I was five years old, and I was finally allowed outside the palace walls. In the modern world of 2026, this would be a trip to the zoo. In the Luòtiān Imperial City, it was a walk through a sleeping graveyard of gods.

  Luòtiān was the heart of the Lu Empire, the third-ranked power in the Heavenridge Continent. People say the city is quiet because it’s peaceful. I knew better. My Space Root felt the vibrations deep underground—ancient bloodlines and sleeping ancestors buried like landmines.

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  "Don't look so nervous, Xian-er!" my 4th brother, Lu Chenyi (the 'Strategist'), said, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "It’s just a city. Nobody here bites. Unless you don't pay your tab at my sister’s shops."

  My 6th sister, Lu Lingshu, patted her spatial ring. "Everything you see, Little Brother, will one day be yours to manage. I've already bought three blocks of the commercial district in your name. Think of it as practice for when you're Emperor."

  I sighed, staring at the bustling streets. I just wanted to see a street performer and eat some candied haws. Why does every outing feel like a corporate takeover?