Mount Hui-ch'i was a remote place.
The imperial roads built by Yan did not pass through this area, and no large towns stood nearby. Only a few tiny villages dotted the vicinity of the desolate mountain range.
Seeking immortals and asking the Way was a popular pursuit in Yan. Logically, as the place where Dusk lived in seclusion, this area should have been bustling. In reality, compared to famous scenic spots, Mount Hui-ch'i was worlds apart.
However, this was easy to understand. The Sui Regulator would not allow this place to become a tourist attraction. Those famous sights were open to the public precisely because they contained no true immortals.
Mount Hui-ch'i was different; Dusk truly lived here in solitude.
Moreover, compared to her siblings of the Sui family, this youngest sister was exceptionally reclusive. The Sui Regulator naturally would not let many people disturb her; they wished she would stay within Mount Hui-ch'i for the rest of her life.
In the scattered villages surrounding the mountain, there were bound to be hidden Candleholders from the Sui Regulator. This was a given. Anyone wishing to enter the mountain had to pass through them.
Fortunately, Xia Yu did not need to worry about that. She flew in directly.
From a height of one thousand meters, Xia Yu looked down at the vast mountain range. Trying to find Dusk's home in such a large area would be fine if she had plenty of time, but she simply could not squeeze out any more minutes.
So, it was time for a few underhanded tricks.
Her reason for provoking Chongyue earlier was for this very moment.
In an instant, she began to radiate that carefully preserved aura. She believed that as long as Dusk was still on Mount Hui-ch'i, she would definitely detect these vibrations.
If it were Nian's aura, Dusk would absolutely never open the door. But if it were the mature and steady eldest brother, that was another story. Dusk would surely come out to take a look; after all, it was Big Brother.
Using the aura of other Sui fragments might have worked too, but Xia Yu had no time to find them; it was just luck that Yumen was right next door.
Xia Yu looked bored at the mountain range below. Dusk had not reacted yet; as a shut-in, she likely had no idea what was happening in the outside world.
Just as Xia Yu left the city where she found the location of Mount Hui-ch'i, the martial law order from Yumen had already mobilized the northwestern border of Yan. One could feel the tension just by walking down the street.
Xia Yu did not quite understand the scale, but she had underestimated Chongyue's reputation in Yan.
Rumors spread of a villain who openly killed and provoked a Grandmaster above Yumen, then moved toward the interior of Yan after exchanging several moves without a clear victor—at a speed even a Grandmaster could not intercept or catch.
Furthermore, on the Ursus snowfields opposite Yumen, a major event had just occurred: an entire Ursus fleet had been silently wiped out, and the Ursus authorities were extremely tight-lipped about it. Combined with the report from Yumen that this villain carried a destructive aura that shocked even the Grandmaster, they had to take this seriously!
To put it bluntly, someone who could stand toe-to-toe with a Grandmaster and even surpass them in speed could easily cause a massive incident in any city. She could simply fly to a city, attack the government office, kill the administrative staff, and depart before the high-end combat power of Yan arrived. Even with Yan's many experts, they would be left in a frantic mess.
They couldn't win, they couldn't block her... you couldn't station top-tier experts at every government office 24/7. Even if you tried, how many experts of that level could Yan actually field?
Thus, the current situation: half of western Yan was under martial law. Elites from Baizao were rushing at full speed, while Xia Yu, the target of their precautions, had already reached the unremarkable Mount Hui-ch'i.
Xia Yu looked around; there was still no change.
'Hmm?'
Suddenly, she felt a very strange fluctuation. Though fleeting, it was captured by her keen senses.
Mount Hui-ch'i remained Mount Hui-ch'i. The mountains under the setting sun were vast and magnificent, with the golden sunset reflecting off the deep valleys, offering a unique charm.
"Hmph," a voice came from behind Xia Yu. "This aura... it's not him in person, but rather the result of a battle?"
Dusk's brow furrowed as she looked at the strange thing before her.
She was perfectly happy being a shut-in, but then she suddenly felt Big Brother's aura. It was a bit odd, but she still created a landscape and entered the painting to meet. She didn't expect to open her eyes and see this... thing that was hard to describe.
