Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 456 - 407: Father-Daughter Showdown

Chapter 456: Chapter 407: Father-Daughter Showdown

The Moonlight Palace was hidden beneath the belly of Mond’s original form, concealed by its massive body, keeping it out of human observations.

Wei Shiyue intended to return to her bedchamber to retrieve some items, and Mond chose to let her proceed to the lunar surface.

Upon her return, Wei Shiyue found everything unchanged, which was expected, for Mond disliked fuss. Wei Shiyue believed it was still as sharp-tongued, gloomy, and irritable as ever.

Mond had many wives and concubines, and Wei Shiyue was just one of its countless offspring, yet she was considered one of the most characteristic of the Dragon Clan, and the strongest, despite her young age, she already possessed remarkable strength.

The palace had thousands of rooms, and one could easily get lost with a slight misstep. Wei Shiyue wandered in the outer corridor, waiting for her father to appear.

All around was quiet; the classic palace built of white jade had a strong magical aura. Light and darkness blurred their boundaries, flowers, birds, and trees trapped in time, never withering.

Every time Wei Shiyue gazed upon the garden of the palace, she could recall the tragedies of her childhood. Ever since her mother fell out of Mond’s favor, she grew increasingly morose, leading to her demise.

Since then, Wei Shiyue had sworn vengeance against the Elder Dragon, and she was determined never to show it even the slightest favor.

"Moonfire" Mond took on the form of a flying dragon, crawling over the sturdy buildings of the palace at a pace not quite fast. Wei Shiyue squinted as it approached, finding it as unattractive as an insect—the avatar was pitifully small compared to its expansive sky-spanning true form, barely managing to replicate its appearance.

Mond lay atop the corridor roof, stretching its neck toward the garden. Its draconic head was adorned with a pair of long, massive horns, staring at Wei Shiyue with its golden vertical pupils, giving her a look that was half pity, half frustration, as if it saw a treasured possession damaged.

Wei Shiyue summoned her weapon, an ax with blades on both sides, shaped like a full moon. One side was engraved with secret script to enhance its power, and the other was carved with dragon reliefs, commonly known as the "Moon Goddess Great Axe."

In the past, even a fleeting glance from her father sufficed to intimidate Wei Shiyue, but now she felt no fear, for she had become a warrior.

Mond revealed its sharp claws as a silent warning, its dignity not to be sullied, even by Wei Shiyue.

"Are you scared of being pointed at by your own daughter with an axe?" Wei Shiyue mocked loudly, "You are powerless, you can’t even protect your own possessions."

"You’ve destroyed my machines, locked away my precious collections." Mond’s head lifted higher, and its long dragon whiskers dangled down the sides. Its voice boomed like the resonating toll of ancient bells, echoing in every corner of the palace, "...And yet, I am not enraged by this, I still weep for you."

"Because you wronged my mother," Wei Shiyue scoffed, "If you want to know those archives’ passwords, you’ll need to bow before me."

Mond let out a disdainful snort.

"Is that so?" It fixated on Wei Shiyue, "Do you think you have me cornered? That I can hardly move? The moon has not taught you humility, nor has your time amongst humans altered you."

Fury arose in Wei Shiyue, to her, her father was no more than a shameful evil beast.

They say time heals all, but that’s only true for humans with brief lives, where even the most significant issues pale in comparison to death’s ultimate questioning.

But both Wei Shiyue and Mond were of the Immortal Kind, their hatred only deepening with each passing year, becoming a more corrosive grudge that could never be stripped away.

Wei Shiyue clenched her Moon Goddess Axe tightly.

Yet neither made a move.

Mond retreated its massive body upon the roof tiles, and Wei Shiyue also paused, sensing someone approaching. She turned to see Xu Yang arriving at the corridor, leaning against a moonstone pillar.

Xu Yang was in the middle of replacing equipment in the Moonlight Palace when he was drawn over by the commotion of the father-daughter confrontation. He was unaware of just how strained their relationship had become.

Wei Shiyue was the most surprised to see Xu Yang, realizing then what his earlier words meant—so he could ascend to the moon as well, but what then was his relationship with Mond?

"Boss Xu." Wei Shiyue hid her ax, "I truly didn’t expect to find you here."

"He is a guest of the moonlight," Mond’s figure vanished from the rooftop, leaving only its voice echoing, "You haven’t forgotten the proper way to treat a guest, have you, Wei Shiyue?"

Wei Shiyue looked down and crushed a small flower under her foot, then lifted her head.

"You knew all about me already?" Wei Shiyue assessed Xu Yang.

"I only knew you were the Moonlight Princess."

"Alright, follow me." Wei Shiyue turned and led Xu Yang deeper into the palace, "I came back to fetch some things from my room. I’ll share with you some food from the moon, consider it a gesture of my courtesy. I’m rather upset at the moment, so if I say anything unpleasant, that can’t be helped."

"What would be the outcome if you really attacked your father?" Xu Yang followed her.

"The moon would be blasted with a crater, and I’d be exiled forever." Wei Shiyue didn’t look back, "I’m actually quite curious to see that outcome. It’s better that I never see Mond again, until I am strong enough to chop off its head."

Entering Wei Shiyue’s bedchamber, the quarters were indeed much prettier than any dwelling on earth, with nine rooms connected by corridors with expansive views. Each door was adorned with exquisite moon-silver emblems and illuminated by multiple crystal chandeliers.

Wei Shiyue brought Xu Yang to her bedroom, passing through the translucent curtains, Wei Shiyue searched for something among her pillows and wardrobe.

