Weapon seller in the world of magic

Realization dawned on her face. Her eyes widened slightly before she bowed again, this time more deeply. ”Oh… I apologize. I haven’t been a good hostess. I didn’t take your meal timings into consideration.”

She straightened quickly. ”Here, we usually eat only once, late at noon. Please forgive my oversight.” She turned back to them and said earnestly, ”You may all go to your rooms and freshen up. I’ll have the servants prepare a proper meal for everyone.”

Mark shook his head lightly. ”I’ll take care of guiding them. You go speak with the servants.” He paused, then added almost as an afterthought, ”And don’t forget to tell them to prepare rice. White rice. Not the blue or pink varieties. And make sure there are proper meat dishes as well.”

Lan Xia nodded immediately. ”Yes.”

She offered the group a warm smile. ”Please excuse me.” Then she turned and strode away briskly.

As she moved down the corridor, she spotted two maids waiting nearby, heads lowered respectfully. Lan Xia stopped and pointed at them.

”You two,” she said, her voice sharp and decisive, a stark contrast to her earlier gentleness. ”Come with me. Now.”

The maids stiffened and hurried after her without daring to ask a question.

Back in the hall, the atmosphere relaxed subtly once Lan Xia was gone. Song Yue let out a quiet breath and looked around, taking in the frost-lit palace with new eyes. Shen Ling sat down slowly, her expression thoughtful, while Shang Fu and Lan Jingyi exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging how far their son’s life had drifted from anything they once imagined.

Lu Shan tugged at Mark’s sleeve and whispered, ”Papa… is there really rice available in this place?”

Mark smiled down at him. ”Yes.”

Lu Shan’s eyes lit up instantly.

Beside them, Shen Yi yawned and leaned against Mark’s chest, already growing drowsy despite the excitement. Sylvandria adjusted her hold on the twins, watching the family with a complicated expression that slowly softened.

For the first time since arriving, the Ice Palace felt less like a foreign stronghold of immortals and more like a place that might, one day, become home.

As Lan Xia disappeared down the corridor, Mark turned back to the others with a relaxed smile. ”Come,” he said warmly. ”I’ll take you to your quarters first. You’ve all been traveling nonstop. Tomorrow morning, once you’ve rested, I’ll take you around and show you the sect and the city properly.”

They nodded and followed him through the long, crystal-lit corridors of the Ice Palace. As they walked, Mark spoke in an unhurried tone, making sure everyone could follow, especially his parents and Song Yue, who were quietly observing every unfamiliar detail around them.

”First, a few things about this world,” he began. ”Day and night here are almost the same as on Earth, so you won’t feel much difference in your sleep cycle. But their way of counting time is… strange, to say the least.”

Lan Jingyi listened attentively, while Shang Fu frowned slightly, already sensing trouble.

”They use what they call heavenly years,” Mark continued. ”One heavenly year is roughly two and a quarter Earth years. Each year has twenty-seven months, and each month has thirty-one days.”

Song Yue stopped for half a step, then hurried to catch up. ”Twenty-seven months?” she asked incredulously.

Mark chuckled softly. ”Yes. And they don’t even use the term ’heavenly month’ in daily speech. Just ’month.’ So don’t try to correct anyone. However, they do use heavenly weeks.”

”And how long is a week?” Shen Ling asked calmly, already adjusting in her mind.

”Sixteen days,” Mark replied. ”Eight days for the moon to wax to full, and another eight for it to wane back to new. Or sometimes they say fifteen and sixteen, depending on the lunar cycle. Even locals argue about the exact count.”

Lu Shan blinked. ”That’s… long.”

”It is,” Mark agreed. ”You’ll get used to it. But then again, unlike with us, here, in a month, only two weeks exist.”

They turned down a corridor where frost-etched murals depicted ancient battles and celestial beasts frozen in motion. Mark continued, his tone becoming slightly more serious.

”Second, the weather. This world is cold almost all year round. There are only two months when it can truly be called summer, the seventh and the twentieth months. During that time, the ice recedes a little, rivers flow more freely, and people actually go out to celebrate.”

Shen Ling nodded slowly. ”And winter?”

Mark exhaled. ”The thirteenth and fourteenth months are the harshest. Even the natives consider it dangerous. Hailstorms, extreme cold, and winds strong enough to freeze exposed skin in minutes. During those months, most people stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.”

