The capital of the Lilon Unified Kingdom, Tianjing City, the rising star of the Eastern Daoyuan Continent—a political and trade center—was all the result of the reforms carried out by the great Chancellor Luther. His reputation was not limited to Lilon; other countries began to imitate him. The Church invested money and manpower, and the Order Academy model became highly popular across nations.
Every corner of the capital radiated prosperity. The inner city, where land was worth its weight in gold, was a place where only families that had produced at least one parliamentary member were allowed to reside.
Inside a luxurious estate—
Sunlight streamed through the window into a bright and spacious study. Bookshelves lined with literary classics from every era. A young man sat upright at a desk. A steaming cup of coffee stood beside a red notebook and a few books. The top book was The Political Wisdom of Chancellor Luther.
The book was well-preserved but clearly read many times. With every rereading, he gained new insight. Chancellor Luther was a master strategist who subtly orchestrated the kingdom, balancing interests and leading the multi-ethnic Unified Kingdom to an unprecedented level of unity—and thus its current greatness.
The young man took a sip of coffee and, bathed in the sunlight outside the window, showed a thoughtful expression. Humming softly, he opened the notebook, dipped an elegant quill in ink, and began to write.
September 2nd — The Wheel of Fate continues to turn. Amid the solemn Twelve Signs of the Zodiac Celestial Disc, the male lead has descended, and the female lead is in position. Harmony prevails. The male supporting characters are arriving one by one, and this time, there’s a newcomer.
Miss Aries was as elegant and charming as ever. Her gaze never strayed far from me. She bore the noble grace that could only be cultivated through three or more generations. Though there’s a certain gap between our backgrounds, I don’t mind. Mystery and imagination add points in her favor. I believe this strange connection between us is meaningful. There’s mutual understanding and fondness between us.
Taurus is a gloomy type. A bit older. Likely someone who’s been through hardship and lost optimism in life. His profession is probably something like a mercenary. He fits the role of a bodyguard in a legend. Life is just unfair. My starting point is already his unattainable finish line.
The newcomer Gemini is slightly immature, visibly young, and acts very much like a commoner. That kind of humility is the result of an oppressive environment. When contrasted with my composure, he seems to be putting on a front. Judging by his accent and attitude toward faith, he’s probably from some lower district Order Academy in Lilon. He gives off that “don’t look down on the poor youth” vibe—clearly an unqualified supporting character.
All of them are destined to be witnesses and foils to the love story between me and Miss Aries. I’m looking forward to the supporting characters yet to come.
The Zodiac Celestial Disc only summons those born with extraordinary talent and fate. In the days to come, I will guide the other two to keep up with my pace—so they may become part of my brilliance…
I wonder what her favorite color is? Royal purple… a bit too old. Sky blue… a bit too childish…
…If she makes the first move, should I keep my distance or say yes right away?
…
Half an hour later, the entry was finally complete. The last line settled on the diary owner's personal motto:
“I am the Chosen One—and the Only One.”
He closed the red notebook.
A beautiful day had begun.
…
In the Night Watchmen’s office, Li Xin, who hadn’t been assigned to any missions, spent the whole morning reading newspapers. Speed reading was a basic skill, and whenever anything involving Luther came up, he paid special attention. Compared to what he had read some time ago, he noticed a few sentences that kept repeating.
For example:
“No one is truly unique, no matter where you come from.”
“Honor is vital for everyone. Abandoning honor is the same as giving up your chance to rise.”
“Start ruthlessly, grow steadily, and break through by risking it all.”
These inspirational slogans showed up repeatedly in various places. Nothing seemed obviously wrong with them—but something felt off to Li Xin. As if they were hinting at something.
There were no mysterious incidents lately. For the Night Watchmen, that was a good thing. Not that there was nothing going on—just nothing requiring a rookie like Li Xin to get involved. The Night Watchmen had external personnel to handle miscellaneous issues—like an awakened cat or a crazed rat spirit. Some so-called “mystery events” in the city turned out to be misunderstandings. They went through filtering procedures, and only the real ones would be escalated.
In the afternoon, he could go to the exclusive Night Watchmen training grounds to get familiar with Hextech firearms, or maybe chat with Mo Feng.
At heart, Mo Feng deeply envied others. He used to be a captain. After years on the front line as a Night Watchman, he had some mental issues. Alcohol was his way of coping—calming his nerves. When others went out on missions, he felt that longing in his chest. Once you took up this job, there was basically no way to live like a normal person anymore. Mo Feng, like Captain Luo Jin, didn’t have much family. He didn’t really care where he’d die someday.
