Chapter 13: Chapter 12: The Four Pavilions
The cave was now quieter. After Kori left to retrieve her belongings, only Xenos and Kiyoshi remained in the Lunar Cave.
Kiyoshi turned toward Xenos, his expression solemn. "Sir Xenos, please take care of my daughter."
Xenos shook his head slightly. "Just call me Xenos. And don't worry—I will take care of her. She is my disciple now."
Hearing the firm confirmation, Kiyoshi let out a relieved sigh. "When Kori was a child, she was warm and kind. Seeing her smile, I once vowed to protect her from everything. But then... the ice came." His fists clenched. "She started releasing ice from her body, suffering unbearable pain. No doctor could explain it."
He paused, voice thick with emotion. "After years of searching, we finally found a clue in the ancient texts. My daughter was born on February 8, 3023—a Yin day, in a Yin month, of a Yin year. The texts say that those born under such alignment are 'blessed' by Heaven with special physiques."
A bitter smile crossed his face. "At first, we thought it was a blessing. But as the years passed, as I watched my daughter struggle to survive... I realized—it was more of a curse."
Xenos remained silent, listening intently. He could see the weight Kiyoshi carried as a father. For a moment, it made him think of his own family—his past. A rare feeling of nostalgia surfaced within him. At least, humanity hasn't lost its heart over time.
Kiyoshi finally exhaled deeply. "Thank you for listening. Just knowing my daughter's suffering might finally end... it's lifted a burden from my heart."
Xenos nodded. "No need to thank me. These are the things that make us human."
A moment of silence passed before Kiyoshi spoke again. "Xenos, regarding what we discussed earlier—I think we should bring the President of the Federation into this."
Xenos raised an eyebrow. "Who is the president?"
Kiyoshi gave him a puzzled look but answered. "Her name is Anaya Singh."
Xenos folded his arms. "And why do you think we need to include her?"
Kiyoshi's expression darkened. "There are many reasons—military power, political influence... but the most important reason? The President of the Federation is personally selected by the Four Pavilions."
Xenos frowned. "The Four Pavilions?"
Kiyoshi nodded. "Even though we—the 12 Hidden Families—are powerful, we are not the true rulers of humanity."
"The Four Pavilions—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise—hold that title."
Xenos remained silent, absorbing the information.
Kiyoshi continued, his voice steady. "Unlike us, the Four Pavilions rarely interfere with human affairs. They remain in the shadows, hidden even deeper than us. But after World War III devastated the Earth, they stepped in to stop the war themselves."
Xenos listened carefully as Kiyoshi explained how, even after halting the war, the world remained in chaos. Famine, disease, technological stagnation, and nuclear contamination had brought humanity to the brink. Seeing this, the Four Pavilions took one final step—they unified all governments into a single entity: The Federation.
"Ever since then," Kiyoshi concluded, "every President of the Federation has been personally chosen by them."
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Xenos fell into deep thought. Another unknown force... the Four Pavilions. What else have they been keeping from humanity?
After a moment, he nodded. "Alright. Arrange a meeting with her."
Kiyoshi nodded in agreement.
For the next 45 minutes, they spoke about various matters, exchanging information and strategies. Then, Kori finally returned, carrying her luggage.
Kiyoshi turned to his daughter. "So, you packed everything?"
Kori nodded. "Yes, father."
Kiyoshi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to everything your master says, alright? If you don't understand something, ask him—don't be shy. And make sure to eat properly. Also, don't forget to call us from time to time."
For the next five minutes, he poured out every bit of fatherly advice he could think of.
Finally, he led Kori to Xenos and looked at him one last time. "Please take care of my daughter."
Xenos nodded. "I will." He then turned to Kori. "Are you ready? Shall we go?"
Kori hesitated for a moment. Then, she clenched her fists tightly and nodded. "Yes, Master."
Seeing her resolve, Xenos placed a hand on her shoulder. He turned to Kiyoshi one last time. "See you later."
Then, he activated the teleportation.
A flash of light engulfed them—and in an instant, they were gone.
Kiyoshi stood still, eyes fixed on the now-empty space. A moment later, he sighed. "Teleportation...? Just who is he really?"
Shaking his head, he turned and left the Lunar Cave. There was no time to dwell on it.
A far greater burden now rested on his shoulders—the Underworld invasion.
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In the next second, Xenos and Kori appeared inside his mansion.
Xenos led Kori to her room, his voice calm but firm. "Get some rest for now. I'll guide you through everything later."
Kori nodded, stepping into her new space. Satisfied, Xenos turned and left, heading straight for the basement.
Inside, Maximo sat cross-legged, his body still radiating faint energy as he continued healing. It had been three hours.Seeing that Maximo was still in deep recovery, Xenos remained silent and positioned himself nearby—to stand guard.
His mind drifted back to his earlier conversation with Kiyoshi. He had learned many things that he hadn't known before. The Four Pavilions...
Xenos sighed, rubbing his temples. Another mystery. Just how many hidden forces exist in this world?
