137 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

In the bustling city of Yaodu, on the evening of June 19th, Long Rui Qing knelt quietly and obediently in the residence of her superior. Her lips were pressed into a pale line, with the back of her clothes soaked with cold sweat, now dried through, and her face devoid of color. Her body occasionally wavered uncontrollably. It wasn't just pain—her legs had become numb. She clutched the fabric piled on her legs, not daring to take even a deep breath. A droplet of sweat rolled from her forehead, hung on the tip of her nose, and dripped onto the fine mahogany floor when her balance faltered. Long Rui Qing's vision blurred and flickered; her focus drifted, contemplating the possibility of staining her superior's floor. The wooden floor was cold and hard, but it was already a great improvement over the pebble path outside the courtyard. Long Rui Qing's senses were numbed, and she stared blankly at the wooden grains on the floor. After failing her mission, she received a summons from her superior; naturally, she dared not delay, flying on her sword day and night back to Yaodu—her hometown after fifteen years. Communicating with her colleagues through tokens, she entered the residence clandestinely at dusk on the 18th, where a servant led her to wait in the courtyard, indicating the jagged path and saying, "Wait here; the master will see you when they have time." Thus, Long Rui Qing knelt from dusk of the 18th until dusk of the 19th. Her mind, foggy, replayed images of the woman who was no longer her mentor. After returning from the secret realm, Yu Ming hadn’t immediately expelled her from the Fuliu Peak; back then, Long Rui Qing also knelt in the courtyard. She didn’t regret her actions nor planned to plead for Yu Ming’s forgiveness but rather wished for the symbolic gesture. Long Rui Qing hoped this would prompt Yu Ming to remove her from Yucang Mountain, which would rid her of any entanglements or persuasions; a clean death would be a boon, unburdening Yu Ming. Yet, she barely knelt for two hours before Yu Ming, with a wave of spiritual energy, expelled her from the peak, setting a barrier that forbade her return. Reflecting on it later, Long Rui Qing thought it pointless, as those two hours had softened Yu Ming’s heart. She found the notion amusing; mortals could kneel for half a day without threat to life, and as a golden core cultivator, her endurance was hardly at risk even over two hours. A day and a night passed, and she remained kneeling. She waited from the setting sun to the fading night, from dawn’s first light to the sun's zenith, without a single movement. Occasionally, servants would pass by with brooms, yet they both behaved as if the other were invisible. The master commanded her to wait on the pebble path, so she remained there; lying or sitting anywhere else was not an option. When the master had time, she would be seen, and it wasn’t her place to question. By the time she had memorized every stone and pattern on the half length of the cobblestone path before her, a servant, expressionless, finally approached and announced that the sun was too bright, and the master, compassionate towards her hardships, invited her inside to wait. By then, Long Rui Qing was in such agony and numbness that she could barely rise; she almost crawled into the interior. Despite the semblance of mercy, the servant showed no expression when she attempted to stand, only to stumble and fall. The outer room was empty, without even a mat or lamp. Long Rui Qing silently knelt at the center of this eerily vast room, facing a screen painted with birds of various postures. As night descended, the dim room abruptly illuminated with light. Groggy, Long Rui Qing lifted her head just in time to see the shadow of a woman sitting sideways projected onto the screen, followed by the crisp sound of tea cups clinking. Long Rui Qing bowed low and pleaded, “This subordinate failed the mission. Please, my lady, administer your punishment.” The woman remained silent, sipping her tea in shadowed silence. The servant who had escorted her entered soundlessly, placing a small table beside Long Rui Qing before respectfully retreating. Long Rui Qing caught a glimpse of a sharp blade on the table, and she bowed her head lower. “Left hand, second finger,” the woman stated plainly. The young woman's throat moved involuntarily. She grasped the knife with trembling hands—not due to any objection but out of fear of the lightness of the punishment. Placing the blade against the joint of her finger, Long Rui Qing applied pressure, sending the sensation of bone and flesh cleaving apart through her hand, as though severing a part of another’s limb, causing her stomach to convulse with revulsion. She sawed off a second finger as well, ensuring