Pov: Lu Xiaoran
Hearing her words, I kept thinking about my father. This wasn't the time to discuss it. I looked at the system watch. It was 4 PM. Soon, it would be time for Lin Chen's party. I glanced at my mother, then sent a message to Master asking if we could take her with us. He replied that we needed to clear the charges against her first so the court could release her with the respect she deserved. I agreed with him. With a heavy heart, I decided to leave her.
Before we left, we cast an illusion spell on her prison cell. We also brought her some new clothes and supplies, along with enough food to cook. Now, she had a luxurious room instead of a prison cell, but anyone looking from the outside would still see a normal prison. I hugged my mother and reluctantly left as Roman prepared the teleportation spell. Just as we were about to depart, Roman said, "Oh, Layla, I forgot to ask. Who was that lady who captured you? What's her name?" He smiled, and after I gave him the name, he teleported us immediately.
Pov: Vik
After leaving the house, I walked toward the nearby bus stand. As I walked, I looked around my neighborhood. This area is upscale, with many houses featuring different designs. Some are modern while others resemble castles. Overall, this district is home to many wealthy people. When the broker sold me this manor, he mentioned that this district ranked only third in terms of wealth in the city. If this is third, I couldn't imagine where the richest people lived.
"Host, you have a whole forest, which just happens to be a forbidden area, all to yourself. In my view, you have more wealth than the combination of this place and a nearby city. It could be even more if you count the natural treasures hidden in that forest," the system said.
I heard the system mention the Great Fire Forest and silently asked in my mind, "Is that forest really that special?"
"Yes, host. Even before you changed the forest by starting a catastrophic fire, many strong beasts inhabited that place. They are at the top of this world in terms of cultivation. The forest contained many strange treasures and hidden realms, which were even dangerous for Transcendence realm experts. But when you ignited that fire, you destroyed the existing ecology, forcing those beasts to flee because they couldn't withstand the flames. They didn't want to burn alive."
While I walked, I reached the bus stand and absorbed the system's explanation. Still, I had a question. "But system, if the fire destroyed those treasures and left only the trees, how can you say the forest contains hidden treasures?"
"You have a point, but keep in mind that destruction often leads to the creation of something new. The fire you started burned everything, including hidden realms separated by folds of space, meaning it could even burn space itself. When those treasures burned, the energy they released was absorbed by the fire. Like all fire, it left ashes behind, but these ashes contained some kind of otherworldly energy. This energy was absorbed by the trees and ground, transforming them into something beyond my understanding. In the truest sense, that forest is a natural treasure. That's why the top echelons of this world sought help from the upper realm to seal it. Currently, that area is sealed by void laws. Aside from you, who accidentally creates wormholes, no one can exit. Entering is possible through teleportation, but no sane person would do that."
Sitting on the bus, I absorbed all this information and finally understood the anomalies I created by summoning that fire. However, I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on my current task. The bus arrived at my destination, and I got out to survey my surroundings. I was now in the government district of the city. The registration office is located here, so I needed to get my business registered to avoid any future issues.
When I arrived at the registration office, I saw a line at the reception desk and people waiting. Other counters also had lines. I followed the procedures, waited in line, received my token, and filled out a form. I sat at a desk in the waiting area with other people. While I waited, a shady person in sunglasses approached me. He offered to get me a license quickly for a price.
Sigh. Corruption remains a problem in this world. For now, I ignored the broker. After two hours, my turn came. I entered the office and submitted my documents for the license, but the officer told me to return tomorrow with a sample of my product. They should have informed me of this earlier.
I thought about how to solve this problem. Maybe I could approach that broker again; I figured he might appreciate some shock therapy. As I left the office, I received a message from Lu Xiaoran asking if they could take out their mother. I refused, saying we would secure her release with the respect she deserved.