand Elder Luther continued. "However, things took a turn for the worst when everyone discovered that the twins had an affinity for Air and Water." He glanced at me. "My grandniece and her husband each only had an affinity for Fire. His Clan, like Clan Thorne, specializes in Fire techniques."

Ah, so that's how it was. Most people inherited their elemental affinity, or affinities, from their parents. For example, I inherited my affinity for Air, Water, and Lightning from Father. Meanwhile, Kaylee inherited her affinity for Air, Fire, and Lightning from both Father and Mother.

"They believed your grandniece committed adultery," I said.

Grand Elder Luther nodded. Those fools. Adultery was a possible answer, but it wasn't the only one. While most people inherited their elemental affinities from their parents, there were exceptions. Rare, but they existed. For example, I gained an affinity for Ice because of my contract with Aurora.

"My grandniece's situation grew worse after that," Grand Elder Luther said. "In the end, she couldn't take it anymore. After enduring for a few more years, she divorced her husband."

I didn't blame her. If I were in her shoes, I'd get a divorce too. However, I was odd in that regard. Divorce wasn't common among the Houses. In most cases, a marriage between two House scions involved more than just the two of them. It was also a political and business deal between their two Houses. This made getting a divorce difficult and tricky, since it involved dealing with so many different interests. I imagined that marriages among the Clans were similar.

"I took my grandniece and her children in," Grand Elder Luther continued. "The three of them have been living with me ever since. However…"

He trailed off.

"There are still problems," I said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be asking me for help."

Grand Elder Luther let out a resigned sigh and nodded.

"You are correct," he said. "My grandniece and her children are in a much better position than before. However, my great grandniece and great grandnephew aren't considered true members of Clan Thorne. The rest of the Clan views them as outsiders."

I held up my hands and started listing off points one by one with my fingers.

"Let me guess," I said. "It's because they have the stigma of illegitimacy, they were born into another Clan, and they have the wrong elemental affinities." I glanced at Grand Elder Luther. "Did I guess right?"

The old man gave me a sour look.

"Correct," he said. "And thus, we come to the heart of the matter. I want you to take my great grandniece and great grandnephew in. You're founding your own Clan, correct?"

I nodded.

"That is the plan, yes," I said.

"In that case, let them become members of your Clan," Grand Elder Luther said. "Despite my best efforts, they don't have a place in Clan Thorne. However, with your Clan, they have a chance at a new start. This benefits you as well. I can attest that my great grandniece and great grandnephew are talented when it comes to martial arts. Not only that, but they can learn the Mist Sword style thanks to their elemental affinities."

I had to admit, Grand Elder Luther's offer tempted me. Not only would I get two people with potential, but I would also get the name of someone who had a connection with Teacher.

Plus, I would get to pass on Teacher's legacy, the Mist Sword style. Yes, I created my own techniques for it, but the core of the style belonged to her.

"I am inclined to accept," I said. "However, I'm surprised. You care a great deal about your great grandniece and great grandnephew. Otherwise, you would be going through so much effort for them. That much is obvious. Why would you entrust them to me? What if I abused and mistreated them as well?"

Grand Elder Luther stopped walking and I followed suit. He studied me for several moments.

"Part of it is my intuition," the old man said. "I have a feeling that the twins will thrive under your care." He shrugged and then smiled. "However, I don't trust you. Not really. I trust the Young Mistress. Given what I observed earlier, as long as she's around, the twins are in good hands."

Fair enough.

"Very well," I said. "I'll take the twins in. However, on one condition. I want to meet them before I make a final decision. If they're not suitable for me, or if I'm not suitable for them, then there's no point in trying to force the issue."

Grand Elder Luther nodded.

"That sounds reasonable to me," he said. "I shall make the arrangements."

"Second, I want you to tell me the name of the transmigrator you mentioned earlier," I said. "Right now."

This time, the old man hesitated.

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"I already agreed to help you," I said. "The least you can do is show a little trust."

A moment later, Grand Elder Luther sighed.