Destructive bright yellow sparks occasionally popped from the heavy armor, while a golden light of order constantly suppressed that crazed flame. The bronze-colored heavy armor looked quite majestic, but the ancient style clashed terribly with the sci-fi thrusters on the back.
Then there was Big Brother's aura entwined on her. To be honest, if the aura weren't faint—seeming more like a sparring match than a bloodbath—and if the flame weren't being suppressed by another power, Dusk wouldn't have even shown her face. She would have just walked away into the Great Unrestraint.
"Calling it a battle isn't exactly accurate," Xia Yu turned around and blinked. "Just a minor exchange of moves."
Precisely because it was only one move, Dusk mistook it for sparring. According to Big Brother's habits, if the person before her truly deserved to die, he would never have let her off so easily. It didn't even occur to Dusk that Big Brother simply couldn't catch her.
"Is that so," Dusk frowned slightly. "Uninvited guest, what is your business?"
"I seek a painting," Xia Yu said frankly. "The content doesn't matter; it just needs to be able to hold enough things."
Yes, she planned to fleece Dusk for a painting to use as a portable warehouse. The Tarnished's inventory was usable but not convenient, and her next plan required the support of a large-capacity storage space.
Upon hearing this, Dusk's face darkened instantly.
Her paintings were divided into different grades. Based on what this person said, she clearly wanted the highest grade—one that could hold both people and objects. Every such painting was her heart and soul, the result of countless hours of effort.
Most importantly, holding things was the most trivial function of those paintings. As a shut-in, she had mastered the ability to have everything within her paintings to the extreme. Those paintings held precious memories, recorded beauties, and people who could never be seen again.
"You expect to take a priceless treasure from me with just a few words?" Dusk was stunned by the person before her. "Since you know of me, you must know my rules!"
"Even if my brothers and sisters came, they couldn't take such a painting!"
Primarily, the things inside weren't exactly suitable for her siblings to see...
"I will give you a price you cannot refuse," Xia Yu said with confidence. "But are we talking here?"
She looked around at the empty sky. "How about finding a place to sit down and talk slowly?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the scenery around her flickered. She found herself standing before an elegant pavilion.
"A price I cannot refuse?" Dusk stood atop the mountain peak, looking at Xia Yu. "Do you know who you are saying that to?"
"I know, Miss Dusk," Xia Yu said, resisting the urge to call her Dusk-gua. "The famous Immortal of the Painting."
"Since you know, you should also know what price one of my paintings can fetch," Dusk said coldly. "How dare you speak of a price I cannot refuse?"
In truth, her paintings were never for sale. Dusk couldn't bear to part with them. The few that had leaked out were either intended as gifts or were complete forgeries. She had even caught Nian and Jie conspiring to sell her fakes, which had infuriated her.
Had it not been for Big Brother's aura on this person, and the fact that the set of strange gear was actually interesting, Dusk would have kicked her out long ago.
"To be honest, I really don't know how much your paintings sell for outside," Xia Yu said with a beaming smile. "I haven't looked into it, but I believe my price can move you."
"Don't mention those filthy worldly goods to soil my ears," Dusk frowned slightly. "What price do you intend to offer for my painting?"
"Today is November 24th," Xia Yu didn't answer directly, speaking slowly. "Miss Dusk, do you know? Every year on the eve of the Lunar New Year, in a tiny restaurant opposite the Dali market in Baizao, a cook prepares a massive table of dishes from all over the land. He sets twelve pairs of bowls and chopsticks, silently waiting for the day of a family reunion."
"He has waited for many years. He might even wait until he can wait no longer."
'Yu...' Dusk was momentarily lost in thought.
Facing this youngest brother, Dusk still cared quite a bit. After all, if she wanted to show off her seniority, he was the only one she could go to.
'But... is it like this every year...'
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Dusk frowned.
"The gentleman in the Great Waste City who wants to fill the bellies of everyone in the world... he doesn't yet know that the Collapsals beneath the city have already taken root, just waiting for the day they bloom and bear fruit. Oh, maybe he does know; after all, that is a friend he buried with his own hands."