she left no trace upon the wooden floor. Finally, she picked up the severed fingers with her right hand, placing them on the table for the servant to present to the woman. Blood trickled slowly from the wound, mingling with the sweat droplets on the floor. Long Rui Qing lowered her head, watching as the crimson liquid absorbed hers. The servant presented the table, but before he could place it near, the woman nonchalantly waved him away. Her cold voice echoed from behind the screen, “Since you dare return rather than end your life on the spot, surely you have some vital information to impart. Speak.” Unfazed by the blood pooling at her feet, the young woman pressed her forehead heavily to the floor, “Indeed, I have. First, the whereabouts of the treasure His Majesty seeks, and second, the movements of Tianji Sect.” “Hmm… You lingered in the city of Qingyuan for mere days, yet you uncovered secrets my spies haven’t unearthed in decades? The Tianji Sect intrigues me more than the mythical treasure His Majesty obsesses over,” the woman remarked, surprisingly focusing first on the sect rather than the emperor's treasure. “This did not occur in Qingyuan City,” Long Rui Qing clarified, “A disciple who joined Yucang Mountain under Elder Yu Ming two years ago, Qian Da Ni, is actually disguised as Fu Zhi, the apprentice of Tianji Sect's Qingwu Fairy.” “Oh? What does Yucang Mountain hold that warrants such attention from Tianji Sect?” “I’m uncertain, but Fu Zhi’s mission was to monitor Qin Miao, possibly for reasons similar to Taixu Sect's interest,” Long Rui Qing responded, aware that under higher mandates, she often worked with Taixu Sect, which seemed to have an unusual fixation on Qin Miao of Mozhu Peak. She had long reported the abnormal attention. The woman's fingers tapped against the table, “So, even His Majesty is interested in these ethereal treasures, and Taixu Sect as well. I thought it was merely chasing shadows, but it’s real.” “Yes, this is the first piece of information I offer. I’ve confirmed that one of the treasures is with Qin Miao. When Taixu Sect exterminated the Qin clan, it was to seize the treasure from them. Qin Miao's swift progress in cultivation over the last two years likely stems from this,” Long Rui Qing added cautiously, “Additionally, according to Huai Ye, apprentice of Yucang Mountain’s head, Yue Hua Jun and Xiang Shi Yan are also pursuing these treasures; he even asked her to search within the secret realm.” “The secret realm refers to the Hunyuan Realm, correct?” “Yes, you are absolutely right.” “We'd pursued one artifact ourselves. His Majesty pinpointed its location, but despite my operatives infiltrating with great difficulty, they found nothing. I figured someone had beaten us to it,” the woman said, reclining lazily upon the table, dismissively. Hearing her speak so irreverently of the ruler of the yaoguai, Long Rui Qing's gaze flickered, “No, actually Huai Ye didn’t acquire the treasure. She, Qin Miao, and another fellow disciple ended up ensnared in a maze, and upon awakening, the treasure had vanished.” The woman sneered, “So, are you implying those treasures are now within that whelp Qin Miao’s possession?” “I dare not assert,” Long Rui Qing whispered. “Dare not assert? If you remained at Yucang Mountain, surely it wouldn’t take much longer to find out?” Long Rui Qing refrained from responding, acknowledging her inadequacies with a trembling voice. Unexpectedly, the woman half-jested and half-sighed, “I wouldn’t say you’re inept. Once our forces infiltrate Yucang Mountain, your mission concludes. I intended for you to become my personal guard.” A stab of breathlessness seized her chest as if gripped tightly, and at that instant, Long Rui Qing’s blood roared painfully through her veins as circulation restored to her numb legs, nearly tipping her from her kneeling posture. In a moment's flash, the blurred faces of her parents and sister crossed her mind. Had she been born yaoguai, much of this would have been different. A personal guard… For the Elder Maiden of the Sacred Church, now the right hand, leader of the feathered, head of the Xia tribe—or perhaps, the Emperor's personal guard? Bitterly, Long Rui Qing mused silently. A mere human, devoid of her mother's heritage, she dared not presume. Even if the woman were willing to overlook her shortcomings, her peers in the shadow organization would feel dishonored. The yaoguai's fate was sealed long before Long Rui Qing's return after fifteen years; their world felt less alien than expected. She wasn’t sure if the woman was seriously considering her or jesting. Seeing her hesitance, the woman, somewhat disappointed, instructed, “Recount the events of Qingyuan City from start to finish again.” She replied, trembling, “My earlier letters should have detailed