Feng Haotian's mind went utterly blank upon hearing the sentence; it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, leaving him frozen and dumbfounded. After a long pause, he managed to ask in a trembling voice, "You... what did you say?"

His eyes were nearly popping out from sheer agitation; this news was unequivocally a disaster for him. His parents had passed away years ago, leaving him to rely solely on his two older sisters. His eldest sister had always treated him with profound kindness, like a mother, even going so far as to perform music publicly to afford his education and ensure he had a superior learning environment.

To now hear that his sister had only ten days left to live—how could this not strike terror into his heart!

He felt an urge to strangle Zhong Shenxiu then and there, but the last vestiges of his reason restrained him. He had to clarify the matter first; if this child was lying, he certainly wouldn't let him off!

"Your sister is a 'Profoundly Alluring Woman'; it is already miraculous that she has lived this long, but she has reached her limit! I imagine your sister is aware of this herself!" After a slight pause, Zhong Shenxiu continued, "You should spend the remaining time with her."

With that, he departed with Robin.

Feng Haotian remained standing rooted to the spot.

In the small courtyard behind the "Snow Wind Pavilion." Yue Nongying moved her graceful form, resembling a colorful butterfly dancing lightly in the yard. She was practicing a new set of steps she had just devised. The sheer beauty with which she demonstrated it proved her incomparable talent in this area!

Just as she reached the most exquisite part of her dance, her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure, causing her to stop abruptly. She asked with some surprise, "Little Brother, why are you back so early today?"

Feng Haotian kept his head bowed, merely grunting an "En" without saying more, and presented a listless, almost lifeless demeanor. "Little Brother, what's wrong?" Yue Nongying walked over, feeling very strange.

Although she didn't understand Feng Haotian as well as her elder sister did, she could still sense that he was heavily burdened by something.

"Nothing!" Feng Haotian just glanced sideways at his elder sister, his voice low and devoid of energy.

Yue Nongying became even more perplexed. Her brother was never like this; today he seemed like a completely different person. Could it be romantic trouble? When faced with strange behavior, women often default to thinking along those lines, and it's hard to stop!

"Little Brother, tell your sister, is something bothering you?" As she spoke, Yue Nongying wore a knowing, slightly ambiguous smile.

However, Feng Haotian asked a question that left her quite frustrated!

"Is Eldest Sister in her room?" Feng Haotian inquired, his voice carrying an unusual tone.

Yue Nongying felt a pang of conflict. We are both sisters, and I'm not missing any essential parts compared to Eldest Sister. Why does Little Brother always seek out Eldest Sister when something's wrong and not me?

"En!" Yue Nongying nodded distractedly.

Feng Haotian said nothing more and walked toward the room. After a moment of daze, Yue Nongying followed him in.

Inside, Wu Feiyan was absorbed in studying the musical scores, completely oblivious to Feng Haotian's arrival beside her.

Feng Haotian watched his sister in silence. The quietude of the room remained unbroken until Yue Nongying entered.

"Sister, Little Brother needs to talk to you!" Yue Nongying’s voice broke through Wu Feiyan’s concentration.

"Oh? Little Brother, why are you back? No classes today?" Wu Feiyan put down the scores, asking with surprise.

"I skipped class!" Feng Haotian's simple statement stunned both his sisters.

"What? Little Brother, you skipped class to come back?" Yue Nongying exclaimed in shock.

Wu Feiyan, though also surprised, didn't make as much fuss as Yue Nongying. Instead, she asked with a gentle smile, "Little Brother, what happened?"

She knew her brother would never skip class without a significant reason; something must have occurred!

At this moment, Feng Haotian's face seemed shrouded in dark clouds. The gentler he treated her, the more agonizingly sharp the pain felt in his heart. He truly, truly did not want to lose this sister! He didn't know what the future held without her; he dared not contemplate it, nor did he want to!

"Little Brother, you are being so strange today!" Yue Nongying, unable to bear the heavy atmosphere, finally spoke up.

"Sister, may I ask you a question?" Feng Haotian looked directly at Wu Feiyan, his expression growing serious.

"Ask away," Wu Feiyan's smile remained unchanged.

"Sister, have you been feeling unwell recently?" Feng Haotian carefully considered his words before finally asking.

"I'm perfectly fine. Why do you ask?" Wu Feiyan looked at Feng Haotian with confusion.