Xia Yu said spookily: "I heard the Great Waste City is preparing for a mobile city renovation, but... will it really be in time?"
"The respected Poet-Immortal has already seen through the vanity; the Grandmaster guarding Yumen is diligent; the Merchant whose business spans all of Yan is flourishing; the legendary Blacksmith has turned his gaze beyond the borders..."
"Each of them has their own plans, including that guilt-ridden person who is bent on self-destruction. They are all prepared."
"And you, Miss Dusk?" Xia Yu looked at Dusk, whose face was becoming increasingly grim. "How long has it been since you slept?"
"Can you see 'Him' as soon as you close your eyes?"
"...You know a lot of things," Dusk took a deep breath and looked at Xia Yu, her eyes flickering. "It seems you know me and my siblings like the back of your hand."
"No, no, for instance, I don't know much about your sister who manages the penal laws or the one who builds gardens," Xia Yu smiled modestly.
Dusk looked at the smiling knight, her mind in a mess. This person spoke with too much precision; she even knew Dusk's current state...
"The Sui Regulator?"
"No, I'd love a government job too," Xia Yu shrugged. "Unfortunately, if I applied now, I'd probably be thrown into the Celestial Prison with free room and board. I can't afford that kind of government meal."
"So what is your purpose?" Dusk prepared for the worst. Even if they fought here, if this person intended to do something bad, she had to...
"I want to make a deal with you," Xia Yu said with a smile. "One painting in exchange for a peaceful dream—in exchange for every calm night to come."
"You say you can solve 'Him'?" Dusk was stunned. 'Is everyone so bold with their boasts these days?'
"I can't do it right now," Xia Yu shook her head, speaking honestly. "But I will be able to, sooner or later."
"Maybe you think I'm bragging, but Miss Dusk, do you really have a choice?"
"Each of your siblings is working hard to find a way out. Some are even willing to destroy themselves to save the rest of you. And you? Miss Dusk, what kind of resistance have you put up? What preparations have you made?"
Xia Yu whispered: "You can't just paint a picture for everyone and then wait to die on the spot, right? Just for your own sake, how about making an investment?"
"You!" Dusk almost drew her sword. The truth was indeed a sharp blade.
She really couldn't find a path... she saw no hope.
Of the twelve Sui fragments, she was the most useless. While her siblings lived vibrant lives and struggled to survive, she ran to this desolate place to give up. Dusk's fear of Sui had entered her marrow; it had reached the point where even in her dreams, she was chased and startled awake by the shadow of her own fear.
"How am I supposed to believe you?" Dusk gritted her teeth. "Based on your words alone?"
"It's just a painting scroll, after all," Xia Yu said with a smile. "You can paint more whenever you have time, right? Treat it as an investment in the future. If you really can't trust me, send a fake body over to supervise. Like the one in front of me."
Yes, the one standing before her was not Dusk herself. No joke, this socially anxious shut-in would use her authority to mold a body to receive even her own Big Brother. How could she use her real body to meet a stranger like Xia Yu?
Though, in the future, that fake body would still be smashed by one of Chongyue's punches, followed by a long lecture directed at Dusk.
"This is your painting, your authority," Xia Yu shrugged at her. "And as for me, as you can see, I'm just a brawler. I don't have the ability to seize control from your hands. If I can't do it, even if you can't take it back, don't you have all those siblings?"
"Are you afraid I'll run off and dodge the debt?"
Yes, she was here for a zero-cost gain. Not only did she want the painting, she even wanted Dusk to create a clone to be her item spirit! As for leaking secrets... haha, Xia Yu believed that after tasting the feeling of being able to sleep peacefully, Dusk wouldn't be able to leave her. Dusk still had her siblings in her heart; even if just for them, Dusk would have to work for her honestly.
The solution Xia Yu offered was simple. Sui taking over? If you have the guts, try taking over someone in another world! If you really have the guts to chase me out there, I'll accept it!
"Do you think a fake body is some miraculous spell?" Dusk didn't know if the other person was overestimating or mocking her. "If you are still in Yan, I can naturally control it. But if you leave Yan, the fake body will be like water without a source or a tree without roots. How could it last?"