everything.” “I want to hear it from your lips,” the woman demanded, her unyielding manner hinting at an underlying significance, leaving Long Rui Qing suffocated by an invisible weight yet compelled to ponder deeply. “Yes...” Long Rui Qing lifted her head, quickly organizing her thoughts before speaking with unwavering resolve: “On the night of the 13th, two Xiaoying agents were ambushed. Their bodies were later dismembered and discarded in the Ling River that runs through the city to mask their demonic aura. On the morning of the 15th, their remains were discovered by people from Tianji Sect. After a day of searching, most of their bodies were retrieved, but their heads were nowhere to be found.” Much of what transpired could have been manipulated by unseen forces, leading events to unfold in a manner both coincidental and contrary to her intentions. Long Rui Qing naturally wouldn't disclose her uncertainties. “The Taixu Sect collaborated with Yucang Mountain Elder Jing Wu, using spiritual talismans to imitate Huai Ye's lightning techniques, inscribing them onto parts of the Xiaoying’s bodies to frame and thereby detain Huai Ye under the pretext of clarifying suspicions, causing her to miss the next day's competition, leading to her disqualification.” Although she was a spy for the yaoguai, Long Rui Qing had some connections with Taixu Sect due to their collaboration with the Xia tribe. Such a grave crime of colluding with the yaoguai was known by only a handful to minimize exposure; aside from Senior Elder Bai Jinghuan and her master within Taixu Sect, few were aware. Bai Jinghuan would occasionally send Long Rui Qing to gather intelligence but never disclosed her background even within their own ranks. Ever since arriving in Qingyuan City, Bai Jinghuan had remained secluded, allegedly due to an accident during cultivation, preventing disturbances from even those within Taixu Sect. Were it not for this situation, Long Rui Qing's schemes might not have succeeded. Taixu Sect was reluctant to nurture promising talents in Yucang Mountain, and makeshift plants had difficulty approaching Qin Miao. Bai Jinghuan relied heavily on Long Rui Qing for information, a dependence observed by all, yet neither Bai Yan nor Jing Wu ever suspected her. Speaking of Jing Wu, he was a fence-sitter; seeing Li Hui's steady ascension to leadership, and realizing his lack of significant accomplishments, he switched allegiance to Taixu Sect. At their first handover, Long Rui Qing greatly surprised him, likely to the same extent as Bai Yan, as they mistook her for someone Taixu Sect had embedded early at Yucang Mountain. “However, Huai Ye did indeed encounter an unknown demonic cultivator on the night of the 14th. I cannot ascertain the truth of her statement. It is uncertain if the leak led Yucang Mountain to prepare in advance or if there are even deeper layers to this matter... However, Taixu Sect's desecration of Xiaoying corpses is undeniably true.” “Using the remains of our allies in a trap is infuriating. We wished to question Bai Jinghuan about this, yet received no response. Only I and those above us knew the contact method, and I ensured Bai Jinghuan received the message. Taixu Sect's ambivalence invites contemplation. The timing of the murders aligns with Bai Jinghuan's seclusion, leading to suspicions he faked retreat due to injuries, prompting me to report to you immediately.” Long Rui Qing assured Xiang Shi Yan that the plot was foolproof, based on her own calculations. Although she was unsure who initially killed the two Xiaoying agents, such significant events, even if Tianji Sect tried to contain them, would inevitably reach keen ears. In other words, the yaoguai Emperor would soon know. Xiaoying were not just spies but the Emperor's private army. While clandestine investigations between the two factions were mutually understood, any exposure placed the yaoguai at fault—an oversight that the Emperor couldn’t ignore. Even if they could overlook the disrespect shown to their comrades’ corpses, they couldn’t afford other errors. If Taixu Sect had turned against them, their actions would eventually expose them to the Emperor. After all, Taixu Sect sought to profit from chaos, not necessarily through intertribal war; an internal yaoguai strife with mortal intervention still benefited Taixu Sect. She had received a terse four-word reply: “Contain the situation.” “On the night of the 15th, I received your order to eliminate all involved; the upper ranks swiftly assembled all Xiaoying agents able to reach Qingyuan within a day for an operation on the 16th night. Under Bai Yan’s direction, the heads were taken, and remains discarded in the Ling River while the involved Taixu Sect disciples were eliminated. Yucang Mountain Elder Jing Wu and his disciples were personally