The male servant was knocked away by the shockwave, crashing into a flowerbed in the courtyard. Several sharp shards of broken concrete pierced his body, and whether he was alive or dead was unclear.
In that brief moment of the explosion, Xinya tightly embraced her son. When the blast passed, she slowly opened her eyes and was shocked to find that they were protected by a mental barrier her son had conjured. His mental powers had just gone through their first burst not long ago; sustaining such a barrier would surely be too much for him.
"Little Ke! Little Ke!" she called out anxiously, "Are you alright?"
Tang Ke retracted the mental barrier, his head pounding as if it were about to explode. For a moment, he could not find his voice, only managing to nod in response, his face pale as paper.
The explosion alarmed everyone in the manor. Servants and bodyguards rushed toward the scene. A few people had already put on lightweight mechas and were soaring toward the site of the explosion.
"It's the young lady's room!"
"Oh no, the young lady hasn't gotten up yet! She's still inside!"
"Hurry, get the young lady out!"
"Don't panic, the young lady is an A-rank mental power user; she will definitely be fine!"
"Over there, move that piece of concrete, quickly!"
"Two people over here!"
The scene was chaotic for only a moment before a systematic rescue and cleanup began. Xinya hurriedly pulled Tang Ke back to a safe distance, trying to avoid getting in the way.
Just then, a man's voice echoed from the collapsed room, "Everyone, step back—"
His voice was calm and commanding. As soon as he gave the order, those surrounding the collapsed area immediately retreated without hesitation, many casting up their own mental barriers.
"That's your cousin," Xinya whispered to Tang Ke. Although they hadn’t been in contact for several years, she could still recognize her cousin's voice.
This cousin from the Han family was an S-rank mental power user, Tang Ke knew. But he felt puzzled because he distinctly sensed two entirely different powerful mental energies coming from that position.
At that moment, there was another loud bang, and debris flew everywhere. Fortunately, someone raised a barrier to shield the mother and son from the flying shards.
In the rising dust, a man cradled a girl in a white lace nightgown; he leaped from the recently blasted opening, landing gracefully on his knees.
Due to his A-rank mental power, Tang Ke had sharper vision than most. As the man landed and the white gown settled, he clearly saw the girl in his arms open her eyes and glance at him.
Her gaze pierced through the crowd, landing on him unmistakably… for a second. Then, she closed her eyes again, resting her head against the man's chest.
The girl wore a snow-white dress, and her face was pale as well. The loss of color mirrored Tang Ke right before the explosion, a sure sign of mental exhaustion. With her eyes closed, leaning against the man, her delicate features were breathtaking, like a porcelain doll about to shatter, making one hesitant to even breathe heavily.
How could there be… such a beautiful young lady? Is she an angel? Tang Ke thought dumbfounded.
People surged forward, blocking his view.
He overheard men in the crowd saying, "Prepare the treatment chamber and nutrient solution, immediately!"
Now closer, Tang Ke felt the pressure emanating from the S-rank user. The powerful mental energy snapped him out of his dazed admiration of the girl's beauty. A chill ran down his spine. Could this be what it meant to be an S-rank? It made one instinctively want to retreat.
The head of the Han family held the girl and swiftly turned to head back into the main building, with many following in. The rest lingered, whispering among themselves.
"Did the young lady's mental power seem to have upgraded?"
"That's impossible; she’s only twelve years old. She shouldn't even have reached her first cycle yet!"
"I can feel it too; she's at least an S-rank."
Indeed, Tang Ke knew it was true; he could clearly feel that in comparison to the head of the Han family’s mental power, the other presence, though somewhat weaker, was still undeniably strong—definitely S-rank.
As he pondered this, Xinya suddenly squeezed his hand, hesitating before saying, "How about… we go back first?"
The situation before them was too chaotic; it was not suitable to discuss matters now. He guessed that his cousin wouldn’t have the energy to deal with her affairs at this moment anyway.
Xinya found a male servant and explained the situation. With the scene being so frenetic and everyone occupied, the servant casually agreed, his attitude dismissive. Not knowing if her words would even reach the right person, Xinya sighed and after a moment of hesitation, decided to leave.
Han Yanyan lay in the treatment chamber for an entire day. When she finally emerged, it was already evening. Her father had stayed by her side the whole time, never leaving her alone.
As soon as Han Yanyan awoke, she asked him, "Did you measure my mental power?"
"I did," her father replied, somewhat unsatisfied, "It's S-rank."
No one had expected that Han Yanyan would experience a second burst of power before reaching her first cycle; such a phenomenon had never occurred before. S-rank was already impressive, and both he and his wife were S-rank users too, but he had hoped for her to reach S+.
Having lived together with her for twenty years, Han Yanyan knew him well. She said nonchalantly, "It's alright, there's still the second burst when I reach my first cycle."
The head of the Han family did not argue, only saying, "Go take a shower."
Covered in nutrient solution, both her clothes and body felt sticky. As she turned her head, seeing the frown on her father’s brow, she realized he viewed this as her second burst and worried that she might not experience another when she reached her first cycle. However, he chose to hold his concerns for her feelings.