"I see," Xia Yu sighed with regret. "I thought..."
'I really wanted to kidnap a beautiful girl as an item spirit, sigh.'
"But what I said is true, right? Are you really going to just give up and wait to die? Even if you are already despairing, you should at least think of your siblings. By the way, my time is running out," Xia Yu struck while the iron was hot. "Offer expires soon."
"...Wait a moment," Dusk finally made up her mind.
No matter what, even if she were here to scam her, she had to give it. It wasn't that she was convinced, but the battle between the Frenzied Flame and the golden light of the Elden Ring on Xia Yu was becoming increasingly intense. Dusk was truly afraid this person would suddenly drop dead right in front of her!
It wasn't that she pitied the person, but if she really died in the painting, that sinister flame would lose its suppression... Dusk would be in for a terrible time. Even if she didn't die, the hard work she had accumulated over the years would be ruined! If she didn't send her away now, the consequences would be unthinkable!
She thought the person was likely tricking her—taking the painting just to solve her own issues. Dusk could see it; that flame was very sinister, fueled by the world's suffering. If it entered her painting... at least it could be isolated from outside influences. Seeing her efforts to suppress it and the act of using herself to seal the fire, she didn't seem like a bad person.
If she really could suppress the flame, if she could do that, then maybe she really could help Dusk when that day came. Such a strong person was rare.
'It's fine,' she comforted herself. 'This person sparred with Big Brother, which means she is at least trustworthy, otherwise she would have been killed long ago.'
'Besides, the painting is still under my control. I'm not afraid of her using it for anything bad... destroying a painting is easy. And if she has any ill intent... I'll go find Big Brother!'
'It's fine...'
After a long time, Dusk took out a landscape painting and placed it before Xia Yu.
"I will be watching you," she said, looking into Xia Yu's eyes. "If you dare break the agreement..."
"Then I will be hunted by a bunch of your older brothers and sisters," Xia Yu nodded and said seriously. "As long as you, the little sister, go cry to them about being scammed, let alone your siblings, even the Sui Regulator won't let me go!"
Though she said that, Xia Yu wasn't afraid at all. 'Find me if you can.' And she wasn't exactly lying either. She truly intended to fulfill the promise seriously.
"As long as you know!" Dusk placed the landscape painting in her hand.
It was hers. Xia Yu's face lit up with joy.
To be honest, if she didn't have Big Brother's aura as a stepping stone, Dusk would never have agreed, no matter what she said. Chongyue's aura was like a certification, proving that this person had left alive after sparring with him.
The posture of the Elden Ring suppressing the Frenzied Flame on Xia Yu was also intentionally made. First, she let Dusk see the Frenzied Flame to make her wary, then she let her see the Ring constantly suppressing it to tip her bias, and Big Brother's sparring-like aura further confirmed this possibility.
If she had truly fought Chongyue at Yumen, the thicker and more murderous aura would have brought only Dusk's Great Unrestraint.
But who could blame Chongyue for only using a slight move to shove her away out of caution? He probably couldn't imagine that a single moment of negligence would lead to his little sister falling for such an ancient scam.
And Dusk, as a shut-in, had no idea about the news of the martial law outside. Had she possessed any channel for external communication, it wouldn't have come to this. Plus, Xia Yu's familiarity with her siblings—even appearing quite close to a few of them—had caused her to completely misjudge.
How should one put it... one link after another... Since ancient times, sincerity alone cannot hold, only the routine wins hearts. Dusk was caught in Xia Yu's routine, one link at a time.
"I hope you keep your promise," finally, Dusk looked at Xia Yu.
"Of course," Xia Yu smiled at her. "Very soon, you will see my confidence."
"How soon?" Dusk asked instinctively.
"This soon," Xia Yu gave her a brilliant smile, and then her entire person vanished instantly.
She had completely left Terra.
Dusk stared dumbfoundedly at the empty pavilion before her.
She hadn't even sensed how this person had left her painting!
★ ★ ★
T/N: I have zero clue about what they mean with 'Great Unrestraint'...