executed by a team under my command.” Zheng Yiwen and Long Rui Qing had entered Yucang Mountain consecutively, growing up together with a close relationship. However, she executed her tasks without hesitation—Jing Wu’s faction frequently meddled behind the scenes, and Zheng Yiwen, alongside her mentor, plotted against Huai Ye. Although instructed not to disclose in order to avoid premature actions, Long Rui Qing easily extracted this information, alongside Xiang Shi Yan's commission—it was justice in her eyes. “Twelve Xiaoying agents were dispatched to assassinate Bai Jinghuan, each with cultivation of at least mid-Nascent Soul stage. All perished in the assault. Though absent from battle, I managed to retrieve the Xiaoying corpses preemptively from Tianji Sect, confirming Bai Jinghuan's demise.” Here, Long Rui Qing hesitated, “His body was grotesquely skinned. I severed a hand to send back as proof of mission completion.” At this, the woman acknowledged coldly, while Long Rui Qing was drenched in nervous sweat. Truthfully unaware of the exact transpired events, she expected twelve Xiaoying to be a formidable match against Bai Jinghuan. They had the element of surprise, superior numbers, and exceptional combat prowess, whereas Bai Jinghuan was just mid-Grand Completion stage. Decades ago, when thirteen Xiaoying agents assassinated a late-stage Grand Completion Tiger King, three had survived... Bai Jinghuan must have wielded some life-preserving trump card, otherwise the scene didn't add up. Long Rui Qing surmised he first dealt with the twelve Xiaoying, then later was slain by another party, who exhibited extreme brutality, with Bai Jinghuan's head left intact on his flayed corpse, suggesting he was skinned alive. While she suspected the puppet master's identity, considering only Xiang Shi Yan was privy to their plans, the lack of animosity between Xiang Shi Yan and Bai Jinghuan—nor was she one to commit such acts without reason—puzzled her. Three days on, Long Rui Qing still couldn't unravel the layers; Xiang Shi Yan defeating the weakened Bai Jinghuan wasn't surprising, but whether it was truly only them there was uncertain due to an unexplained spiritual fluctuation on site. Respecting each other’s secrets, Long Rui Qing didn't pry into Xiang Shi Yan’s affairs and reciprocated with equal reserve, but curiosity festered about her ally. How did she acquire the initial two victims’ bodies? Why did Bai Jinghuan suddenly retreat? When and how did she ally with Fu Zhi? The unseen climax left Long Rui Qing pondering who else could've been involved. Amidst these events, the greatest shock was Fu Zhi—not as Qian Da Ni—in that she used some arcane method to convincingly masquerade as a child. Living alongside her, Long Rui Qing noticed irregularities but never presumed soul possession—how had she connected with Xiang Shi Yan? “I am incompetent, unable to uncover the whole truth, leaving many questions unanswered. If given more time…” “No need.” The woman halted her mid-sentence, causing Long Rui Qing’s jaw to tighten, fearing this signaled an impending end to her reprieve. From behind the screen came the rustling of garments; the woman rose and slowly approached. Her footfalls made barely audible, silk-soft noises against the polished floor, drawing so close Long Rui Qing instinctively held her breath, awaiting judgment. The woman stood slightly ahead, gazing down at her prostrate form: “I know the identity of those who ambushed the Xiaoying agents and killed Bai Jinghuan. You need not pursue it any longer.” Her hands trembled uncontrollably. Long Rui Qing fought for command over her rebelling limbs, her bloodless face growing darker. The mysterious individuals, linked now to both Xiang Shi Yan and the woman, deepened her dread. Kneeling beside her, the woman compelled Long Rui Qing to look up. Straining to keep herself upright despite the excruciating pain in her legs and arms, Long Rui Qing dared not twitch a brow. With traces of her own blood marking her forehead, she looked pitifully bedraggled. This close, Long Rui Qing couldn't bring herself to meet the woman’s eyes, her gaze fixating fearfully on her brown ear feathers. From an unfamiliar well of sympathy, the woman pinched her chin and, producing a handkerchief, began wiping the blood off her face. Perhaps due to proximity or the deliberate gentleness in the woman’s voice, Long Rui Qing found it unsettlingly unfamiliar, softly and ethereally terrifying. The slight pressure of her nails didn't hurt but was enough to unnerve her, prompting a feeble call: “My lady…” “You should address me as ‘cousin,’ as I’ve told you before.” As the woman calmly cleaned Long Rui Qing’s face, she glanced back at the servant by the door. With silent comprehension, they left without a word. Confusion swam in Long Rui Qing’s