"Very well," he said. "The transmigrator is your great grandmother, Sky Leone."

I stared at him, flabbergasted. While I didn't recognize the name, I knew who he was talking about. A few months ago, when I first revealed the truth about my transmigration to my parents and Grand Priest Darius, Mother mentioned that her grandmother was a transmigrator. I didn't ask about her at the time, but now I regretted that decision.

"I could've found that out on my own!" I said. "You cheated me!"

"Not quite, Lord Gabriel," Grand Elder Luther said, giving me an amused smile. "Even if you had found out about your great grandmother, you wouldn't have been able to meet her. Lady Sky is a reclusive woman. Even her own children and grandchildren have a difficult time meeting with her. She doesn't even live with the rest of Clan Leone. The only person she sees on a regular basis is her husband, your grandfather."

Okay, that complicated things a little bit.

"I still feel cheated," I said. "What is the point of telling me this if I can't even meet with Lady Sky?"

Sure, I could still try and see my great grandmother even if she didn't want to meet with me. However, according to Grand Elder Luther, Lady Sky was a Sixth Star martial artist. Annoying people more powerful than you was a great way to get killed, or at least beaten up. Besides, I didn't even know where she was.

"This should help," Grand Elder Luther said, pulling out a token. "Lady Sky owes me a favor for a matter I helped her with in the distant past. This should allow you to meet with her. As for finding her, well, you'll have to do that yourself. Even I don't know her current location."

The old man tossed the token towards me. I caught it and examined it for a bit, before putting it away. First a token from Andre, and now one from Grand Elder Luther. This was the start of quite the collection.

"Thank you, Grand Elder Luther," I said.

The old man chuckled.

"No need to thank me," he said. "You're helping me in turn."

"Even so, you could've sought help from anyone else," I said. "Instead, you came to me. Meanwhile, you're the only person who could've helped me meet my great grandmother."

Grand Elder Luther shrugged.

"There is your great grandfather," he said. "However, I don't know if he would've helped you. He's rather protective of his wife's privacy."

Once I returned to the House Sturm townhouse with my family, I planned on grilling Mother about her relations. I learned more about them from other people than I had from her. It hadn't mattered so much before, since I thought we wouldn't interact with Clan Leone all that much. However, things had changed.

"Regardless, I appreciate your help." I scowled at him. "Even if you did almost cheat me."

Grand Elder Luther just smiled at me.

"With the serious business out of the way, why don't we find a comfortable place to sit down and talk? It's been some time since I last spoke with a peer. While your cultivation is low, your mastery is not. Shall we exchange insights?"

I nodded. With that, Grand Elder Luther led me out of the garden. We spent the rest of the day talking over tea.

Grand Elder Luther and I spoke for several hours. It was a mutually beneficial conversation, and we both came away satisfied. Afterwards, I rejoined my family before attending the feast that Anna organized.

It took place within one of the Clan Thorne manor's larger buildings. It appeared that almost every member of Clan Thorne attended, all to celebrate their young mistress' engagement. As such, me and my family were treated as the guests of honor.

The only one not in attendance was Lord Miles. I guess he was still coming to terms with what happened. A shame. I wanted to make him kowtow and apologize to my parents in front of everyone. Oh well. I could save that for later.

As for Lord Trevor and Lord Dominic, both of whom were in attendance, neither looked happy. The latter, in particular, sulked for the entire feast. At least Lord Trevor made an effort, for Anna's sake no doubt.

Meanwhile, both Mother and Lady Josephine wore smug smiles on their faces, as if they had gotten one over the other. I guess that meant they both got what they wanted. Well, as long as they were both happy, it didn't matter.

While me and my family were the guests of honor, Anna was the star of the feast. After finishing with getting ready, she looked resplendent. I mean, she was always beautiful, but she looked even more radiant now.

Her messy hair was now styled into a complicated arrangement, complete with an ornate headdress inlaid with jewels. She wore the perfect amount of make up. Enough to highlight and enhance her natural beauty, but not so much to overshadow her.

