198 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 198: Betrayal A woman's suppressed cries of pain echoed repeatedly in the cave, her moaning gradually growing weaker. Hidden at the mouth of the cave, the young girl had her mind overwhelmed by agony. Although the ghostly figure could no longer mobilize its spiritual consciousness, Long Rui Qing still found herself in a tense state, her breathing becoming rapid, her vision blurring. A hand emerged from between the woman's legs; the viscous, dark shadow was mistakenly perceived by her as blood spurting from the birthing canal. It wasn't until the shadow formed into the likeness of a newborn's hand that Long Rui Qing gasped in shock. From the "mouth" of that shadow emerged a sharp howl, the ghostly scream muddling the young girl's mind. In her daze, she saw the "infant" slowly inflate as it crawled halfway out of the womb, eventually becoming a wailing woman. She clawed at the ground and the woman's calves, trying to tear herself fully out. Wherever the shadow touched, dark scorch marks were left behind. "Master... Master..." the woman let go of the bedding beneath her, weakly beseeching. Her continuous wailing merged with the ghostly, sharp cries. Long Rui Qing held her breath, unable to believe what her eyes witnessed. Perhaps it was the punishment for violating the natural order, a thought that suddenly sprung to Long Rui Qing's mind. She took a step back and stepped on a branch. In that instant, the thing before her abruptly quieted down. Its thick, dark visage stirred at the eye area, turning towards her. Suddenly awake, Long Rui Qing clumsily wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. She only exhaled in relief when she found herself still in her usual bed. It had only been a nightmare. She had fallen asleep again. Many cultivators, after growing accustomed to meditation, completely relinquish sleep. But who would bother with meditation after a night spent in intimacy with another? Long Rui Qing glanced at the woman beside her, whom she'd woken up, and her tense breath slowly steadied. How had their relationship become this mess…? Long Rui Qing fell back into the bedding, embraced by the blurry woman beside her. The warm and soft body beside her did little to calm the terror of escaping the nightmare, but Long Rui Qing kept it hidden. She almost never embraced back the woman who had once been her Master during the break of dawn; she simply laid her head on Yu Ming's chest, staring at the window where sunlight spilled over, the desk cluttered with scrolls and manuscripts, untouched by the song of her "birds" returning from afar, as their master had no mind to deal with them. "How fares the Northern Territories of the Yao clan?" Yu Ming lazily inquired, playing with a strand of her hair near Long Rui Qing’s temple. "Why? Seeking information for those two dear disciples of yours?" Long Rui Qing retorted coldly, mocking. The Fox Tribe, leading the Northern Territories' tribes that have ruled the land for millennia, has lately clashed with the tiger-led beast kin under the new leadership, despite not intending to return the territory. The proximity of the battlefield to Huaihai City quickly turned border relations frigid once more, jeopardizing the Zhu family who were preparing for trade with the Yao clan. "Nevermind, if you won't say." "...The outcome is decided. The Yao Emperor's troops have already commenced action, and the conflict is nearing its conclusion." Truth be told, the fall of the Du family was beyond Long Rui Qing's expectation. Even discounting alliances, as the leader of the rebellion, Du's fame was unparalleled. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Great Ascension stage; it would be impossible to win by sheer force alone, as a single strike from such a powerful figure could halt the rebel army's charge. Moreover, the cost to slay such a Great Ascension stage cultivator was exorbitant, making the Yao Emperor’s decisive action to send troops provocative of deeper intrigues. Three months prior, Du Guan Yan returned to the Yao capital to seek aid from old acquaintances. He petitioned the Yao Emperor six times, and received only two audiences, both of which were unsuccessful. When the main branch of the Du family was exterminated, the Yao Emperor did not investigate thoroughly, instead joining the central beast clans in dividing the Du