As the thoughts piled up, he decided to call Sumanth.
A moment later, a groggy voice responded. "What is it? Can't you let me sleep?"
Xenos scoffed. "Sleep? You're an Extreme Paragon. You can go without rest for millions of years."
Sumanth let out an exaggerated sigh. "What?! You want to kill me? Do you have any idea what managing an empire is like? There are trillions of citizens on my planet. Do you think handling all of them is easy?"
Xenos smirked. "Alright, alright. Relax. I just need some information. Do you know anything about the Four Pavilions?"
Sumanth hesitated. "Four Pavilions? Never heard of them. Why? What happened?"
Xenos leaned back, his expression darkening. "A lot."
He began explaining everything—his suspicions about the Underworld Beings already infiltrating Earth, how they were manipulating events from the shadows, his conversation with Kiyoshi, and the Federation's role in all of this.
When Xenos finished, there was a long silence.
Sumanth exhaled sharply. "So... it's already this bad, huh?"
Xenos nodded grimly. "Yeah. After returning to the past, I didn't investigate things properly. If I had, I could have removed the problem at its root. But now... my realm is too low. I need to be cautious."
Sumanth clicked his tongue. "It's a good thing you didn't act recklessly. If you had interfered too soon, Heaven and Earth would have retaliated fiercely."
He paused before asking, "So, what are the names of these Four Pavilions?"
Xenos narrowed his eyes. "Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, Sumanth muttered, "Dragon... Bird... Tiger... Tortoise... That does sound familiar. An old memory, maybe. I think I've read about it somewhere..."
His voice trailed off.
"Wait a minute. Let me check."
Xenos waited as Sumanth searched through his memories.
Two hours passed before Sumanth finally responded, his voice filled with certainty. "That's it... I knew I had heard those names before. I just couldn't recall where. But now I remember—I read about them when I was a kid."
Xenos' gaze sharpened. "So, what is it?"
Sumanth sighed. "Do you remember the Great War between the Chaos Beings and the Outsiders?"
Xenos nodded. "Yes. And?"
Sumanth continued, his tone becoming more serious. "You already know that during the Age of Beginnings, when Chaos Beings ruled, humans held a high status in the universe because of Creator Nuwa. But after the Great War, humanity fell... and it fell hard."
His words carried weight. Xenos remained silent, listening intently.
"Since our planet was sealed inside the Tower by Ancestor Eve, we were spared the destruction. But the humans who remained outside... they were caught in an endless war for the hegemony of the universe."
Xenos frowned. "And what happened to them?"
Sumanth sighed again. "They hit rock bottom. They were hunted, forced into hiding, treated as nothing more than prey. Other races joined forces against them because of the belief in prenatal and postnatal beings."
Xenos raised an eyebrow. "Prenatal and postnatal beings?"
Sumanth explained, "Prenatal beings are those who were born or created by Chaos Beings. Postnatal beings, on the other hand, are naturally born from the laws of heaven and earth. And since humans are prenatal beings, many postnatal races sought to exterminate them."
Xenos clenched his fists. "So, all of humanity was driven into hiding?"
Sumanth nodded. "For countless years. But then... a man was born. A human who awakened his ancestral bloodline, a man of immense destiny. His name was Feng Tianlong. He would later become known as the First Emperor of Humanity."
Xenos listened intently as Sumanth's voice grew heavier with emotion.
"During his youth, Tianlong had four companions—his closest friends, his brothers in arms. Their names were Merlin, Abdul, Jabari, and Vijay. Together, they fought to reclaim humanity's place in the universe. They refused to remain in the shadows. They refused to keep running. And so, they built an empire."
Xenos felt a strange sense of awe. "And these four companions...?"
Sumanth nodded. "They played a crucial role in Tianlong's rise. After establishing a home for humanity, the First Emperor entrusted them with four great regions, each charged with protecting humanity's borders."
"Merlin was given the North and the title Azure Dragon.
Vijay was entrusted with the South and became the White Tiger.
Jabari ruled the East and took the title Black Tortoise.
And Abdul defended the West as the Vermilion Bird."
Xenos exhaled slowly. The weight of history settled upon him. He had expected a story, but this... this was a legend.
Yet, something didn't sit right.
"Sumanth," Xenos finally said, his voice laced with suspicion. "Are you saying that these 'Four Pavilions' we've heard about... are connected to them?"
Sumanth paused for a long moment.
"I don't know."
Xenos frowned. If these Four Pavilions truly connected to the legendary figures of humanity's past, then who exactly were they now? And more importantly... what side were they on?
Suddenly, Xenos snapped out of his thoughts, sensing a disturbance—Maximo was fully healed.
Slowly, Maximo opened his eyes, blinking as if adjusting to a new sensation.
Xenos smirked. "How do you feel, kid?"
Maximo sat up, clenching and unclenching his fists. "It's... different, Master. My body feels light. No pain... It's been a long time since I felt like this."
Xenos nodded. "Good. Get some rest now."
Maximo, still processing the changes in his body, gave a respectful nod before heading to his room to rest.