When Shuran climbed the last step of the spiral staircase and staggered into the rectangular atrium at the top of the tower, Hikari Poria stood at the end of the atrium with his back to him. But Xiu Ran could be sure that she must have known that he was coming. So, in a manner befitting a sixty-year-old, he walked slowly towards the middle of the atrium, the door to his office. His shoulders drooped, his chest hooked, his waist slightly arched, but his eyes looked unblinkingly in the direction of the hanging window.

The golden sunlight of early autumn shines obliquely into the wide hanging window, elongating and projecting the shadow of Poria cocos on the bluestone floor. Two sturdy skyfall birds were chasing in the sky in front of the hanging window, and Poria's hooded head did not move with the birds. A breeze blew through the windows into the atrium, the hood fluttered slightly, and the edges of the cloak swayed slightly. Suddenly, the hem of the cloak spun in an arc, and Poria had already grabbed the greatsword by the window, turned around and strode towards Xiu Ran.

Xiu Ran was glad that he had been mentally prepared, so his slow pace and slightly rickety posture did not change in the slightest. He was even more glad that his previous little recklessness had calmed his anger and gained a clear mind at this moment. Otherwise, he would have put Poria on the list of mortal enemies because of her coming to see him with a weapon and her murderous turn just now.

Now, his calm observation was in its due, and he noticed more crucial details: the whaletooth ripple greatsword was tightly wrapped in a thick gray twill, and it was impossible to draw it at any time. The color-changing opal ring on the middle finger of Poria's left hand was turned around by her, and now she can only see the silver ring, not the colorful gemstone ring. She was visiting in a private capacity and did not intend to cause a disturbance in Kinwuin. She strode towards Xiu Ran, and although there was a huge sense of oppression in the action, Xiu Ran judged that she was deliberately bluffing. Behavior can be disguised, and the eyes do not lie. As the distance between the two shortened, Xiuran could see that there was unclear suspicion in Poria's eyes rather than a scheming cunning.

"I've kept you waiting." Xiu Ran said.

Lord Tsunade arrived first, and was already standing by the hidden door of the office. Xiu Ran hurried a few steps forward, his body shaking a little.

"It's the first day of school! Ceremonies, new students, attendees, and people who ask to meet you because of trivial matters...... Cough! ”

Xiu Ran pushed open the heavy wooden door, and Poria walked in after him without saying a word.

"It's no different from the year you came to school, you should know, I face a lot of miscellaneous things every day, but there are some that I really can't wait for, and I have to deal with them immediately."

Xiu Ran walked forward like a chattering old man without looking back, talking. He walked all the way to the end, and at the end of the rectangular room was his huge desk. Put the desk there and you can see the whole office. No one could sneak in in front of him, no one could stand behind him and peek at the letters. Importantly, he himself will fall into the shadows created by the tower's towering walls, while his subject will be exposed to the light cast by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the front half of the room, and even the subtle changes in facial expression will not escape his eyes.

He leaned on the edge of his desk, walked around behind it, and slumped into the large wooden armchair.

"But I can't fool you, half of the time you're waiting is actually spent climbing towers." Xiu Ran said self-deprecatingly.

Poria didn't answer, nor did she look at Xiu Dye. She stood in the middle of the room, looking sideways at the furnishings, her hood covering the side of her face.

She used her actions to show that this was not a topic she cared about, and because she had scruples in her heart, she carefully chose the time to speak. Xiu Dye thought to himself. Well, then follow my steps. Guiding others to say what's on their minds is as skilled to me as you are with a sword.

"Are you interested in that painting?" Xiu Ran followed Poria's gaze to an oil painting hanging on the opposite wall.

A white arc on a dark blue background represents a slender crescent moon. It's a windy night, as the long hair of the woman in the painting is in a messy and fluttering manner. The painter's delicate brush depicts her full, smooth forehead, rounded nose and soft, plump lips, a flawless youthful face that does not match her long white hair fluttering in the wind. Equally strange were the piles of books and a dozen bottles, laid flat or overturned, messily beside the women, and Poria felt as if something was hidden underneath the pile, something that shimmered silver and had a curved outline. However, it is also possible that the painter used a special pigment mixed with metal powder to depict the background. Because Poria noticed that the stars in the night sky behind the woman in the painting shimmered with silver, which made the light of the stars look more dazzling than the light of the moon.

"Is this the work of Molun Gin?" Poria spoke for the first time. The tone is rigid and blunt. This tone is unconsciously used when people don't mean it.

She wanted to talk to me as naturally as possible.

Xiu Ran felt more hopeful of being in control.

"Oh, of course not. The money-hungry old gentleman hadn't divulged his whereabouts to me for ten years. I guess I know I can't afford to buy his paintings. "Spread your hands out." It was only given by a businessman friend close to me. It was probably painted by a famous painter on Reijin Island, but of course it can't be compared with gin. The painting depicts his mother, the pioneer of their family's brewing business, wrestling with a new recipe. ”

"The wine merchant is close to you?" Poria turned her head and looked directly at Xiu Dye with a wary gaze.

"I remember that you didn't drink at the head of the Dyeing Academy!" Poria walked slowly towards Xiu Dye.

"Everything you remember is from the past. I used to be physically strong, but I used to enjoy peace in Goto, and I didn't need to drink to sleep all night. Poria, haven't we seen it in a few years? After the Night of the Bloody Eye, you won't even attend the Advent celebrations. In the past two years, my health has deteriorated considerably. ”

As he spoke, Xiu Ran only glanced at it, and saw that the muscles in Poria's jaw instantly tightened. It was a subtle change brought about by her clenching of her teeth when she heard the words "Bloody Eye Night". Sure enough, because he was the first to break the taboo, Lord Ryūden, who had lost his husband and child, seemed to have lost his coolness.

Xiu Ran pretended not to find anything, and continued to lament, "Do you see the fireplace there?" When your mother visited, she disliked the dampness and coldness of my room, and suggested that I install a fireplace, and I laughed at her in my heart. Now I know that she really cares about me. On two rainy nights, yesterday and the day before yesterday, I had to make a fire to get through. He shook his head and sighed softly. Speaking of your mother, that lord has only deigned to come to my island once. If it weren't for her precious daughter, she would never have stepped further in my tower. Xiu Ran suddenly giggled: "That year's Golden Crow Temple was really unprecedented!" There were actually three shrine maidens of the town hall on the island at the same time. But your generation really lives up to expectations, whether it's you or Long Ran or Rilun Sand Python......"

The crunch of clattering interrupted Xiu Dye's words, and the desk in front of him tilted to the right, the piled up of documents and letters on the side of the desk fell to the ground, and several pens and seals also clinked and rolled down.

Poria stood in front of the table, her eyes almost bursting with flames. It could be seen that she was trying her best to suppress the resentment in her chest, otherwise it would never be as simple as stepping on the two stone slabs under her feet.

"How dare you mention them in front of me......" The phrase almost burst out between Poria's teeth.