The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 78: Cha Eun Xiao, Midnight Snack?

Cha Eun Xiao, Midnight Snack? . . .

Cha-Eun Xiao found himself being led to the backyard by Su Ye-Yue, a charming smile on her lips. It was a warm evening, and the moon cast a soft, silvery glow over the flowers that adorned the garden.

"Cha-Eun Xiao, you know, your name is quite unique," Su Ye-Yue began, her laughter like tinkling bells. She flashed her pearly white teeth and chuckled, "I can't help but find it a bit amusing. Cha-Eun Xiao. Cha-Eun Xiao. Hahaha... No matter how hard I try, it sounds like 'midnight snack' to me. Try saying it a few times, and you might see what I mean."

"Midnight snack?" Cha-Eun Xiao blushed at the playful remark.

In his previous life, he had chosen this name for himself. It signified that even a fallen leaf without roots could defy the heavens with laughter. 'Cha' indicated that he was an orphan with no family, and he had carried a jade pendant with the word 'Cha' since childhood. As for 'Eun Xiao,' it simply meant living with joy and laughter, a philosophy he had embraced.

[How did it become associated with a midnight snack?]

Throughout his entire previous life, nobody had ever dared to call the Xiao Monarch 'midnight snack.'

As he looked at Su Ye-Yue, he couldn't help but think, [She must have a deep love for food in her heart...]

Reflecting on the origins of his name, Cha-Eun Xiao gently touched his chest and felt a pang of sadness. [My jade pendant was taken from me, given to that woman in the Qing-Yun Realm. I wonder where she keeps it now and how she's doing.]

"Indeed, 'midnight snack,'" Su Ye-Yue affirmed with a triumphant smile, her eyes dancing with mirth. She swayed her hips playfully as she walked alongside Cha-Eun Xiao, declaring, "Finally, I understand the true meaning of your name."

Cha-Eun Xiao felt a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity. "You do? Really?"

"Of course! It's quite obvious," Su Ye-Yue laughed, her voice melodious. "It's said that one day, when Uncle Cha and my father were both quite drunk, they discussed the origin of your name. Uncle Cha couldn't stop laughing and said, 'Well, the name actually means midnight snack.'"

Cha-Eun Xiao's face contorted, and he widened his eyes in disbelief. "It actually means midnight snack?"

"Yes. My dad was taken aback at the time, so he asked 'why,'" Su Ye-Yue recounted with a cheerful demeanor. "Uncle Cha explained that when he had just married your mother, they were deeply in love. That night... well, that night..." Her voice trailed off.

She might not have been the most tactful speaker, but even she knew where to draw the line. Her exceptionally beautiful face flushed with embarrassment, adding to her allure.

"That night, what happened?" Cha-Eun Xiao was eager to hear more and leaned in attentively.

"Ahem... Anyway, it was..." Su Ye-Yue struggled to find the right words, her blush deepening as she stammered, "It was said that Uncle Cha had a craving for a midnight snack... So Aunty went to cook for him. But before she could finish, Uncle Cha couldn't wait any longer, and... he 'ate' Aunty instead... Ahem... And then, after some time, you were born. So, Uncle Cha decided to name you Cha-Eun Xiao. Just as the name implies, you were born because of the midnight snack. So, ahem, well, you are the midnight snack..."

She spoke hesitantly, with numerous pauses and sidelong glances, her embarrassment palpable. It was evident that continuing with this explanation would only make her more uncomfortable.

But Cha-Eun Xiao had an entirely different reaction. He felt like he was about to faint. Deep within, he yearned to pass out.

[What on earth is this? How does this even make sense? What's the point?]

Despite his usual composure and his past life as the renowned Xiao Monarch, he now felt utterly bewildered. [My name... actually comes from that...]

Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't believe what he had just heard about the origin of his name. It sounded utterly preposterous, and he felt like the ground had slipped from beneath his feet. He had hoped that Su Ye-Yue was simply making up a bizarre story, but her insistence on the truth left him feeling defeated.

"No, it doesn't make sense," Cha-Eun Xiao finally protested, shaking his head. He looked at Su Ye-Yue with a mixture of disbelief and desperation. "You're younger than me, and even your father hasn't met my mother. How could you possibly know such a personal thing about my parents? It's illogical... Did you just make it up?"

Desperation filled Cha-Eun Xiao's eyes as he silently pleaded, [Please tell me you made it up...]

"You're the liar here, not me!" Su Ye-Yue retorted, her lips forming a pout. "My dad and your father were drinking and telling jokes that day. Your father himself shared this story with my dad. So it can't be a lie, can it? Humph! They thought they were alone, but I was secretly listening in. It's true."

Cha-Eun Xiao sighed hopelessly. It seemed there was no escape from the peculiar origin of his name. He found himself wishing for a tree to hang himself on.

With a melancholic gaze, he looked at Su Ye-Yue, who was absorbed in her own chatter about the unusual topic. He felt like the world had suddenly taken on a darker hue. [I must be the only one with such a bizarre story behind my name...]

"Hey, why are you so down? What's bothering you?" Su Ye-Yue asked, concerned, after realizing that Cha-Eun Xiao had fallen behind during their walk.

