68 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 58: Favor Xiang Shiyan even went so far as to present "a personal letter" supposedly written by Gong Ning, and falsely claimed that it was Zhu Cheng who had changed his mind. At this point, Zhu Cheng had nothing left but to admit to it. Of course, he hadn't discussed this matter with Gong Ning. Zhu Cheng was well aware that since Gong Ning had married into the Zhu family, she had only written a letter or two to the sect leader, Li Hui, at his behest and had never contacted any of her past acquaintances. It wasn't that she didn’t contact Xiang Shiyan; it was that she couldn't contact Xiang Shiyan. In Zhu Cheng's memory, the only time and the final time Gong Ning interacted with old friends after arriving at the Zhu family was when news of her impending childbirth accidentally spread. Upon hearing about it, Xiang Shiyan and Mr. Yu Ming hurried to Huaihai City to see her. That happened during Zhu Cheng’s busiest period. Day and night, all he could think about was whether Gong Ning's behavior in front of her two junior sisters remained the same, and whether the excuse of years without news was believable... No matter how it played out, neither would leave and stayed in the Zhu residence until— Gong Ning died in childbirth. How Xiang Shiyan found out remains a mystery. Did Gong Ning regain consciousness shortly before her death due to massive bleeding? Did someone detect the array patterns Zhu Cheng had drawn on her, in an attempt to save the child inside? Or did Gong Ning's close attendant, under the pressure from two powerful Nascent Soul cultivators, accidentally reveal something? Regardless, Zhu Cheng wasn’t so much worried about Xiang Shiyan's past threats. After all, as the head of the Zhu family, even a lean camel is larger than a horse, and the whole of Huaihai City knew that Xiang Shiyan had been a guest at his residence. If something were to happen to Zhu Cheng, Xiang Shiyan’s backing, Mount Yu Cang, would also be implicated. He suddenly felt fortunate that Xiang Shiyan wasn’t a rogue cultivator; her very presence was intimidating. Xiang Shiyan was closely bound to her sect. Though she might not fear the Zhu family’s guards and dared to make moves against him within his own residence, she wouldn’t risk her sect facing the consequences. The only real concern was that Xiang Shiyan might broadly announce what he had done to Gong Ning. Although this could justify her actions for revenge, she likely wouldn’t want Gong Ning, whom she regarded as a sister, to become a mere topic of trivial gossip. Previously, Zhu Cheng was unwilling to hand over the twins because he didn’t want the Zhu family’s underground dealings to be exposed. Now, with Xiang Shiyan likely aware of these secrets, he couldn’t easily let go. If Xiang Shiyan were truly crazed enough to aim solely at destroying the Zhu family, heedless of the twins' and other commodities’ lives, then what? The issue at hand was that Zhu Cheng knew nothing about Xiang Shiyan. He didn’t know her true motives, nor what she intended to do with the twins, nor how much of the Zhu family’s secrets she knew… An unknown enemy was the most terrifying, forcing Zhu Cheng to devote all his attention to dealing with her. "Do you think Zhu Cheng will allow the twins to leave just like that?" Xiang Shiyan’s initial goal had been achieved. She had managed to win the legitimate right to take the twins away without open conflict with the Zhu family. However, she didn’t believe Zhu Cheng would let go so easily; in fact, she felt the situation was only beginning. The system said, "If it were me, I'd spread rumors of an alliance between Mount Yu Cang and other forces, creating a narrative where you're trying to lure away the Zhu family heirs; or orchestrate some events to delay your departure for further plans. The former method, though effective in the long term, is slow. The latter might harm both sides." "Combining the two wouldn’t be a bad idea." "True, but there’s a more straightforward, direct approach available, no need to take the long way around." A more direct approach… Xiang Shiyan felt a vague premonition, furrowing her brows unconsciously. The girl, bearing an uncanny resemblance to her elder sister's childhood self, smiled at her. "Master Uncle, I appreciate the kind offer, but with the current family affairs being so demanding, I’d rather stay by Father’s side and learn, hoping to assist my family soon." Zhu Cheng had left almost no trace of himself on the twins; Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu greatly resembled Gong Ning, especially when they smiled. Having seen the memory fragments of attending to her disciple Zhu Yu, Xiang Shiyan noted that unlike her coquettish sister, the serene and composed Zhu Yun was more akin to her mother, causing a fleeting confusion