mind. She was a filthy mixed-blood, born of her mother and a human man, lacking even her mother’s illustrious traits, leading to her parents' disgrace among kin. And the woman before her was the Emperor's pupil, the Xia tribe leader—how audacious to aspire to such heights? She knew the woman cared not for her person, but for lineage continuation and innate talent, perhaps still seeing Long Rui Qing as family. But when had the woman ever uttered such words? Was it while she was slowly grinding Long Rui Qing’s father into minced flesh? She possessed such mercy: even with only half yaoguai blood and no noticeable yaoguai features, the woman spared Long Rui Qing and protected her life. Despite Long Rui Qing’s mother’s indiscretion with a human, which brought great shame to the family, the woman never pursued retribution. Presumably, now, her mother was living peacefully in the capital with her younger sister... Nonetheless, she showed no mercy to the human interlopers. “...Cousin.” Indeed, the chief was technically her cousin. Long Rui Qing left home at a young age; she was unclear about how closely related her mother and the woman before her were. She only knew that if the yaoguai Emperor decided to purge the renegades and implicate their nine kin, as an adult member of the clan, she probably wouldn’t escape execution. Unable to fully clean the blood from Long Rui Qing’s face, the woman clicked her tongue in annoyance and thrust the handkerchief into her severed-hand. The woman gazed leisurely at the cousin in whom she had placed high hopes, her tone neutral yet gentle: “You’re clever. You must know that such trivial information is useless to me and won’t save your life. Is there anything else you haven’t told me?” The girl’s mouth quivered, this face she thought she’d forgotten over the years flashed before her with unnerving familiarity, as if they had just parted yesterday. The woman’s appearance was unchanged since she’d leaned down to speak with her beside a blood-soaked dungeon. “Last year... the unrest in Huaihai City was caused by Yue Hua Jun, Xiang Shi Yan, with assistance from... the current Saintess, Du Ruo.” Xiang Shi Yan certainly hadn’t disclosed this to her. Long Rui Qing deduced it herself over the years by tracking Xiang Shi Yan’s movements. Two years ago, when Huai Ye chased Du Ruo and encountered Xiang Shi Yan in New Sun City, and the subsequent turmoil in Huaihai City, Long Rui Qing could infer that Xiang Shi Yan had help from a yaoguai ally. She personally went to New Sun City and asked residents who experienced the events. They confirmed a third person, matching Du Ruo’s description, had been acting with them. The woman did not comment on the news or question its veracity; even rumored secrets could have their utility. Satisfied, she released Long Rui Qing. The servant stepped forward, handing the woman a clean cloth. She tossed it onto the floor before Long Rui Qing: “Clean the floor, then you may leave. I have another guest. Go home and see your mother.” The girl, exhausted, collapsed onto the ground, taking a while to gather herself before picking up the cloth to slowly wipe away the blood stains. Not daring to linger longer, she finished cleaning and pressed the given handkerchief to her wound, intending to leave, until the woman’s voice again halted her: “Wash the handkerchief before returning it to me; I dislike my belongings in others’ hands.” Leaning against the wall to steady her walk, Long Rui Qing caught herself and gave a deep bow, accidentally colliding with a woman passing by—a female human cultivator. Could this be the “guest” the woman referred to...? The female cultivator had a gentle, charming face; with Long Rui Qing’s cultivation, she couldn’t detect how far advanced in her practice the woman was. Upon close inspection, she noticed the woman was heavily pregnant, her hand supporting a belly six or seven months along, and she appeared concerned: “Is your hand alright?” Long Rui Qing didn’t dare engage in conversation, dismissing her with a few words before quickly escaping. The visibly pregnant human cultivator walked confidently into the room just vacated by Long Rui Qing. The host had already prepared tea in welcome, yet her attention immediately gravitated towards another guest present. “Controlling water mist to create a body is quite novel.” Supporting her belly, she struggled to sit at the table, intrigued by the misty human form in front of her. The misty figure wore a vivid smile. Author's Note: The plot is correct; I didn’t post the wrong draft! (Laughs—I actually have no drafts). The pregnant woman mentioned at the end appeared earlier in the story. Friends interested can go back to find her. Whoever finds out first will get a red envelope gift! 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