"I'm just thinking," Cha-Eun Xiao replied with a sigh, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "When I have a wife, will she ask for midnight snacks all the time..."

Su Ye-Yue burst into laughter, a rosy hue coloring her cheeks. She reached out and playfully pinched him. "Do you really think you're that irresistible? Come on, let me teach you how to stop being such a shameless guy. I'll show you the Sword Art of Feng-Hua."

Over the past few days, Su Ye-Yue had dedicated herself to rigorous training and had made astonishing progress. With the Sword Art of Feng-Hua and the Spiritual Method of Feng-Hua, she had improved faster than anyone in the history of the Qing-Yun Realm. Her newfound confidence was evident.

Cha-Eun Xiao, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with her graceful swordplay. Compared to her natural and fluid movements, his own efforts seemed clumsy and awkward. After enduring her relentless attacks, he finally felt some relief when she allowed him to leave.

With a wave of her hand and a regal air, she declared, "You may go."

Cha-Eun Xiao wasted no time in making his exit. He couldn't continue the charade any longer.

Although Su Ye-Yue had surpassed his expectations with her progress, he knew he could easily defeat her if he wished. However, he also knew that doing so would mean endless practice sessions with her. So he had chosen to be defeated and escape her relentless training.

Su Ye-Yue, though, wasn't entirely pleased with the outcome. She muttered to herself with a complex mix of emotions, "He didn't want to stay, so he let me win... Humph. He must have something important to attend to. I won't bother him, then."

She was disappointed but still determined to improve. After a while of contemplation, she resolved to train harder. [He's different now. In the past, when I defeated him, he'd beg me to stop with sweet words. But today, he left calmly, like a gentle breeze. Did I not fight hard enough?]

As she held her sword and considered her training, she muttered, "I need to become stronger. Next time, I'll beat him even harder."

Meanwhile, Cha-Eun Xiao hurried back home, not stopping until he reached his destination. However, when he arrived, he was met with a peculiar and unsettling expression on the steward's face.

It was a look of bewilderment and disappointment, as if he were staring at a creature from another world.

"My dear forefather, didn't you promise to stay out of trouble?" Song Jue sighed deeply, his tone filled with sorrow.

"I didn't get into any trouble... I swear," Cha-Eun Xiao responded, scratching his head in confusion. He didn't understand why the steward was looking at him like that.

[Just as I return home, and he's already making me uncomfortable with his gaze...]

"What do you mean you didn't? Explain to me what trouble you think is!" Song Jue sighed once more, his eyes filled with sadness. [My big brother, why did you only have one child?]

In the realm of life's exchanges, individuals often find themselves paying a price for the troubles they create. A monetary cost, perhaps, or even just a debt of gratitude to those affected by their actions. But for Cha-Eun Xiao, the price he paid was far more profound – it was measured in lives, and it left a haunting question in the air: How many more lives would be sacrificed as a consequence of his actions? It was a somber reflection that weighed heavily on his heart.

The situation took an even more disconcerting turn when a missive arrived from the Crown Prince's Palace, bearing an invitation to meet with the crown prince himself. The steward, bearing the weight of concern in his expression, delivered the news to Cha-Eun Xiao.

"A missive has come from the Crown Prince's Palace. The crown prince wishes to meet with you," the steward informed Cha-Eun Xiao with a heavy sigh. He paused for a moment, his gaze reflecting the gravity of the situation. "And... I've heard about your recent visit to the west market. It's been reported that three men lost their lives..."

He raised an incredulous eyebrow, his tone laden with skepticism. "Upon further investigation, it was revealed that these men were affiliated with the Crown Prince's Palace, my dear young lord. If you truly had no involvement in their deaths, then it must have been the work of some malevolent phantom, emerging under the bright sun."

Cha-Eun Xiao, exasperated and baffled by the accusations, threw his hands up in the air and retorted, "Uncle Song, to catch a thief, one needs evidence. Accusing someone of adultery requires catching them in the act. To accuse me of murder, I don't mind if there's a lack of concrete proof, but there should at least be a semblance of reason, don't you think? Why on earth would I be embroiled in such matters? It's utterly perplexing. Men from the Mu Clan met their demise, and I'm under suspicion. Men from the Crown Prince's Palace meet their end, and I'm still under scrutiny? Must I be deemed suspicious whenever someone perishes? Where is the justice in all of this?"

The steward, his eyes wide with exasperation, found himself at a loss for words. He struggled to contain the impulse to take Cha-Eun Xiao over his knee and deliver a firm scolding.

[Wherever you go, Cha-Eun Xiao, misfortune seems to follow. And it appears that everyone you encounter becomes your enemy. How can anyone be expected to believe that you have no involvement in these events? What sort of proof or rationale can even begin to unravel this mystery?]

As he pondered these enigmatic circumstances, the steward couldn't help but entertain a creeping doubt that gnawed at his mind. He lifted his gaze to observe his young master – his nephew.

[This doesn't add up...

Why is it that all these incidents involve individuals who are our adversaries?

And why is it that none of our own people have suffered harm?

Of course, it's a blessing that our own remain unharmed. That much is certain. But... But there's something deeply unsettling about this situation.

Why? How?]