in Xiang Shiyan’s heart. The nostalgia brought with it a dull ache, reminding her of the once gentle smile and soft gaze from long-faded memories. The girl who had appeared emotionless last night now wagged her tongue and fawned like a trained dog in front of guests. Indeed, the most effective response Zhu Cheng could muster in such a short period was to bring the involved parties directly to the fore, using the twins to counteract the situation. After the Zhu family members dispersed, Zhu Cheng led Xiang Shiyan to the sisters’ residence to inform them of her intentions and their father’s decision. It was likely that Zhu Cheng’s attitude had already been quietly passed on to Zhu Yun via a servant. In the Falling Cloud Pavilion, Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu were playing in the gazebo. Perhaps due to instructions, or perhaps not finding it necessary, the maids hadn’t applied makeup to Zhu Yun today. Her fresh face displayed an elegant beauty akin to a lotus in clear water, exuding a natural charm. As the second daughter, despite inheriting the Zhu family’s renowned Fire Spiritual Root, Zhu Yu lacked the exceptional talent of her eldest sister and was less than ideal as a showcase. In a year or two, Zhu Cheng intended to find her a teacher to casually teach her some arts like music and painting—anything charming to outsiders—and then marry her off to someone from another noble family with a compatible lineage. "Elder sister is like a pageant-winning pet, while the younger one has unappealing colors, so she has to fend for herself," came a voice over the communicator as a logistics team member inadvertently displayed a photo to Xiang Shiyan: two bi-color cats, the one on the left evenly patterned, the right appearing as if it had fallen into ink. Xiang Shiyan squinted slightly. Perhaps due to some subtle hint from the image, she felt the demeanor and actions of the two girls bore some semblance to those of felines. Zhu Yun seemed to have been trained from a young age to understand how to charm humans. Whether intentional or not, her every diverted glance and occasional raised brow appeared as if meticulously rehearsed, lively and lovely yet tinged with a coquettish air that made Xiang Shiyan uncomfortable. Compared to the well-trained Zhu Yun, who needed only a slight frown from her father to know what to do, Zhu Yu was more akin to an abandoned house cat—cautious and wild. Except for her sister, she trusted no one, not even the father who sometimes stared at her with a detached gaze, causing her to bristle. Regarding Xiang Shiyan, the unfamiliar woman claiming to take them as disciples, Zhu Yu showed no intention of engaging, focusing solely on eating her plate of pastries. Whatever reactions Zhu Yun had, Zhu Yu mirrored them. And what reactions could Zhu Yun have? She was, after all, a ten-year-old girl trained to please others like a dog from a young age, becoming astute and clever amid frequent scolding. Though her father often paraded her at various gatherings recently, casually displaying her, Zhu Yun had grown accustomed to it. Such treatment was still bearable for her; she was not yet aware of any greater impending horrors. Being only a child without a full understanding of adult malice, she accepted her circumstances as they were. On one hand, she faced the familiar yet temporarily safe Zhu family and her father, who was keenly observing her every move; on the other, the unknown terrors and overwhelming feelings of shame in front of a strange woman. Zhu Yun lacked the courage to seize this dim, vague light of freedom. What if another quagmire laid behind that door? What if, in the end, they failed to leave the Zhu residence smoothly, and she had to face the consequences of defying her father? Being naturally gifted, she understood how to maximize benefit and avoid harm. After uttering the words of refusal, Zhu Yun felt an unexpected relief washing over her. She let out a small sigh of relief, only to unintentionally meet Xiang Shiyan’s gaze. Within Xiang Shiyan's cold, piercing eyes lay an indescribable emotion, causing Zhu Yun to falter, her gaze involuntarily shifting away. Xiang Shiyan had anticipated this reaction long ago. She calmly rose, straightened her attire, and said, "Though it was a promise made when your Senior Sister was still around, I shall not ignore your filial piety. But it’s a pity that you two sisters will be separated." Zhu Cheng hadn’t expected Xiang Shiyan to relinquish Zhu Yun so easily, nor had he expected her insistence on taking Zhu Yu with her, considering Zhu Yu merely as a side addition to Zhu Yun in his calculations. Separated? Still with half of a jujube cake in her mouth, Zhu Yu’s mind seemed to dull abruptly. She blankly glanced at her father, who was giving her meaningful looks, and then dumbfoundedly met her