Before Lex could continue the conversation, the illusion faded, and he returned to the scene of himself presenting lemonade to the three. Eclipse had already taken hers, while Ventura and Nuwa were looking at him oddly.

Nuwa sighed audibly, and then grabbed a drink, quickly followed by Ventura.

"It is the responsibility of a good host to cater to his guests," the Innkeeper spoke gently, taking turns to look at each one of them. "Of course, a host must also ensure that all guests enjoy themselves. If there is perhaps some misunderstanding, or maybe an unresolved issue among you, please feel free to request my mediation."

Nuwa shook her head, as if she couldn't believe the gall of the human in front of her. A mere immortal asking to mediate her problems? The funny thing was, he did not even understand why such a thing would not be possible. The matters of Dao and beyond cannot be resolved with simple words. Some enmities are predestined.

Of course, neither Eclipse nor Ventura knew what Nuwa was thinking. All they saw from her was an overly protective woman who was somewhat fed up with the Innkeepers antics, almost like... almost like if he did that kind of thing often, and she was never able to stop him.

Eclipse suddenly looked at the situation with a hint of disbelief, and then she shook her head as if she was imagining the wrong thing. No, it couldn't be...

"Thank you, Innkeeper, for the offer," said Ventura. "You are a true gentleman. Lady Nuwa, for what it's worth, I assure you that I will neither act against the Innkeeper, nor will I share the information I have learned. The simple fact that he can get Eclipse to agree to a tea party is too valuable for me to sacrifice over anything else. Do you know this is only my second time inside the Primordial Garden?"

Nuwa nodded appreciatively, and then looked towards Eclipse. Lex was ready to jump into a conversation in case an awkward silence developed, yet it wasn't the silence that was awkward, it was the conversation that followed.

"You... what is your relationship with the Innkeeper?" Eclipse suddenly asked, looking at Nuwa sceptically.

"What's it-" Nuwa began aggressively, but then caught herself. It was tough to be polite to Eclipse, since she was practically her jailer. The way Dao Lords could not exert their full strength in an immature realm without the risk of destroying the realm, Nuwa and her peers could not use their full power without facing retaliation from the universe itself. They had to wait till the universe grew some more, and entered the next Era before they could unleash their power.

Unfortunately, through means of her own, Eclipse had somehow linked the growth of the universe to her own advancement. Until she unsealed her power, and attempted to take a step further, the universe would not enter the next Era.

Some would think, then, that Eclipse could be forced. Maybe if her realm was attacked, or she herself was attacked directly, she would need to unseal her power, starting the process. Those who thought that way did not know Eclipse. She was one without weakness, and if a weakness was perceived, it was a trap.

Ventura's amiability was a testament to that truth. He, whose conquest had encompassed many Mature realms in the universe, chose to retreat and apologise after clashing with Eclipse. Even with her powers sealed, she was not a pushover. With her powers unsealed, she might truly be able to drag one of them down.

No matter the case, Nuwa and those like her all more or less considered her their unwitting jailer. They were simultaneously above the whole universe, and at the same time under one who was technically weaker than them. It was a situation without a clear resolution, one that frustrated all of them, but also one that they all have to tolerate.

After all, who knew if she was secretly being backed by one of them? What if there was a hidden conspiracy? What if she was bait?

The higher their status, the more that they needed to consider.

Regardless, Nuwa suppressed her irritation towards Eclipse. There may be a lot of benefit to be gained from her actions, so there was no need to be so critical all the time.

"Why are you curious about the relationship between the Innkeeper and I?" Nuwa rephrased her question. "Is it not enough that he is under my protection?"

Eclipse shook her head, unable to shake her suspicions.

"I don't mean to intrude, but I should let you know that the time for the tea party is about to begin," the Innkeeper spoke up, aware that any moment now the wooden keys would be enabled.

Yet neither Eclipse nor Nuwa paid any attention to that.

"Why am I curious? Isn't it obvious? Lex is not the average human, and being a nephilim candidate is not enough to explain it. At first, I thought that with a Dao King like the Innkeeper for a father, everything could be explained. Now I'm beginning to wonder... who exactly is Lex's real mother?"

As soon as Eclipse uttered the question, everyone froze, the Innkeeper included. Eclipse's insinuation was clear enough. She was wondering if Mother Nuwa was his real mother!

As the Innkeeper, Lex wanted to assure Eclipse that her imagination was running wild. However, there was one more, much more imminent situation that he needed to handle.

The Innkeeper lifted the tray of lemonade and walked behind Nuwa towards the latest guest who was standing there, frozen, looking at the four of them.

"Dear guest, welcome. Would you like a drink?" the Innkeeper asked.

The Supreme ruler of the Henali, yet another entity above the Dao realm, stood there silently. He had come to the party filled with aggression, ready to challenge both Nuwa and Ventura. He had questions that needed answers.

However, it seemed like his timing was inopportune, and he heard something that he shouldn't have.