Xu Yang looked around the room, which had been made ready for both dragon and human forms, extremely spacious with doors four meters tall, as if designed for giants. In the low gravity of the moon’s surface, buildings could be built both airy and towering, presenting a different aspect than on the Ground.

"Eat this, please." Wei Shiyue peeked out from behind the curtain and quickly handed Xu Yang a mixed-nut mooncake.

"How many years has it been stored?" Xu Yang weighed the mooncake that was as big as his entire hand.

"Forgot, but it should be tasty, I suppose." Wei Shiyue withdrew and continued rummaging through her personal items.

By the time Xu Yang finished the huge mooncake, Wei Shiyue found what she was looking for, a Silverfish Sachet, which she hung at her waist filled with many accessories.

"Look at this." Wei Shiyue took out a ring that radiated a pink glow from the sachet, waved it before Xu Yang, then slipped it onto her finger. In an instant, Xu Yang felt that Wei Shiyue had become several degrees more radiant than before, her allure greatly increased, "How does it feel?"

"It seems... suddenly... more beautiful." Xu Yang admitted, "And the voice is more pleasant."

Wei Shiyue took off the ring and in the twinkling of an eye, Xu Yang felt that Wei Shiyue wasn’t as charming as before, her voice also less sweet.

"These were all magic accessories made by my mother before she died." Wei Shiyue put the ring back into the sachet, tied it to her waist, and became reflective with myriad thoughts, "They can be considered her legacy, each one a kind of expectation. But I didn’t even have time to take them with me when I left."

"Mond seems quite guilty." Xu Yang thought of Mond’s condition, a father-daughter relationship that was hard to define.

"It deserves it," Wei Shiyue said calmly, "My mother’s fate made me understand that I can only trust myself, not that monster."

Wei Shiyue turned and went behind the curtains again, gathering some personal items in her boudoir.

"I have nothing to linger for here." Wei Shiyue handed another mooncake to Xu Yang, "I will be returning soon, and I will never come back. Mond’s tolerance for me has its limits. I’ve just tested its bottom line; it implicitly showed anger and could tear off the last veil at any moment. I must embark on my own path of power and then I can confront it."

Wei Shiyue’s voice revealed strong self-confidence, and Xu Yang nodded, planning to go to the other end of the palace to understand Mond’s thoughts, thus he bid farewell to Wei Shiyue.

Watching Xu Yang’s retreating figure, Wei Shiyue naturally had more thoughts about him, constantly speculating about his true identity and hidden power. She sat in the bedroom for a while longer, then decided not to delay any longer and returned to the Ground.

Xu Yang found Mond; it was adjusting the new equipment that Xu Yang had brought.

"They are ten times smaller than before, but operate a hundred times faster." Mond was very satisfied, "And my data hasn’t been lost at all."

"About Wei Shiyue..." Xu Yang said, "I feel there is a particularly troublesome connection in all this."

"It all stems from her serpent-like mother," Mond shook its head, "But why should we discuss that woman? Wei Shiyue’s heart has been tainted, and familial betrayal is all the more heartbreaking because we originally thought we were tied by the bonds of kinship. You saw her raise her axe against me, breaking the last of my illusions. Henceforth, she will leave the Moonlight Palace forever, and the Moonlight Palace will close its doors to her for good. But I have one last request, to have you keep an eye on her in the mortal realm, to prevent her from dying in vain. Not because Wei Shiyue is my daughter, but because a member of the Moon Dragon Race should not perish so easily on the earth, unless it’s for a nobler purpose."

Mond was especially dissatisfied with her cultivation of the Undead Technique, but it did not wish to elaborate.

"I understand," Xu Yang sighed.

"Here’s your reward." Mond gave Xu Yang a bag of magic seeds, "Cultivate them under the right conditions, and the fruits they bear can be used as Magical Materials."

"Thank you very much." Xu Yang accepted the seeds, "You also mentioned about opening a teleportation gate on the moon, are you still considering that?"

"We are restarting the mines." Mond nodded, "I can’t simply take resources without offering anything in return. I need to prepare some goods to trade with you. I need food from the surface to fill the bellies of the children, hoping my newly born kids can be as brave as Wei Shiyue, possessing the true form and will of dragons but without her rebellious and arrogant nature."

After Mond left, Xu Yang couldn’t help but ponder. It clearly was not afraid of Wei Shiyue raising a banner of revolt against it. Mond was a high-ranking Ancient Mystic, and Wei Shiyue’s power was still far from its own.

Xu Yang returned to Shijin Mansion via the last sigil Mond left behind, handing the magic seeds over to Farosa for inspection.

"So many bags of exotic plants." Farosa briefly went through the contents of the bag and couldn’t help but smile, "The Elder Dragon should have handed over these valuable things much earlier."

She had already forged the previously seized Magical Materials into new treasures for the witches, and now the store of Magical Materials was depleted, but with these seeds, they could replenish their reserve.

"Who should plant them? And we have to choose a secret place, someone we can absolutely trust to do the planting," Xu Yang was well aware of the immense value of Magical Materials.

Not just the company, all organizations of the mystical side had great demand for them. They could be used to concoct Magic Potions, create Magical Items, enhance enchantments, and even serve as suitable offerings to please the Mystics.

"I have my methods," Farosa calculated the time; tomorrow was the date for traveling to Nangong Island.

The next day, she gathered a house full of Little Witches with a smile on her face.

"Children," Farosa said, "Today we have a lesson in labor education."