My Wife is a Hidden Big Shot

It was noon, and smoke from cooking fires curled up from the village.

Outside the run-down courtyard, a stone table was set up. The village’s old and young had changed back into their everyday clothes and were eating the funeral feast.

The cooking was being done by the village wives, with Leigh Miles and Indie Lowell helping beside them.

There was also a familiar figure, wearing her apron, bustling between the inside and outside of the courtyard.

Even while doing the most down-to-earth chores, her every move was still elegant.

"Senior Sister, you’re back..."

Leigh Miles’s eyes lit up slightly. Her red, swollen eyes made it obvious she had been crying for days.

Aurora Sinclair nodded and slowly walked over.

The villagers greeted her as usual, but their words carried a certain caution, as if they were trying to be mindful of her feelings.

Hiding behind Leigh Miles, Titus Miles watched her timidly, not daring to approach.

"Senior Sister..." His voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

Thanks to Indie Lowell’s attentive care, Titus Miles’s Intelligence had indeed improved a great deal.

Aurora Sinclair watched him for a moment before finally nodding. Titus Miles’s small mouth split into a grin, and he ran over on his short legs, wanting to hug her.

But she dodged him. Titus Miles’s smile fell, and his eyes instantly filled with tears.

Aurora Sinclair raised a hand and tapped his forehead, saying stiffly, "I’m cold..."

Titus Miles stared at her with wide eyes, sniffled, and broke into a smile through his tears.

A child’s world is the purest of all.

"Come in and eat," Alvin Morgan called from inside the courtyard.

Aurora Sinclair paused, then slowly walked into the yard.

The furnishings in the yard had been returned to their original places. Sitting in the rocking chair her master often used was Flora Guthrie.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed. She held a jar of "Daughter’s Red" wine, tilting her head back and pouring it into her mouth.

The person who usually hated drinking the most had now become a drunkard.

Ronan Warner sat beside her, looking a little helpless, but didn’t stop her.

"Rory... HIC... Come over... and have a drink... with your master’s wife..."

Aurora Sinclair walked over, picked up a jug of wine from the ground, and clinked it against hers.

The two women held the wine jugs and poured the contents into their mouths as if competing to see who could drink water fastest.

The cold aura emanating from Aurora Sinclair was so intense that she seemed to steam like a block of ice under the sun.

Alvin Morgan brought her a chair so she could sit and drink. When she finished one jug, he handed her another.

Aurora Sinclair drank a full seven or eight jugs, continuing until Flora Guthrie was dead drunk and carried out of the courtyard by Ronan Warner.

Only Aurora Sinclair and Alvin Morgan were left in the small courtyard.

She suddenly picked up a very small wine jug and said in a low voice, "This jug of wine was buried for twelve years. Master bought it with the last of his money. He said we’d drink it when I inherited the Radiant Void Sect..."

Alvin Morgan listened quietly as she spoke of her memories from childhood to the present, just as Master Aerion had spoken of her before.

Gradually, Aurora Sinclair’s voice grew fainter. The wine jug in her hand fell to the ground, and her body went limp, like a deflated balloon.

Alvin Morgan’s expression changed drastically. He swept her up into his arms and hurried toward the house, just managing to catch her last words.

"Morgan... I want to cry..."

Alvin Morgan froze.

***

After carefully checking Aurora Sinclair’s pulse, Ronan Warner sighed. "It’s nothing serious. The effects of the previous drugs have worn off. She’s just exhausted. A few days of sleep and she’ll be fine."

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

She ended up sleeping for a full month.

Long enough for Aurora Sinclair’s silver hair to return to black.

Long enough for Jared Miles to rush back from Arcadia to Sunstone for the funeral.

Long enough for Ronan Warner to notice something was wrong with the Snow Wolf King...

"Why are you stealing my medicinal herbs every day?" Ronan Warner asked, grabbing hold of the Snow Wolf King.

The Snow Wolf King let out an "AWOO" and licked him with its tongue.

"Bribing me won’t work. What are you doing, stealing my herbs?"

The Snow Wolf King wagged its tail, struggled to its feet, and ran outside with a piece of ginseng in its mouth.

"You get back here—"

But the Snow Wolf King was very fast and soon disappeared into the mountain forest.

Ronan Warner was utterly astonished.