family territory. Even if the Du family was incapable of fulfilling their role as protectors and beastly leaders, the Yao Emperor's severe treatment towards the loyal Fox Tribe was harsh. Du Guan Yan showing restraint until now was remarkable. The tribal groups of the north eventually drove out the tiger kin occupying the snowy mountains, staking their claim, and declared rebellion. Yet in truth, they never desired direct confrontation with the Yao Emperor’s imperial forces—such opposition involved an extensive manpower encompassing nearly the entire Northern Territory. The defeat of these rebel troops would be a burden the Yao clan couldn't bear. They aimed to compel the Holy Sect into pardon talks, leveraging negotiations for reclaiming their territories justifiably. The incident unfolded, and yet the Yao Emperor, without hesitation, dispatched the beast kin of central Yao clan led by the Tiger Tribe to launch an all-out offensive, capturing three cities in succession, before sending ambassadors favorable to the Northern Territories to communicate his terms: the Fox sub-clans and other Northern tribes misled by Du Guan Yan could surrender before the imperial forces broke through the snowy mountains, retaining their holdings without punishing the people, only holding the principal offender accountable. Even Du Guan Yan perceived the severity at this point, realizing their transformation from sham rebels for leverage into genuine insurgents. Even combating three Great Ascension stage Yao cultivators alone, he failed to stem the desertion within the ranks—they only wanted to reclaim their homeland, but lacked the courage for open rebellion. As the Yao imperial army conquered another trio of cities—the Northern stronghold still far from threatened—the rebel forces cowered, knowing the ruthless nature of the current Yao Emperor, renowned for his iron fist amongst clan matters despite his leniency in interspecific relations. Thus, the grandiose Northern rebellion swiftly collapsed, prompting the Yao Emperor to dispatch over sixty emissaries to accept the rebels' surrender. Assigning tiger kin members with conflicting interests to the Fox Tribe was logical. Following the demise of the Du family, Su Bo Yuan replaced the family patriarch as the Right Protector of the Holy Sect. He would ensure the Fox Tribe never rose again. However, for Long Rui Qing, who knew the intricacies, there was more beneath the surface. The Yao Emperor's decision to not deploy his own subordinates preserved his strength, avoiding assigning the Crow Tribe for fear they might ally with the rebels. The tiger kin, definitely not inclined to join forces with their greatest enemy, had a weakening effect on Shao Luan's hopeful allies. Until the last battle, the troops were reserved for a cleanup, leaving no chance for the beast kin warriors to absorb all victory gains. In summary, the war among the Yao clan had nearly drawn to a close, with its many hidden hands notwithstanding, the Yao Emperor remained the undisputable prime beneficiary. This affair increasingly seemed premeditated. Possibly, Du Guan Yan was prodded into this desperate act. Long Rui Qing couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that these unfolding events might be the prelude to a great upheaval. Yawning lazily, Yu Ming got up to pick up the scattered robes, her snowy skin exposing herself to Long Rui Qing. Despite their prolonged entanglement, neither wanted to declare how much of this so-called indulgence stemmed from true affection. Initially, Yu Ming felt embarrassed and ashamed, yet she had grown used to it, relenting her pretenses before Long Rui Qing. Unexpectedly, her shameless disciple who had once been so eloquent at first had become more sullen over time. Lying in bed, her gaze was a mix of emotions, staring at the woman with her back to her. A frail frame like willow branches, resilient, as she realized her interminable sins in daring to reach out with sinful hands towards the Master who raised her. If retribution held sway, Long Rui Qing thought she should immediately fall to hell, leaving her Master once again pure in the mortal realm. Fully dressed, Yu Ming looked down leisurely, "I shall return tomorrow." She should never return in this lifetime. Long Rui Qing did not voice, instead, smiling like a courtesan, "Feeding my 'birds' requires funds, won't my Master be generous?" She