So I think I had norovirus and it seems to have also infected my roommate who spent all of last night puking. Oops...Happy New Years and I hope you're all doing better than me! Don't forget to vote and comment! Follow me for updates and keep your eyes peeled for more news on Project Far Shore, my next work. Details will be announced sometime next month! Thanks for staying with me all these years and hopefully many more!

For the next few days Lineir spent his time meditating and exploring the Baraz Clan manor with Aileen when she was available. Of course, she had to go visit some of the elders to explain what had happened to her companions. As two of the clan's prospective geniuses Jeirsus and Lysus were important enough that an investigation was warranted, but they were not at the level where the clan really cared that much for their loss. Even still...the clan seemed to drop the matter very quickly. Almost too quickly...

"How strange, most clans would be very suspicious if two genius's just vanished. And yet...the Baraz Clan seems almost to have been expecting this..." Lineir mused. Perhaps the Hells were simply a more brutal and dangerous environment for cultivators and this was normal for them. But he suspected there was more to this than met the eye. One day he was wandering the courtyard with Aileen. It was a beautiful area, despite the unkept appearance of the manor, clearly it had once been quite well maintained and lavishly decorated. The courtyard was over a kilometer long, and the roof was several hundred meters high with an illusion enchantment on it which projected a blue sky instead of the rocky ceiling of the Hells. To Lineir, it felt wistfully similar to home and he dearly wished he didn't have to go through all this trouble. Ugh, if it wasn't for that stupid senior... I could be at home. But I do owe him despite his unreliability.

"What do you think of our country manor Lineir? Though it's seen better days, it's still quite nice isn't it?" Aileen did her best to show Lineir around whenever she got the chance. One might suspect that she was trying to ingratiate herself with a hidden talent, and get her clan a better chance at recruiting him, but in reality, while she had certainly considered it, the real reason was she was simply grateful to him. Though she wasn't completely aware of the efforts Lineir had made to protect her, even an idiot could see that he had gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure the Drakewraiths had not eaten her.

"Yea...it reminds of me of...home." Lineir muttered before stumbling over his tongue as he realized that made no sense since he was supposed to be a wandering demon cultivator and should have no experience with blue skies and peaceful courtyard meadows. However, Aileen simply chuckled,

"Did you have a similar decorative enchantment in your master's estate?" She asked. It was at that moment, as Lineir was sighing in relief however, that another voice cut in.

"Hello! And who might this visitor be?" The greeting was pleasant but on his arm, Lineir could feel Aileen's fingers tighten. Whoever this person was, it was unlikely to be a friend. Putting on a tight smile Aileen answered,

"Jateirus! It's good to see you. How is...your family?" She faltered much as Lineir had just a moment ago as she realized she had said something she shouldn't. Through a soul transmission she messaged Lineir,

"This man is Jateirus. He's Jeirsus and Lysus's older brother. He's quite angry that the elders aren't putting more resources out to search for his clansmates so he may be here to question you. Do your best not to draw his attention, I don't have the best standing in the clan right now."

Lineir remained silent when the demon drew near. He had a single curved horn atop his head, and wore deep red robes emblazoned with the Baraaz family's crest. As he arrived he gave Lineir a seemingly quick once over and then turned to talk to Aileen.

"My family is still missing as you know. I've come to ask you about them actually. How is it that they both left and yet...you conveniently show up without them and a new companion?" Immediately Aileen stiffened and her fingers on Lineir's forearm turned to a deathgrip.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that Jateirus? Are you implying I had something to do with their disappearance? Because as I've already explained quite thoroughly to the elders, THEY LEFT ME!" She burst out and the tall demon grinned.

"So you say...but even still, with the clan's current circumstances, I find it fishy. And then there's you...Lineir yes? No clan...no history...no reason to help our dear Aileen. And yet...here you are." He smirked. "Aileen says you defeated a Drakewraith. I wonder how you did that with such a...pitiful cultivation base. Did you use some underhanded trickery? Or as I suspect, did you lie about that?" As the demon smirked Lineir didn't move an inch. He neither retreated nor moved forward to engage. However...inside he was preparing to do battle. This was his personality, calm like a mountain until the very last moment when he would explode like a volcano!

"I have my methods. Aileen herself saw the Drakewraith's defeated bodies. You may question my words but do you doubt her eyes? She is after all of the same clan as you so you'd be insulting your own clan." Lineir's face was still completely expressionless as he said this and the demon's mocking face turned red as he sneered.

"Well...if you're really capable of such a feat, I suppose you'd be able to fight any of our clan's genius's. Such as myself, wouldn't you?" Jateirus suddenly snapped a punch forward at Lineir's face without provocation, stopping it mere centimeters from Lineir's nose. There was no power in it but Lineir was completely unafraid. Protected by the likes of the Midnight Armor, someone at Jateirsus's level, a mere Celestial King was not someone he was afraid of unless they were special like Cang Shuifeng. Seeing his lack of reaction, Jateirus snorted and withdrew his fist.

"Not even willing to fight back when a fist is in your face? Wandering cultivators truly have no spine. I doubt your eyes can even follow my fist let alone a Drakewraith...."