That evening, the Snow Wolf King suddenly returned, carrying a tattered strip of cloth in its mouth.

Ronan Warner was instantly excited. He crouched down and asked loudly, "Where did you get this?"

The Snow Wolf King wagged its tail, signaling for him to follow.

Ronan Warner excitedly followed the Snow Wolf King, running in the direction of the Kaelan Mountains.

There, next to the incense burner used for offerings, he saw three lines of text:

[Give this key to Dawn Miles]

[Do not tell anyone my whereabouts]

[I’m finally retired]

"AER—ION—"

Ronan Warner roared furiously and viciously smashed the last line of text.

The Snow Wolf King rolled around on the snowy ground, completely erasing the three lines of text.

"You’re still helping him—"

The Snow Wolf King let out an "AWOO," wagged its tail, and lifted a paw to point at the key beside the incense burner.

Ronan Warner knew, of course, what it was. His expression was grim, but at the same time, he felt a sense of relief in his heart, as if a long-held knot of frustration had finally unraveled.

The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn up, and his nose began to sting.

’That old bastard!!!’

***

「Elsewhere.」

In the run-down courtyard, Jared Miles and Alvin Morgan sat on opposite sides.

Jared Miles’s eyes were red-rimmed, his fists clenched tightly, and the Power radiating from his body was fluctuating wildly.

Such a major event had happened on Sunstone, yet he had only found out the day before yesterday.

"Who was it?"

His voice was freezing cold, laced with killing intent.

Leigh Miles shook her head and said softly, "Mr. C has been interrogating him for days, but with no results."

"Is the man dead?"

"When Senior Sister threw him off the mountain, he was still breathing."

Jared Miles slammed his hand on the table. "Such misplaced compassion! A family like that must be eradicated, root and stem."

Leigh Miles flinched and shielded Titus Miles behind her, saying quietly, "The Lowell Family is Tiger’s mother’s family..."

Jared Miles froze for a second, his eyes narrowing slightly. He shot a cold glare at Titus Miles, his expression hardening, then suddenly stood up and walked toward them.

Leigh Miles, a little afraid of him, pushed Titus Miles toward Aurora Sinclair’s room. "Senior Brother, Tiger is still little. He doesn’t know anything."

"Junior Sister, he’ll grow up sooner or later and find out about all this. How do you think he’ll choose? Don’t forget how Master died! He helped the Lowell Family become Martial Kings, but they conspired with outsiders to have him killed. The Lowell Family are snakes to the core..."

Resentment filled Jared Miles’s eyes as he stared without reservation at the small figure inside the room.

Titus Miles’s lip trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Senior Sister..."

He turned and ran into the inner room, pressing himself tightly against Aurora Sinclair’s body.

"Senior Brother, how can you say that? Tiger is not like them!" Leigh Miles blocked the doorway, preventing Jared Miles from entering.

"He has the blood of the Lowell Family flowing in his veins—"

Jared Miles was furious. He shoved Leigh Miles aside and prepared to enter the room.

Just then, Alvin Morgan suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Only a coward blames others to make himself feel better."

"What did you say?" Jared Miles spun around instantly, moving with extreme speed to appear in front of Alvin Morgan. He grabbed his neck with one hand, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Jared Miles, let go—"

Flora Guthrie’s voice came from the courtyard gate.

A shadow passed over Jared Miles’s eyes. He slowly released his grip and performed an Ancient Martial Ceremony bow to Flora Guthrie.

Flora Guthrie glared at him. "Your master sent you down the mountain to temper your state of mind. Did all that training go to the dogs? Tiger is your junior brother, not your enemy. Stop applying your outside prejudices here on Sunstone. If you dare spout any more nonsense, I’ll cripple you in your master’s place—"

Jared Miles’s gaze sharpened, but he pressed his lips together and lowered his head.

Flora Guthrie raised her hand as if to strike him, then turned to Alvin Morgan with an unfriendly expression.

"And you," she said. "Just because Rory cares about you, don’t think you can make yourself at home here. Go back to wherever you came from—"

Alvin Morgan coughed lightly. "She hasn’t woken up yet."

"Whether she wakes up or not is none of your business. She is now the Sect Leader of the Radiant Void Sect. There’s no chance for you two now!"