saw Yu Ming's brow faintly furrow; the laughter vanished from Yu Ming's face as she coldly tossed a Sumeru bag at her—nearly hitting her face—before turning to leave. But Long Rui Qing knew Yu Ming would come again tomorrow. Long Rui Qing took a deep breath. But as her neck stretched, the cold blade hindered her breathing. The intruder, as quiet as a shadow, as fluid as water, held the knife steadily at her throat. Long Rui Qing knew any tremor of the blade could sever her throat. The short dagger was so sharp, Long Rui Qing trembled as she exhaled, feeling a slight scratch at her neck. "Are you still forcing yourself upon her?" The voice, once familiar, had grown estranged to Long Rui Qing—the woman's voice was cold as a blade, laden with murderous intent. "It's a long story..." Long Rui Qing's throat felt dry. It might be Yu Ming's two precious disciples who learned of their scandal, any girl besides Huai Ye had reason to hire someone to take her head. And if Huai Ye discovered this traitor still drew breath, her dearest friend would surely choose to take Long Rui Qing's head herself. What could she say? Life seemed to slip away with the warmth from her neck, yet even the cunning Long Rui Qing lacked spare wits to devise a plan to save her neck. Long Rui Qing planned to say—For so long, I noticed her vulnerabilities and exploited her feelings of care and guilt for her disciples to steal information about the Zhu family and Jade Green Mountain. No, that's not all. I slept with her countless times, every instance leveraging her guilt to coerce her. Not once did she willingly partake in such sordid acts... She turned her head, raising her eyes to meet a familiar face. "Answer my question," Xiang Shiyan said, lifting the dagger. "When I left, I told you to stay far away from her, never to entangle her again. Yet, here you are, still mingling with her." The bond between sisters is truly moving... Long Rui Qing gently pushed the blade away, "Trust me, I'm the one who's sunk deeper into the filth." With lightning speed, she dressed and tucked the pouch Yu Ming had given her into the bedding, awkwardly greeting her former ally, "I never imagined the younger me would have the chance to see Lord Yuehua again." Their agreement had only lasted until Xiang Shiyan vanished without a trace, and although Long Rui Qing hadn't left, she had clearly exceeded everything promised initially. The woman sheathed her knife. Mere decades shouldn't have marred Xiang Shiyan's beauty, yet to Long Rui Qing, she seemed aged. Perhaps leaving Jade Green Mountain hadn’t granted her peace but rather mired her further. "Where have you been all these years?" Long Rui Qing didn't feel safe. Over the years, Xiang Shiyan's intangible aura had grown even stronger, suffused with a familiar... strange presence. The presence of a powerful Yao clan. At least now she understood where Xiang Shiyan had hidden all these years. Xiang Shiyan had countless ways to kill her; a knife might not be the neatest. Fortunately, Long Rui Qing had some inkling about Xiang Shiyan's sudden reappearance. She shifted slowly to the desk, "The rapid expansion of the Zhu family took me by surprise. Besides Zhu Yun's maneuvering and diligent cultivation, there must be an invisible hand aiding her from the shadows." "Those irksome voices were methodically silenced—in a manner both sophisticated and inconspicuous. Few deaths create trouble; too many deaths create even greater trouble. I hope you didn't come to kill me because I discovered this." Long Rui Qing gestured open-handedly toward her. "Of course not. I merely wish to see how deceived I've been all these years." Xiang Shiyan's expression, usually cold, turned even gloomier as she harshly uttered these words, taking the papers Long Rui Qing handed her. Author's Note: Finally back home, if I take the train again, I'm a fool QAQ Thanks to the angels who voted or fed me with nutrient solution between 2022-11-35 35:57:24~2022-12-03 22:25:12~ Thanks to the angel who threw a grenade: Deng Yue 1; Thanks to the angels for the nutrient solution: 58 bottles from Hot Pot Scalded Eggs; 85 bottles from Crane Flock Administrator; ⊙ω⊙ 10 bottles; Fate, Long Sky and Clear Moon, kakasoso, Angry Xipu 1 bottle; Thank you all so much for your support. I will continue to work hard! No pop-up ads on this site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)