“Old Mo, do you know anything about the Sacred Grounds?” After listening to Mo Feng brag for an hour, Li Xin finally asked.
To enter the Sacred Grounds, you needed a Divine Relic. As long as you had one, entry was inevitable. Alternatively, one could draw the Gate of Truth if their psionic energy was strong enough. A former Night Watchman captain, even if he hadn’t entered, should know something.
Miss Aries had said a few things during the Celestial Roundtable, but nothing in-depth. It wasn’t the right occasion for him to pester her with questions like some clueless newbie.
Old Mo looked at Li Xin with a squinting grin and slurped his drink. In all these years among the Night Watchmen, Li Xin was the first guy he could actually hold a real conversation with.
“Ah Xin, now that’s the right question. Back in the day, your old bro here was quite the legend—blessed by the gods. If I hadn’t been so devout, other gods would’ve snatched me up already.”
Seeing Li Xin’s eager expression, Old Mo got fired up inside.
“That place? It gathers all sorts—Church agents, secret organizations, elite students from the Order Academy… they’re nothing special. Your big brother here was a beast in his prime. I cleared one divine trial after another. Some holy maidens from different sects even tried to hit me up in private. If I hadn’t already decided to devote myself to the Night Watchmen, you’d never have met me. Let me tell you, the Radiant Sun Church’s saintess? Hot as hell. Her chest? Two hands wouldn’t cover it. The Frost Church’s saintess looked cold—but deep down, she was burning hot…”
Gulp—
“Old Mo, what counts as victory or failure? Do they lead to different outcomes?” Li Xin was getting more confused the longer he listened. It was starting to sound like a fairy tale.
Gulp, gulp… haaa—
Mo Feng wiped the corners of his mouth, licked his lips, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Li Xin.
“Everything I just said? Total bullshit. I’ve never been to that godforsaken place. You want my honest opinion about the Sacred Grounds? Don’t go. Don’t touch. Don’t even think about it. That place isn’t meant for mortals. Know your limits!”
Li Xin: …
“Don’t think I’m being a coward. That’s just reality. Even a Licker showing up in Tianjing is a nightmare—and you want to talk Sacred Grounds? I get that young people are curious—but it’s always the curious ones who die. Even the Church and secret orgs don’t fully get it. What the hell are people like us gonna do in there? Hope for a miracle?”
Gulp, gulp—haaa—
“I heard it’s dangerous, but if something goes wrong, can’t you return through the Gate of Truth?” Li Xin asked again.
“All I know is: there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Can you come back? Maybe. Maybe not. You either have absolute confidence—or overwhelming power. Otherwise, you’re just another blade of grass waiting to be mowed.”
Mo Feng’s face turned red and his neck thick as he said this, emotions flaring. He wanted to make clear that he wasn’t a coward—he was wise.
“So you're saying both righteous and heretical gods can send people in?”
“Heh… righteous, heretical—who makes that distinction? You’ll understand when you get to my age.”
Mo Feng patted the silent Li Xin. He knew Li Xin was capable and assumed the kid was just feeling indignant.
“Our Night Watchmen specialty is dealing with real-world supernatural incidents.”
Truthfully, Mo Feng had once failed to resist the temptation and entered—briefly. He returned quickly and understood then: people were not equal. Awakening psionics was only the beginning. Some levels were forever out of reach. The fact that he had turned back in time was already a blessing.
Mo Feng left it at that. There’s no persuading someone who’s dead-set on dying. He no longer had the sharpness of his youth. He took a few more gulps, waved his hand, and went to take a nap.
To people in the Underground City, the Night Watchmen were lofty and untouchable. But to the powerful elite, they were just another type of laborer.
Lunch and dinner were both handled at the Night Watchmen’s cafeteria. The meals were quite good. Not as tasty as Aunt Fei’s cooking, but free—so he ate several extra plates of meat while still thinking about Old Mo’s words.
From the attitudes of the people at the Roundtable, it seemed like they treated the Sacred Grounds rather casually—which meant they had strong backing. Li Xin didn’t care about that.
But it made one thing clear: a faction like the castle had to know about the Sacred Grounds. So if he entered… would it be risky?
There was still the issue of The Die to resolve. The Sacred Grounds was currently the best option—but the risk was massive.
Should he roll the Die to predict the outcome?
(End of Chapter)