199 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

## Chapter 199: The Demon Emperor "The progress for the two sisters hasn't been smooth at all. Those old geezers have been watching closely from the sidelines, and the Xu family isn't completely benevolent either..." Long Ruiqing was muttering as she rifled through the documents on the table, while Xiang Shiyan quickly scanned the jade slip that detailed the personnel movements within the Zhu family estate. "They're doing it so cleanly—just the right amount to keep people from easily guessing who it is. Your esteemed senior sister is stationed here to protect her delicate junior disciples, but she doesn't even notice the two young girls setting up their own little gang right under her nose. Oblivious." The woman grumbled. Long Ruiqing had only recently noticed some hints when the Zhu family openly began recruiting fresh blood. But it was enough for her to have uncovered a lot of information. This covert force included several retainers within the Zhu family unknown to the public. Jade Ming knew of their existence, but she didn't realize they were under the command of the Zhu family's second young lady, Zhu Yu. Besides her, there were disciples with cultivation levels ranging from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, with decent talent ripe for nurturing. With a streamlined personnel setup and straightforward management and action procedures, it seemed like an impenetrable wall. Long Ruiqing struggled for a long time to pry open the mouth of a youth from that group, though he knew very little. Zhu Yu, that little girl, had become her sister's secret enforcer at some point. Long Ruiqing followed the clues and even speculated that some old murder cases might be linked to her. They acted carefully, so much so that they had remained unscathed till now, handling everything with ease. Such activities began before the sisters grew to their current minor fame. Long Ruiqing guessed that back then, the gang wasn't as large, and when Zhu Yun first took on a name, it was probably only Zhu Yu and... a specific individual going out to collect heads. The individual who caused Xiang Shiyan such anxious anger. Long Ruiqing cautiously glanced at the woman with the furrowed brow. She was intensely curious about Xiang Shiyan's sudden disappearance back then; something significant must have occurred, and likely for similar reasons, she had resurfaced now. And now, she had another clue. So, who was the stranger secretly assisting Zhu Yu? "The events of today..." "There won't be a third person who knows, not even Jade Ming." The two exchanged a look, and Long Ruiqing saw the same spark in Xiang Shiyan's eyes. She knew Xiang Shiyan would also keep secret what she'd seen earlier. They shared an undeniable sense of duty, as if protecting those around them was their responsibility, thus they tacitly agreed to shut Jade Ming out of this matter once more. As quietly as she had appeared, Xiang Shiyan vanished from Long Ruiqing's view, leaving the small courtyard where Long Ruiqing lived in Hua Hai City. She pulled down her hood, a deep-seated anger simmering inside her like it was about to erupt. The woman took deep breaths, once again touching the side of her neck. Something beneath her fair skin wriggled for a moment, but in an instant, her face returned to an expression of calm ignorance, any excess emotion melting away like snow. Long Ruiqing's place wasn't far from the Zhu estate, but Xiang Shiyan chose not to go there directly. It wasn't the time to meet them, especially since she realized those two little brats had secretly colluded with the demon dragon for quite some time. It was obviously not the right moment to come clean. She slipped away through the alleys, passing by a Song He Hall—not far from which the Zhu family's influence had allowed Song He Hall to grow significantly. But it was no longer a part of her control; the villainous dragon had long consumed it entirely. The cloaked woman made her way to a dimly lit alley where an old deaf and mute woman was kneeling and begging. Xiang Shiyan tossed a coin from the demon territory into her bowl, which clinked distinctly as it hit the pottery. The elderly woman's sagging skin lifted as she looked up, her trembling hands searching through her clothes to produce a sealed letter. "His Majesty summons you, return to the demon capital at once." It was Du Ruo's handwriting. Ever since that day when they left the black market and Xiang Shiyan had realized the implications, she had been tracking the actions of Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu over the years. The war to the north burned hot, and the one who had initially suggested this scheme to the Demon Emperor was nowhere to be found. Moreover, since she refused to surrender the dragon flesh, the Demon Emperor must be growing impatient waiting for her. Xiang Shiyan felt no attachment to the Jade Fox clan and was equally indifferent to her birth father. If it weren't for the concern that Du Guanyan might have killed in a last act of desperation, Xiang Shiyan might have dealt with him personally. The conservative faction in the North had always been loyal to the Du family, guarding the territory and even forbidding the throne from encroaching. The Demon Emperor had long wanted to eliminate them, naturally viewing Du Guanyan, the last heir of the Du family, as a nuisance. Du Guanyan's rebellion conveniently offered her an excuse to resolve the northern problem once and for all. The demon territories were feudal domains, and the tiger tribe, secretly conspiring with the Tengu clan, weakened themselves in the war, benefiting the Demon Emperor. She welcomed such a double-edged situation. Hehe, it was all as Xiang Shiyan anticipated that He He would not cleanly kill Du Guanyan as they had agreed. The Black Dragon never aligned with her intentions. Unbeknownst to He He, listening to her request, he incited Du Guanyan to rebel instead, not caring about his life or death—merely using him as a stepping stone. And if He He kept his promise, Xiang Shiyan would not lose out either. He He assumed she sought to take over the Du family, offering the northern resources as trade. However, Xiang Shiyan had no interest in the Du family; her promises were empty words. If the Black Dragon acted as she suggested, he would find himself caught in an elaborate scheme. Xiang Shiyan and the throne held all the winning cards, leaving them with everything to gain. She had rendered a crucial service to the Demon Emperor, who seemed indifferent to the pursuit of immortality or the Dao. Perhaps he wouldn't inquire much about the dragon flesh… Xiang Shiyan hurried towards the demon clan's contact point in Hua Hai City, unintentionally catching sight of the tower she had burned down earlier. The