Feng Haotian's complexion eased slightly. He would rather be deceived than face the truth of what Zhong Shenxiu had told him!

"Little Brother, you didn't come back just to ask that question, did you?"

Feng Haotian glanced at his second sister, then continued, "Sister, I saw two people at our academy."

"Two people? Who?" Yue Nongying became interested, immediately wondering if her brother had seen his crush with another man, causing this unusual behavior.

"The two people who gave Eldest Sister those music scores!" Feng Haotian said as calmly as he could.

"Little Brother, who are you talking about?" Wu Feiyan became unusually animated; a flicker of agitation appeared in her normally serene eyes!

Yue Nongying was even more intrigued and chimed in, "Little Brother, are you talking about those two people who made our sister obsess over them?"

Feng Haotian ignored their questions and continued on his own, "That little boy said something to me!"

"The little boy?" Yue Nongying started to ask, but Wu Feiyan preempted her.

"What did he say to you?"

"He told me that Eldest Sister only has ten days left to live." Feng Haotian hadn't wanted to say it, but he couldn't deny the yearning look in his sister's eyes.

"What did you say?" Yue Nongying shot up with a whoosh, angrily demanding again, "Did he really say that?"

"En!" Feng Haotian nodded.

"Sister, you heard that, and he still cursed you! Someone like that doesn't deserve you—" Yue Nongying’s voice cut off abruptly as she noticed her sister's strange expression.

Although Yue Nongying didn't know Feng Haotian intimately, she knew her elder sister intimately; after all, they had slept cuddled up together since childhood. She clearly saw the shock, sorrow, and helplessness that washed over her sister's face!

Was... was that true?

Inside the "Dark Trade Guild," the manager, Borrus, was frantically directing his staff. He had been extremely busy lately, almost without any rest. Firstly, business in the Guild had been booming, and secondly, they needed to prepare for the upcoming "Magic Exchange Convention."

The "Magic Exchange Convention" was held only once every five years, lasting three months each time. During this period, the entire "Ivory Fortress" would erupt in excitement, marking the peak business season for all establishments.

With only a little over two weeks left until the official start of the convention, Borrus, as the manager of the "Dark Trade Guild," had to ensure every preparation detail was perfect, allowing for absolutely no errors. The various promotional activities alone were enough to keep him busy!

Judging by recent days, more and more people from various regions were arriving in the "Ivory Fortress," and the "Dark Trade Guild" was nearly packed every day.

Due to severe staff shortages, Borrus had to hire temporary workers.

Of course, he wouldn't just hire anyone to fill the slots; anyone working at the "Dark Trade Guild" had to have impeccable character. Therefore, he opted for students!

After coordinating with the leadership of several nearby academies, each school recommended many capable students whose character was beyond reproach.

Borrus treated these students well, offering them generous wages and even hinting that if they performed well, he might consider promoting them to full-time employees!

To become a full-time employee of the "Dark Trade Guild" was considered an unprecedented stroke of luck. Everyone knew that the Guild's treatment of its staff was unmatched. If one truly managed to become a full-time member, they would not only instantly gain immense prestige but also leap straight into the ranks of the wealthy!

Because of this, the students working there strived to perform excellently, daring not to be careless in the slightest!

However, the work assigned to them was very simple: either cleaning or standing guard—in short, jobs that were easy to pick up. This was understandable, as these students lacked professional training and couldn't handle high-tech tasks; being a doorman was already a good opportunity!

Westwood’s task today was to guard the "Staff Passage" and prevent unauthorized personnel from entering. Although it felt like a waste of talent for a top student from the "Dream Star Magic and Martial Academy" to be doing such a job, he was perfectly content. If he could become a full-time employee, he would happily guard the door forever!

"Two little ones, please stop right there. This is a restricted area of the Guild; outsiders are not allowed in." Westwood addressed the two children approaching him.

He could never have known that these two children he was blocking were the boss of his boss!

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at Westwood, instantly recognizing him as a student. Robin, perhaps more experienced in such matters, took out the token symbolizing their identity without waiting for Zhong Shenxiu's instruction.

However, Westwood said something that left even Robin speechless: "Little sister, that token is very pretty, but I don't want it. You should quickly take your little brother somewhere else to play!"

Then, he offered a friendly smile.