Like her mother, Anna wore a large number of accessories and jewelry. Whereas others would've looked gaudy and vulgar, she looked majestic. Or maybe I was biased. Regardless, Anna looked like the princess of a prospering realm. I mean, in a way, she was.

The feast itself was a joyous affair, full of merriment. While there were some who looked displeased about my engagement to Anna, such as Lord Trevor and Lord Dominic, the rest were happy for us. There were a few sycophants who tried to cozy up to either me or Anna, but we dealt with them with ease.

The wine ran like water and the food was delicious. Most of the latter were First Murim dishes, but there were a few that looked like a fusion between Luminian and First Murim cuisine. I liked these in particular.

However, despite enjoying myself, a part of me kept thinking about my great grandmother, Sky Leone. What kind of connection did she have with Teacher? Were they friends? Family? Teacher and student? These questions and more niggled at me from the back of my mind.

When I first met Teacher, she told me that she came to Earth in order to find a disciple to pass her legacy on to. One of the reasons why she chose me was because I had an immense talent for martial arts. Teacher said that I had the potential to eclipse her. However, she never told me the other reasons.

What if Teacher somehow sensed that I had a connection with Sky Leone? What if that was another reason? I didn't know for sure, but I wasn't willing to discard the possibility. Looking at it from that angle, maybe meeting Teacher hadn't been a coincidence. Perhaps fate brought us together.

I didn't know much about fate. To me, it had always been this vague and nebulous force. It affected and influenced everything, but it controlled nothing.

According to Teacher, everything had a fate. People, places, things. However, living beings could choose to disregard their fate. It wasn't easy, like hiking through rough terrain instead of walking on a road, but it was possible.

Fate was one of the bonds that tied people together. If two people were fated, they would meet. How that meeting went and the results of it depended on the people involved, but the meeting itself would happen.

After the feast, we had some time before me and my family needed to leave to return to the House Sturm townhouse, so Anna and I decided to take a stroll together. Lord Trevor objected, of course, but Lady Josephine intervened. While she soothed his ruffled feathers, Anna and I made our escape.

Anna brought me to yet another garden. Rather, she took me to a hedge maze. I knew that the Clan Thorne manor was large, but having its own hedge maze seemed ridiculous. And yet, there it was.

It was dim in the hedge maze. There weren't many glowstone lamps in this part of the Clan Thorne manor. Many places were hidden in the shadows, including several benches. These were meant for guests who wanted to rest their feet while exploring the hedge maze. However, the darkness added an air of secrecy and intimacy to them.

Anna brought me to one of these benches. The moment we sat down, her lips found mine. They felt warm and soft. Her vanilla scent washed over me.

At first, we shared a gentle kiss. However, as time passed, we grew more aggressive. The two of us hungered for each other and it showed. Soon, we began exploring each other's bodies with our hands. Anna's dress added a new layer to the experience. It felt soft while her muscles felt hard, making an interesting contrast.

After a while, we slowed down and before pulling apart. Our clothes were messy and disheveled. Anna's hair became a little messed up and I think she smudged her make up. It was difficult to tell in the darkness. I doubted I looked much better.

"We should stop there," Anna said in a regretful tone. "Otherwise, I won't be able to help myself. Even I have some lines that I won't cross."

I let out a little whine. A hunger burned deep within me. I wanted to devour Anna, and be devoured by her. However, she was right. We needed to control ourselves. This hedge maze was a terrible place for a romantic liaison. The chances of getting caught were high, especially since martial artists had such sharp senses.

While I knew all this, that didn't stop me from wanting more. Tasting paradise once had left me with a never ending thirst.

"Aw," Anna said in a consoling tone. "I know. Don't worry. We'll have our time together. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," I said.

Afterwards, the two of us sat side by side and leaned against each other. I wrapped an arm around Anna's shoulder, while she wrapped one around my waist. We stayed like that for several moments, neither of us saying a word.

"So, what were you thinking about during the feast?" Anna asked, breaking the silence. "You looked distracted."

"I did?" I asked.

