If Miss Daphne continued sharing a room with a strange man, it would be his failure as a butler. Besides, the man had fallen into the pool for no apparent reason. It felt too coincidental. The man carried no identification either, which made the butler even more suspicious of this sudden arrival.
Even so, the butler was a man of the world. The man's black clothing, though seemingly ordinary, was unusual. Once out of the water it dried at once, without a single stain left behind. That sent the butler's doubts in a new direction about the man's identity.
There was one thing the butler was sure of. The man was Huaxia. For that reason alone, he could not be allowed to die in the Sack estate. The family physician had already examined him and confirmed the injuries were severe. Nearly every bone in his body was broken, and his internal organs had been crushed. The fact that he was alive at all was a miracle. Regaining consciousness was crucial.
After a night of treatment and care, Xun Kun finally woke at dusk the next day. He sent his divine sense inward and found his injuries heavy. A thin tube was delivering some liquid into his meridians, sustaining his vitality.
Xun Kun swept his divine sense outward and found the surroundings unfamiliar, which made him frown. His divine sense was suppressed, limited to the Golden Core late stage in range. Even so, he confirmed he was in a place called the Sack Estate, owned by a young lady.
First he took healing pills from his storage ring. After the medicine entered his belly, he closed his eyes and began repairing his internal injuries. With the aid of high-grade pills, the damage to his organs mostly recovered. Then he swallowed a Bone-Setting Pill to mend his shattered skeleton.
After one night, Xun Kun could already sit up. He removed the needle from the back of his hand, sat cross-legged, and tried to sense the demonic qi between heaven and earth. Half an hour later, he opened his eyes.
He had not sensed a single wisp of demonic qi. His lips pressed together by reflex. He took out a magic stone from his storage ring, held it in his palm, and began circulating his technique, drawing demonic qi from the stone to restore himself to peak as quickly as possible.
After breakfast, Daphne Sack came with the butler to check on the man she had saved. Pushing open the door, Daphne Sack saw Xun Kun sitting in meditation and gasped, "Butler, he is already awake. Why did you not inform me?"
The butler was equally astonished. "Miss Daphne, his injuries were severe. He should not even be able to sit right now. How could he…"
Before he could finish, Xun Kun opened his eyes, put away the magic stone in his palm, and looked at the oddly dressed man and woman across from him. His voice was low. "You saved me?"
Daphne Sack was briefly lost in Xun Kun's star-bright eyes. Hearing his voice, pink bubbles seemed to fizz in her gaze. She felt she had met her destined one. She stepped forward at once."My name is Daphne Sack. I saved you. This is my butler. Who are you, and how did you end up in the pool at my estate?"
Xun Kun felt a touch of resistance toward Daphne Sack's blue eyes, but he answered politely, "My name is Xun Kun. My companions and I were attacked and separated. When you found me, was there anyone else nearby?"
He knew the odds of landing together were slim, but he asked anyway.
Daphne Sack replied, "I found only you, and your injuries were serious. You were going to need at least three months of recovery, yet you are already on your feet. What is your body made of? How did you recover so quickly?"
Unwilling to say more when he could not gauge this place, Xun Kun avoided the question. "Thank you for saving me. I would like to rejoin my companions as soon as possible."
Daphne Sack spoke immediately, "Not until you repay your life-saving debt."
Xun Kun looked at Daphne Sack, who had her hands on her hips, and asked politely, "What do you want? If I have it, I will give it to you."
Daphne Sack blinked her blue eyes and smiled. "I want to see your face. I do not even know what you look like. I could not remove your mask."
Xun Kun refused without hesitation. "Forgive me. I cannot comply."
In Kunmo Sect, the mask had significance. Beyond protecting its master, it could only be removed by the wearer's destined lover. The blue-eyed woman had already said she could not take it off, so she was not fated to see his true face.
Daphne Sack's mouth formed an "O." She had not expected the man to refuse her so bluntly.
The butler, displeased, said, "Sir, you owe Miss Daphne your life. Is such a simple request truly beyond you?"
Xun Kun stood. At one meter ninety, his height carried an oppressive presence, and both Daphne Sack and the butler instinctively took two steps back.
Xun Kun disliked people who wielded favors like leverage. His tone cooled. "I said only that Miss Daphne's request cannot be granted. I did not say I would not repay the life-saving debt."
Daphne Sack blinked again, even more satisfied with the man before her. She pressed further, "Why not? Taking off your mask and letting me see your face, is that so difficult?"
Xun Kun frowned and offered a brief explanation, "You tried already, did you not? Since you failed, there is no need to see my true face. My mask can only be removed by my destined lover."
"So magical?"
Daphne Sack's eyes widened. She had never heard of such a thing.
At the side, the butler grew more certain of his earlier guess. He suspected this man belonged to the much-discussed special division. People like that were beyond their ability to provoke. He leaned to Miss Daphne's ear and whispered his conjecture.
Xun Kun heard every word clearly, and another doubt lodged in his heart. He did not question it yet. The situation was unclear. He did not want to expose himself further. One thing he had already confirmed, however, was that he was far from the Weiyu Realm.
Xun Kun did not know whether Ran Xi had fallen into the same world. He took out a message jade slip and found no news inside. Unwilling to accept that, he sent messages to all three, hoping for a reply.
Daphne Sack watched as something flashed in Xun Kun's hand and a jade plaque appeared in his palm. She could not hide her curiosity. She turned to the butler. "Have the family physician come and examine Mr. Xun Kun again."
"Miss Daphne, the physician is examining Young Master Benjamin right now," the butler reminded softly.
"Oh, I forgot about Benjamin. Then tell him to come after he is finished there."
Before Daphne Sack could finish, a sharp scream split the air from inside the villa. "Get out! Get away from me!"
Daphne Sack and the butler's faces changed. They turned and ran without a word, clearly knowing what had happened.
Xun Kun followed them out of the room. Last night, when he had probed the area with his divine sense, he noticed a frail youth here whose soul was unstable, on the verge of collapse. He had not expected it to erupt today.