Weapon seller in the world of magic

”I received a message from someone trying to reach you,” Sasha continued. ”A woman named Jiang Xueli. She claims to be your elder sibling. She mentioned that your number had changed and that you weren’t responding to her emails. She left a message. Would you like me to forward it to your email?”

Qin Tianzhu blinked. ”Jiejie? Ah, yes, she is indeed my sister.” His grip on the phone tightened as he said. ”Alright.”

Opening the mail app, he then tapped the message.

Xueli’s voice played a second later, soft but clear. ”Hey... It’s me,” she began. ”I hope you’re doing well. I... I promised that I won’t contact you again through public channels like this. I’m sorry. But the situation is urgent.”

There was a pause.

”Sigh... Dad passed away, Xiao Zhu. I know your thoughts will not change. But before his death, he regretted a lot of things. Since he is no more, I thought it was time to put away that resentment. If it is not too much trouble, can you come back home with Veronika and Theodore to attend the funeral?”

The message ended.

Tianzhu stood in silence for a long moment. No anger. Just a numb silence. However, his grip on the phone tightened on the sides.

As Tianzhu disconnected the call, Vera eyed him curiously. ”Uncle, what is it?” She couldn’t help but turn curious, seeing a change of expression on Tianzhu’s face. He seldom loses his calmness when it doesn’t concern her or Theo.

Tianzhu sighed, shaking his head. ”Your grandfather passed away, dear.”

”Oh, are we going then?” As Vera asked expectantly, Tianzhu shook his head. ”No. We will go after the funeral.”

**A few days later;**

**At a columbarium in Hangzhou City, Southern Wu;**

Tianzhu stood in front of the compartment where his mother’s portrait and ashes were stored. He stood there in silence.

Xueli approached, carrying a bouquet. ”Xiao Zhu...” As she called out with an emotion thickened in her voice, Tianzhu slowly turned around and smiled faintly. ”It’s been a while, Jiejie.”

Tears welled in Xueli’s eyes as she nodded. Her voice broke a bit, ”Yeah... it has been.” After a brief pause, she asked with her eyes wandering around. ”Where’s Theo and Vera...”

At that, Tianzhu’s eyes darkened. He let out a sigh, shaking his head.

Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Southern Wu;

The doorbell’s tune echoed through the quiet morning.

Jiang Xueli, still wrapped in a thick robe, shuffled toward the entrance, rubbing sleep from her eyes. When she pulled open the door, she blinked in surprise. ”Xiao Zhu?”

Tianzhu stood there in a sweatshirt and joggers. His hands were in his pockets, shoulders relaxed like he had been at her house multiple times. He gave a small, pleasant smile. ”Morning, Jiejie. Sorry for not calling ahead. I was out to jog around the Park, but stopped by, realizing your house is nearby.”

A beat passed before she stepped aside, letting him in with a smile. ”Not a problem. It’s your house. You can come at any time. Come in.”

The living room was warm, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air. Xueli sat across from him; her husband, Zhao Mingze, also slouched beside her, still groggy from being woken up.

Birth name: Qin Li

Legal Name: Jiang Xueli

Age: 48

Ethnicity: Han

Arcane Path: Fighter

Ability: One Punch

Ability Rank: S

Mana Reserves: Tier-3

*

Name: Zhao Mingze

Age: 45.

Arcane Path: Mage

Ability: Sharing is Caring

Ability Rank: A

Mana Reserves: Tier-5

*

”Proceed with both of them.” He quietly muttered under his breath while appearing as if he was taking a sip of coffee.

As Tianzhu shifted awkwardly on the couch, Mingze spoke. ”So, I, uhh... heard that you stayed 15 years in Kitezh City, is it? How was your life there?”

Tianzhu exhaled and explained, altering the events slightly to suit his fake identity. ”Life is good there. My sister might have already mentioned it. I used to work at Egmor, but later, because of too much work and my kids, I resigned and now run a convenience store.” He glanced at his sister and added. ”That’s why you couldn’t reach me at the company, Jiejie.”

As Xueli’s eyes widened in surprise, Tianzhu further pulled out his smartphone and showed them a picture, a teenage girl with striking green eyes, and a teenage boy as tall as him, looking almost identical to him. ”This is my daughter, Veronika. And this is my son, Theodore.”

Mingze blinked at him, ”Your son and daughter?”

As he glanced at his wife, Tianzhu shrugged. ”Well, Jiejie might have given birth to them, but I raised them. Additionally, I legally adopted them. So...”

At that, Xueli’s face slightly darkened, but Tianzhu continued, ”Anyway, originally, I had no intentions to return, but since our father is no more, and the kids also became big enough, I thought there is no need for Jiejie to visit all the way to Kitezh every quarter. I also had no reason to stay back there.

Mingze leaned back on the couch with arms crossed, still processing Tianzhu’s words. ”So, you’re planning to stay here permanently,” he pondered. ”That wouldn’t have been an easy decision.”

Tianzhu nodded with a smile, swirling the remnants of his coffee in his cup. ”Yeah. But as I said earlier, my children are now big enough. They reached a stage where they will start seeking independence and rebel if I try to control them for their own good. I feel like I should let them grow in their homeland, where they could think of the possibility of having a future.”

Xueli observed her younger brother carefully. Tianzhu looked like someone more composed, like a proper parent who had gone through much. She couldn’t help but miss the carefree brat who does things on a whim and lets things fall into place.

”I still think adjusting to this place isn’t going to be that easy for your children and you as well,” she said, setting her cup down. ”Considering the fact that Vera wants to pursue an idol career...”

”Well, being an idol is so much better than becoming a hunter.” Sungjun shrugged, placing the phone away. After a brief pause, he further added. ”Unlike Theo, who has inherited your musical genes but wants to become a hunter.”