72 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

### Chapter 72: Balance of Power The Zhu family had many hands on deck, and by the time Xiang Shi Yan arrived, they had almost completely cleared the debris. Just moments ago, an explosion had collapsed the basement along with a secluded courtyard above it. In less than half an hour, the rubble had been cleared, leaving an open pit in its place. Xiang Shi Yan walked leisurely along the edge of the pit, her gaze fixed at a respectful distance on Zhu Cheng, who was engaged in conversation with two men whose cultivation levels were roughly equivalent to hers. She made no attempt to conceal her presence, so as a Nascent Soul cultivator, she stood out like a beacon in the dark night. Zhu Cheng and the two elders conversed in secret whispers using divine senses, but they would occasionally glance in her direction. The woman appeared calm and composed, which put Zhu Cheng on subtle alert. Despite her imposing arrival, Xiang Shi Yan acted with impeccable decorum, as though she were truly a guest at the Zhu residence. After all, if the matter involved family secrets, she seemed to be waiting for Zhu Cheng to personally explain the situation. But aside from this unwelcome guest, who else would dare cause trouble for the Zhu family at such a time? It wasn't a trivial matter, considering the Xu and Bai families had recently allied with theirs. Once everything was explained, Zhu Cheng calmly approached Xiang Shi Yan with a composed demeanor. "Seems like you've effectively concealed all traces of demonic aura," Xiang Shi Yan remarked with a raised eyebrow. "What happened here?" Feigning a sigh, Zhu Cheng replied, "You know our Zhu family is renowned for our mysterious formations. When the mansion was originally constructed, it was filled with secret mechanisms. There are many formations not even our own people fully understand." "Oh?" "Perhaps someone colluded from the inside to let a petty thief in," Zhu Cheng scoffed, casting a glance at Xiang Shi Yan. "But the thief wasn't careful and triggered a defensive formation, getting trapped." Xiang Shi Yan nodded, "And then?" "What else? The thief, realizing they were caught, took a desperate gamble to blow open the exit with explosive talismans, accidentally detonating the source of the formation. Just dug them out from the rubble; they were crushed," Zhu Cheng gestured toward the broken debris piled on the edge of the pit, but his eyes never left Xiang Shi Yan. Yet, Xiang Shi Yan's expression remained unfazed. Her tone was calm but layered with meaning as she said, "Although the thief is dead, it's wise for such a grand household to remain vigilant." If those words had come from anyone else, it would've been nothing, but coming from Xiang Shi Yan, who was highly suspect, it sounded like a threat. Zhu Cheng replied with a strained smile, "Indeed, there's something peculiar about this matter. I will certainly investigate thoroughly." Xiang Shi Yan disregarded his threatening tone, instead focusing intently on the pile of rubble nearby. Her attention seemed oddly captivated, which made Zhu Cheng tense. A sudden surge of intense danger compelled Zhu Cheng to block her path, his expression turning grim. "Ahem, Junior Sister Xiang, there's still muck and flesh in the debris. Best not to get too close." The two Nascent Soul cultivators, observing from a distance, also grew tense, ready to act at a moment’s notice. The white-clad woman waved her hand, and an unseen force lifted a fragment from the pile, revealing a small object. Xiang Shi Yan grasped it, and Zhu Cheng realized it was a scale. A faint demonic aura emanated from the black scale, but it was too weak for anyone to detect it from such a distance with precision. Cursing inwardly, Zhu Cheng said through clenched teeth, "Junior Sister Xiang's divine sense is keen beyond compare. But to pinpoint a single small scale, could it be you knew of this earlier?" "Know what? City Lord Zhu seems to imply something. Are you unhappy I found traces of the demon clan?" Xiang Shi Yan examined the black scale and replied coldly, "Let's not divert from the story you were concocting to fool me. I have long-standing enmity with the demon clan. If there are demons lurking in Hai City, I won't stand by." Zhu Cheng intended to clean up the site to avoid linking the matter to the demon clan and prevent Xiang Shi Yan from investigating further at the Zhu residence. But he didn’t expect her to prepare for this outcome, suggesting the scale might have been brought by her, knowing Zhu Cheng's team had thoroughly searched the place. Now, not only had she stirred the pot, but her words implied a connection between Zhu Cheng and the demon clan. He had no choice but to follow her lead. "Of course not! Junior Sister Xiang's cultivation skills are renowned. I am merely surprised to see them firsthand. If you're willing to stay at the mansion, that would be wonderful..." "In the days when the demon clan was rampant, I often clashed with them. I’ve developed a natural response to their aura. City Lord Zhu and the elders are sword cultivators less familiar with such matters, so it's no wonder your senses aren't as sharp." For more than two centuries, after the demon emperor was slain by Fu Wenyao and Bai Jinghuan without diplomatic negotiations, tensions between the demon and human clans soared. Conflicts occurred at key moments, with both clans engaging in large-scale attacks, sometimes leading to war-like clashes. Most senior cultivators bore grudges. As one of the five major sects, Jade Cang Mountain was a prime target for the demon clan. Rules were strict, even for top disciples and elders like Xiang Shi Yan. Though the Zhu family was also targeted, their structure was different from a sect. Elders in sects cared for disciples, but to a family head, losing distant relatives wasn’t a significant threat if it didn't affect close kin. Thus, Zhu Cheng had rarely faced demons (nor had he dueled other humans, but that's