Song Yue glanced down at Lu Shan, instinctively pulling him closer.

”The good news,” Mark added lightly, ”is that we’re currently in the eleventh month. That gives us about two months before things become unbearable. When that time comes, we can return to Earth and treat it like a vacation.”

Lan Jingyi smiled faintly. ”A winter vacation away from winter. That does sound sensible.”

Mark nodded, then moved on. ”Third, food habits. This is where things might feel the strangest for you.”

He slowed his steps slightly, making sure everyone was listening.

”People here usually eat one main meal a day, around what would be four in the afternoon by our standards. Outside of that, they snack. Fruits, dried meat, spirit grains, things like that. They eat whenever they feel like it, but rarely sit down for a full meal more than once a day.”

Shang Fu raised an eyebrow. ”They don’t get hungry?”

”Not really,” Mark said. ”The spiritual energy here is dense, and most civilians cultivate at least to the first circle. Hunger isn’t something they feel often. Sect disciples are the exception. Morning training burns through energy fast, so they do eat more regularly.”

He gestured vaguely, as if pointing beyond the palace walls. ”Because of this, restaurants in the city only open between roughly two and six in the afternoon. Outside of that time, you won’t find a proper meal unless you’re in a private residence.”

Song Yue laughed softly. ”So if I get hungry at night…”

”You eat at home,” Mark said with a grin. ”Or you starve.”

Lu Shan looked horrified at that, and Mark ruffled his hair reassuringly.

They finally reached a quieter wing of the palace, where rows of elegant courtyards branched off like petals around a frozen garden. Soft light glowed from spirit lamps embedded in the ice walls, casting a gentle blue sheen over everything.

Mark slowed his steps and then paused altogether, as if something important had just surfaced in his mind. He turned back and looked directly at Lu Shan, his expression softening. ”Come here,” he said gently.

Lu Shan walked up to him without hesitation. Mark bent slightly and placed both hands on the boy’s shoulders, lowering his head so they were eye level for a moment. After that, he straightened and faced the others, his demeanor shifting from familial warmth to the calm seriousness of a ruler who had weighed danger too many times to ignore it.

”Well,” Mark began, his voice steady, ”as you can probably tell by now, I’m not just a clan patriarch in name. I’m the head of this clan, the sect master here, and the one who governs all twenty-one worlds under the Azure Frost Dominion.”

He paused deliberately, letting the weight of those words sink in.

”That also means enemies,” he continued. ”Enemies I can see, enemies I can’t. I only ascended recently, and loyalty takes time to build. There aren’t many people here yet who would give their lives for me without hesitation.”

Song Yue frowned slightly, instinctively pulling Lu Shan closer.

”You are safe here,” Mark said, reassuringly, ”far safer than you ever were on Earth. But safety isn’t absolute. Not here, not anywhere. Assassinations are common tools in this world, and when assassins can’t reach the target directly, they go after what the target cherishes.”

His gaze lingered briefly on the children before returning to the adults.

”For you,” he said firmly, ”that means this: don’t wander alone, whether day or night. If you leave the palace grounds, take guards. If you want to take the children out, tell me beforehand. Not to restrict you, but so I can make sure nothing slips through the cracks.”

Shen Ling clicked her tongue softly, crossing her arms. ”Your words at home and your words here don’t match at all, Husband.”

Mark let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. ”That’s fair,” he admitted. ”This is me taking extra precautions, nothing more.”

He hesitated for a moment before adding, his tone lowering slightly, ”To be honest, I originally planned to build our home on the moon, where we all can live together in a private residence, heavily fortified, completely isolated. It would have been the safest place I could think of.”

Shen Ling raised an eyebrow. ”The moon?”

Mark nodded. ”After all, the imperial family knows your names, your identities. I can’t take any chances by separating myself from you for long periods of time. Wherever you are, I need to be able to reach you instantly.”

Shen Ling studied him quietly for a second, then sighed. ”So even the moon isn’t safe enough anymore.”

Mark smiled wryly. ”Not until I solve one small problem.”

”And that is?” she asked.

”There’s no portal to the moon,” Mark replied. ”At least, not yet. I’ll need to find a way to create one first.”

Lu Shan, who had been listening intently, tugged at Mark’s sleeve. ”Papa… moon home?”