I thought I had done a good job of masking my thoughts, but it appeared I thought wrong.

"Yes," Anna said, poking me with her free hand. "So fess up and tell me what's wrong."

I shook my head.

"It's nothing," I said.

"If that were true, you wouldn't have been so distracted. You weren't thinking about another woman, were you?"

While Anna spoke that last sentence in a joking tone, I heard the underlying threat lurking underneath.

"Not quite," I said.

"Oh?" Anna asked with feigned nonchalance.

I told her about my conversation with Grand Elder Luther, including my deal with him. It involved her kin, so she had the right to know.

"Huh, interesting," Anna said. "I know about the twins, though we only met a few times. The grand elder is right. They don't fit in with the rest of Clan Thorne. Most of the Clan is welcoming and accommodating. However…"

"That isn't the same as accepting the twins as one of their own," I interjected.

Anna nodded.

"Having them join your-our new Clan would be for the best," she said. "However, I should warn you that the twins are a bit…much."

"What do you mean?"

Anna shook her head.

"You'll see when you meet them," she said.

That wasn't worrisome at all. Nope.

"I'm more interested in talking about this great grandmother of yours, Sky Leone," Anna continued. "So, she has a connection with your teacher?"

"It appears so," I said. "It remains to be seen what kind of connection."

"Your teacher is important to you, huh?" Anna asked in a soft voice.

I nodded.

"She found me at my lowest point," I said. "Back then, I was still obsessed with trying to be a great and powerful wizard. Dying hadn't deterred me at all. If anything, it made things worse because I also wanted to find a way home." I let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Teacher helped me realize that I was better off learning martial arts. She taught me everything I know. Without her, I wouldn't be who I am today. I owe her everything." I sighed. "That's why finding my great grandmother and figuring out her connection to Teacher is so important to me."

"You love your teacher, don't you?"

I opened my mouth to say yes, and then remembered my circumstances. Telling my fiancée, who I just got engaged to, that I loved another woman seemed like a terrible idea. Anna guessed my thoughts.

"Don't worry about offending me," she said in an amused tone. "I know you don't love her like that. She's more akin to family, isn't she?" She paused. "At least she better be."

I nodded.

"Yes, she is," I said. "Trust me. Holding romantic thoughts for her would be like holding romantic thoughts for my mother." I shivered. "The very idea is revolting."

Anna poked me again.

"Good," she said. "I won't tolerate anyone making moves on my man, and I won't tolerate any infidelity from you. I want you to forget any lovers you had in the past. You're mine now, and I won't let you go."

I snorted.

"That won't be a problem," I said. "You're my first lover."

Anna scoffed.

"I refuse to believe that," she said. "You're telling me that you've never been with anyone? Even in that other realm of yours, Earth?"

I shrugged.

"A few people were interested in me, but I always rejected them. Training, cultivation, and hunting monsters always took priority. I never had time for anything else. Besides, I never saw the point of romance back then. Even after I returned to Lumina, I felt the same." I gave Anna a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're the one who changed my mind."

"Now I feel a little bad," Anna said. "I knew you were inexperienced, but I hadn't realized it was this bad. I feel like I corrupted an innocent soul."

I grinned.

"In that case, you better take responsibility for me," I said.

"Well, we are getting married," Anna said.

The two of us laughed.

"Now I'm curious," I said. "Do you have any previous lovers?"

Anna paused.

"Yes?" she said. "I'm not sure. That was all in a past that never happened, so I don't know if they still count." She tightened her hold on me. "Regardless, they don't matter to me. Not anymore. They're my past. You're my future."

"And you're mine."

The two of us held each other like that for a while, basking in each other's presence.

Some time after that, the two of us made our way back to the others. After exchanging goodbyes, my family and I left for the House Sturm townhouse.

I slept well that night. Overall, the meeting with Clan Thorne had gone well. Anna and I were engaged, which left the actual marriage itself. I couldn't wait.

However, a little after midnight, Father and I received terrible news.

Harvey had been kidnapped.

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