In the years that followed, her father trained her with an iron fist, molding her into a competent family leader. Sometimes, she even forgot that he used to show tenderness when she was younger.
She combed her damp hair and told him, "Don't worry."
He nodded, assuring her to take comfort, then watched her leave.
He crossed his arms, deep in thought. Although he was unsure why, she had already experienced one burst today. Would there be another when she reached her first cycle?
Upon returning to the hall, his confidant awaited him and reported, "Miss Yanyan’s mental power has upgraded to S-rank. Should we announce this news to the public?"
The head of the Han family pondered briefly before nodding, "Prepare for it; host a banquet to celebrate."
If she didn’t experience another burst at her first cycle, she would be the youngest S-rank user in the family. Should she manage another burst, now as an S-rank, she would surely progress to S+. With the current circumstances, she could either advance or withdraw, but either way, the prestige of being a recognized heir was certain.
Two days later, Xinya called Secretary He to arrange another meeting with the head of the Han family. However, she learned that he was quite busy those days. Disappointed and anxious, she implored him to see if there was a way to squeeze her in.
Secretary He replied, "We are preparing a celebratory dinner for the young lady; it’s simply impossible to fit you in."
Xinya felt a spark and said, "I’m Yanyan’s cousin. Can I attend this banquet?"
Secretary He quickly brought up the family tree to confirm, "You are Lin Xinya, the granddaughter of the Fourth Master’s wife?"
"Yes, that’s me."
In truth, she no longer counted as a member of the Han family. Yet, many relatives like her would show up at this family gathering, so adding one more wouldn’t matter. Secretary He actually thought her voice was pleasant and readily agreed, "Alright, I will send you an invitation."
Han Yanyan was in her father’s study, going over the guest list with him. These powerful figures liked to keep their heirs at their sides from a young age, nurturing them day and night.
"How do you remember so many relatives?" Han Yanyan marveled. Even after twenty years, she hadn’t memorized many, relying entirely on her secretary.
The man replied coolly, "If I could remember them, why would I need a secretary?"
Han Yanyan: "..... Okay then."
She turned the page and glanced over, finding Lin Xinya’s name without surprise. That day when she came, Yanyan had encountered trouble, and thus Xinya didn’t get her business done. She was sure to come again.
After a moment of silence, Han Yanyan said, "Who are all these people? I’ve never even heard of them... wait, this one looks a bit familiar, Lin Xinya?"
Upon hearing that name, the man lifted his eyelids. He took the guest list from Han Yanyan's hand, glanced at it, slightly narrowing his eyes, revealing a glimmer of interest.
"Who is she?" Han Yanyan directed the attention towards Lin Xinya and Tang Ke, pretending to ask casually.
"She's one of your cousins, you met her when you were a child. You haven't had much contact with her in recent years," he explained.
"Don’t remember," Han Yanyan replied disinterestedly.
The head of the Han family, however, had a deep impression of Lin Xinya. This distant cousin had always been beautiful as a child, and indeed grew into a stunning woman. Proud and aloof, she would rather choose an ordinary person than be with him. Although he couldn’t marry her, he promised to care for her for life.
Now, with her youth fading, she still sought to meet him multiple times, clearly with a purpose.
How intriguing.
Han Yanyan rested her chin on her hand, glancing at him. In his eyes, she discerned a predatory interest.
For his inherent flaws, she could only roll her eyes.
"I’ve seen enough," she pushed the materials towards him and said, "What a waste of time. Our time is limited today; I need to go to the club. I'm leaving."
Walking down the spacious corridor outside the study, the carpet muffled any sound.
Han Yanyan found herself thinking about Tang Ke’s appearance.
In the past, she had distanced him, ensuring he lived a stable life. He had been living smoothly, and mother and son avoided the Han household to stay away from the chaos. The two had hardly seen each other since then. Yet, she kept him under surveillance, so she was well aware of what he looked like.
He had become a cheerful young man. An obedient son to his mother, working hard, and achieving success as a professional mecha player, he was much admired.
But today, he was just like that cute little boy from twenty years ago, still holding onto a few remnants of baby fat. A bit sensitive and grown-up too soon, he had also been fed notions that he shouldn’t have.
She couldn’t help him.
Ever since he was handed to Leo, his path was already set. Even without her, there would be other builders. Han Yanyan thought to herself.
Thinking this way helped bring her mind to ease.
For she had learned from "The Legend of Leo" how unethical it was to awaken the dead.
After a person dies, devoid of their physical body, their mental energy source can still exist independently, giving rise to a belief in Leo's world that humanity is constantly evolving, and there will come a day when they might reach eternal life. The mental energy source serves as a gateway to this eternity.
Thus, even though the body is lost upon death, families would ensure the preservation of the deceased’s mental energy source.
When a dead person is awakened and still possesses a physical body, it’s akin to having received a second life—a resurrection, resulting in joy for all.
But when a departed one is awakened without any physical basis, the re-opened mental energy source, lacking a substantial foundation, would ultimately... dissipate into smoke.
In other words, it would result in the soul scattering.