another matter). Even so, Zhu Cheng understood that being connected to the demon clan wasn't wise during tense times. Back then, the Tai Xu Sect was blamed for stoking unrest between the clans, raising outcry, yet their influence and grip on power kept their leader from punishment. They generated discourse, producing "evidence" of the demon clan’s deceit and citing past grudges, emphasizing the “inherent and irreconcilable” conflict and branding the demon clan as mindless and barbaric, justifying their stance while degrading demons to expendable pests. This rhetoric became entrenched as education and culture within the cultivation world, spreading like a virus. Though the new demon emperor’s reign brought fleeting peace with humanity, hate teachings persisted and intensified; some young, untested cultivators even dreamed of eradicating the “demon scourge.” If ever Zhu Cheng's sordid deeds, such as dealing his young daughter in secret trades or creating artificial furnaces, were exposed, he'd remain secure if societal interests supported him, framing his actions as preserving family honor or avoiding chaos, painting him as a hero bearing guilt for his lineage, trading oversight for backroom dealings, inciting undue sympathy over tangible alliances with mothers, siblings, or partners. Maintaining the balance of power between the Zhu family and the clans aided stability in the cultivation world. Even Xiang Shi Yan might concede that sustaining peace outweighed the plight of the oppressed. Yet glorifying oneself at others' unwilling expense warrants disdain, which Xiang Shi Yan refused to condone. Thus, she intended to corner Zhu Cheng, forcing his hand not to tread that path after she was gone. Though she scorned baseless racial enmity and hate education propelled by the Tai Xu Sect, she saw now an opportunity. In the original story, a major plot twist was Qin Miao's false charge of "consorting with demons," which led to his fugitive life. No sect showed him clemency; he was hunted across the land like a rat. Thus, associating with demons was a grave transgression. Short-lived peace between humans and demons was brokered by powerful voices, not even righteous Fu Wenyao wishing harm to his disciples. But losing control over kisses would destabilize his leadership. However, when the final antagonist emerged, overthrowing the demon emperor and dragging the entire demon clan down a bloody path of vengeance, the already strained relations between the demon and human clans deteriorated further. If Xiang Shi Yan did not intervene, the ties between the demon and human realms would continue to worsen, eventually spiraling into a mutual spiral of destruction. Should the Zhu family become irreversibly implicated in such a grievous offense, they wouldn't survive the fallout, nor would they live to see the day the two clans reconciled. Holding the scale with a dangerous gleam in her eyes, Xiang Shi Yan asked Zhu Cheng, "Where is this crushed little thief you mentioned earlier?" Zhu Cheng ground his teeth. How could he produce a crushed demon kin for Xiang Shi Yan? With a strained expression, he offered an apology, "This area harbors artifacts that are family secrets. As we didn’t initially realize this was a demon clan's doing, I withheld that information. I ask for your forgiveness, Junior Sister Xiang." "I see. But as the leader of Hai City, it's your duty to alert everyone and enhance defenses since there’s a demon infiltration. The demons might not have good intentions and could harm the city's cultivators," Xiang Shi Yan replied. Zhu Cheng agreed repeatedly and reached out for the scale in Xiang Shi Yan's hand, "Words alone aren’t enough; please hand over the scale to serve as evidence." Xiang Shi Yan swiftly evaded, tucking the scale into her sleeve, "The owner of this scale is quite formidable, and I suspect I'm familiar with their demonic aura. Once I identify the owner, I’ll hand it to you, City Lord Zhu. Too much exposure to human energy could hinder our assessment." She narrowed her eyes, "This demon infiltrated Hai City unnoticed and wandered into the Zhu mansion as if it were unguarded. It seems there may be an accomplice within the city, and through this scale, we might uncover this mole." At these words, Zhu Cheng felt his mind buzzing and anxiously flashed a strained smile, "Such a serious matter... it would be wise for the elders from each family to inspect it…” "No, it can't be shared. The matter is too grave; anyone in Hai City, except me who just arrived yesterday, could potentially be a demon infiltrator. It's best that I keep the scale." Even if Xiang Shi Yan possessed skills beyond comparison, she couldn't have mapped out the defenses of Hai City and the Zhu family in just one day, much less orchestrate a demon’s stealthy entrance into the Zhu mansion, especially since she had been under close surveillance by the Zhu family shortly after her arrival. Moonlight Dao Lord was notoriously hostile toward demons. During times of conflict, Xiang Shi Yan had slain numerous high-ranking demons, including the former leader of the Black Scale Tribe. What Black Scale demon would dare collude with her? As Zhu Cheng watched her leave, he was filled with both anger and a sense of helplessness. ### Author's Note: Initially, I wanted to post two chapters together, but on second thought, I'll separate them. My goal of 100,000 words this month seems unattainable. However, starting today, I plan to write 3,000 words daily, aiming for about 80,000 words this month! Thank you to the angels who voted for me or provided nutritional support from 2022-03-12 20:12:54 to 2022-03-15 15:25:33~ Special thanks to the angels who provided nutritional support: 20 bottles from the Emperor of Flowing Stone, 20 bottles from Nine Thousand Miles; 15 bottles from Crane Group Administrator; 10 bottles from Schizo Husky; Thank you all for your support, I’ll continue to work hard! No pop-up ads on this site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)