sister’s gaze. Could this really be okay? In that instant, it was okay. Her sister’s gaze was resolute, yet a wave of indescribable emotion came from their twin bond. With tears welling up in her eyes, Zhu Yu turned her head, unwilling to see anymore. She stood and, as taught by her sister, gave Xiang Shiyan a deep bow. "Disciple Zhu Yu will not fail Lord Moonlight’s great kindness." Xiang Shiyan accepted her salute with a calm demeanor, pulling the somewhat timid Zhu Yu to stand by her side, under Zhu Cheng's piercing gaze. She then turned to Zhu Yun, removing an obsidian jade from her waist. "Though you and I lack the bond of master and disciple, as Senior Sister’s daughter, I gift you this jade with a crane carving. Should you ever need it, you may use it as a token to seek me at Mount Yu Cang." Xiang Shiyan crouched down in front of her and gently fastened the smooth jade pendant onto the girl’s belt. She looked up, meeting the eyes of the girl who, at some point, had shed her smile. For a ten-year-old, Zhu Yun’s eyes held far too much, even less clear than the carefree gaze of Huaiye. Such beautiful eyes. Her senior sister was also always so worried. In her youth, she fretted about their master who traveled far and wide and might suddenly vanish one day; about Li Hui losing his position due to opposition from the elders when he inherited the sect; and later about how her genius junior might become disheartened by the difficulty of advancing... And what, Zhu Yun, are you troubled over? Whether your sister will live comfortably at Mount Yu Cang? If your father's concubine might bear a son to replace you? Or whether someone might offer your father an irresistible price to buy you tomorrow? Does she even have a future? Nowadays, when people speak of the twin beauties of Mount Yu Cang, they refer to Xiang Shiyan and Huaiye. But a decade ago, the one standing next to Xiang Shiyan should have been her mother. Her proud, blind mother, who abandoned a promising future and childhood friends to foolishly marry far away to Huaihai City. Zhu Yun was both fascinated and infuriated by that woman. She had gifted her frail meridians and genius aptitude, her splendid beauty and lowly body. That woman had chosen a life of suffering for Zhu Yun, yet bestowed upon her the intelligence that made ignorance of this impossible. Zhu Yun’s fingers trembled as she clutched the fabric beside her. Xiang Shiyan took her hand, holding it in her cool, dry grasp, the unyielding safety of which made Zhu Yun’s eyes redden. Xiang Shiyan held her hand with such earnestness that it seemed she was addressing someone of equal wisdom and experience, despite Zhu Yun being just a fraction of her age. "Your senior sister saved my life three times. Now that she is gone, I shall repay the debt to you in three favors." The girl paused. Something within her surged, making her suddenly shove Xiang Shiyan away. Ah, she hadn’t expected her mother to leave such a legacy; it truly moved her deeply. Zhu Yun looked down at Xiang Shiyan with a disdainful gaze, as if she were merely seeing a shadow of her deceased mother through this woman. Any vain hope she held had now vanished. Zhu Yun sighed. "There's no need. I dare not diminish Master Uncle's remembrance of my mother. I’m uncertain if Yun’er will have the chance to see you again, but I hope you will watch over my sister." Zhu Cheng coughed. "Your heartfelt concern, how can you be so discourteous?" Xiang Shiyan, however, seemed unbothered. She stood, brushing dust from her robes. "I have no other demands for this journey. If that's the case, I will leave with Zhu Yu tomorrow." Zhu Yun straightened, lifted her chin, and said to the much taller woman, "Then allow Yun'er to take her leave and help my sister pack." As she turned away, a loud explosion echoed from afar. Not only Zhu Yun but even Zhu Cheng was startled. He looked in surprise towards the rising plume of black smoke, his throat tightening as he realized it was coming from where he had relocated the goods awaiting shipment! Zhu Cheng glared angrily at Xiang Shiyan, seeing the woman’s equally surprised expression, as if she knew nothing of the incident, before he stormed off in frustration. Zhu Yun stood frozen, staring at the swirling ash in the distance. Puzzled, she glanced at Xiang Shiyan, only to see the latter holding up a single finger. Zhu Yun’s heart skipped a beat; she knew Xiang Shiyan meant that one of the three promised favors had just been spent. Author's Note: Happy International Women's Day to everyone! Even though I feel like I should give myself a break for Women's Day, I wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday. I received a compliment from a senior today. Everyone, give me some love to share in this joy. Our site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain: (xbanxia.com)