place where city authorities held their meetings had long since been repaired, and the two youngsters she had pulled from the mire back then had now become part of it. Despite traveling incognito and wandering far and wide all these years, Xiang Shiyan never forgot to send people to secretly observe Hua Hai City's trends, worried that Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu might be bullied again in her absence. It turned out they had found much more powerful backing long ago. Xiang Shiyan didn't believe that He He would suddenly develop a conscience. Zhu Yun's decision to turn to He He for help was even more dangerous than using the Xu family as a springboard in the past. However, even if Xiang Shiyan could set aside her grievances to aid them, would they be willing to relinquish such a formidable ally? In truth, if she just let things be, allowing He He to throw the Taixu Sect and the entire cultivation world into chaos, what would it matter? If Xiang Shiyan was willing to stand by, she and He He had no inherent conflict. The woman's face hidden beneath the cloak was a picture of cold detachment, her neck tense with anger. Yet it seemed as if something alive was stirring underneath her skin, unsettling those around her. Indeed, not only had Du Ruo's own agents delivered messages, but even the Demon Emperor's spies had urged her to return to the demon capital repeatedly for questioning. The attack on the main sect of the Taixu Sect had now become common knowledge, and the strategy of allying through the auction with the Zhu family had been entirely sabotaged. The matter remained unresolved. As long as the culprit went unpunished, the Demon Emperor would have sleepless nights, anxious that the Taixu Sect might claim the demon clan was responsible to save face. Both sides couldn't afford to provoke a war, yet the Demon Emperor's continuous concession made him seem easy to bully. Meanwhile, among the human cultivators, there was no shortage of fools who would react to any rumor. So, what exactly did He He do during his brief stay at the Taixu Sect? The demon dragon was exceedingly cautious and wouldn't act rashly to alert the enemy. Ordinary intimidation couldn't have prompted such a panicked reaction from the Taixu Sect. Presumably, the Demon Emperor was also investigating the incident, which might explain the urgent summons for Xiang Shiyan. While lingering in Hua Hai City, Xiang Shiyan's ulterior motive was to investigate the events of that night through Zhu Yun, but... In any case, since Du Ruo was also urging her to enter the capital, her life probably wasn't in danger. The snake demon was the Demon Emperor's closest disciple, treated like a child and never guarded against. Although Xiang Shiyan's abrupt actions did look suspiciously like she ran off with the dragon flesh, she trusted Du Ruo could explain the situation. That was her thought process. So when the Demon Emperor's guards pinned her to the hall, Xiang Shiyan only had time to cast a bewildered glance at the snake demon kneeling nearby. The snake demon lowered her gaze, half-kneeling not far from Xiang Shiyan. She wore the same red outfit she had on when they first met, with the usual makeup she displayed to the world. Her voice was exceptionally calm: "Disciple speaks the truth; this person indeed knocked me out and fled with the dragon flesh." "We were separated midway, so whether she used the opportunity to sneak into the Taixu Sect... the disciple is not certain." Xiang Shiyan blinked, listening silently as Du Ruo spun lies with utmost sincerity. When alone, Du Ruo seldom wore such striking makeup, and Xiang Shiyan studied her profile intently. The young features of the snake demon had been meticulously polished, appearing unexpectedly mature. Calm and composed. The woman turned her head, the ears atop her head twitching slightly. The two behind her, tense and anxious, mistakenly believed she was about to transform, and pressed down harder with their spears on Xiang Shiyan's arms, forcing her to her knees. In the hall, there were only five of them. The two personal guards of the Demon Emperor restraining Xiang Shiyan were Nascent Soul cultivators, making it quite the predicament, especially with Du Ruo at her side. However, the one Xiang Shiyan truly feared was the woman in the black and gold robe above. The woman descended barefoot from the throne, her light steps carrying a weight that threatened to crush Xiang Shiyan's shoulders, terrifying in their force. The woman, dressed in a sheer black garment, crouched before Xiang Shiyan and lifted her chin with a slender finger. "Where have you hidden my dragon flesh?" The voice of the carp-tribe woman was soft, her touch as icy as that of any creature with scales. Xiang Shiyan was forced to meet her gaze. "I destroyed it." The woman before her had a striking face and scarlet eyes that gleamed like exquisite jewels. Legend held that the Demon Emperor’s true form was a red carp with crimson eyes, a sign of great fortune among her people, and her reputation among the demon clans had been formidable before she took the throne from her sister. However, she had been criticized for her perceived weakness since. Weakness was a word Xiang Shiyan would never use to describe Lichi. The various demon clans had become fractious long before Lichi's time, and it was only under her violent and authoritarian rule that they hadn't completely splintered. She might have even wanted to suppress the human cultivators, but any disorder now would only offer opportunity to the treacherous. At least in preventing a large-scale conflict between the two races, their goals aligned, which was why Xiang Shiyan sided with the Demon Emperor, simultaneously thwarting Hehe's attempts to exploit her dragon lineage for trouble. But mere allegiance didn't mean she trusted Lichi as she did fellow disciples at Jade Cang Mountain. This person before her, having reached the mid-stage of the Divine Transformation Realm by five hundred years old, was one of the most dangerous figures among demon-kind. Lichi’s fingers hovered barely two finger-widths from Xiang Shiyan’s neck. She might not even have a chance to channel her spiritual power before she was decapitated. Instinctively, she licked her lips, her ears perking up in vigilance. The red-eyed carp stared her down. "Destroyed?" Lichi signaled for Xiang Shiyan's captors to release her, and the two guards dutifully exited the hall. Their cultivation was far inferior to the white fox, and remaining would have only been a hindrance. "For a millennium, the number of demons who've transcended to immortality can be counted on one hand, yet many in the carp clan have reached for that sliver of hope... None have succeeded though. Leaping over the Dragon Gate to be reborn as a dragon has become an unattainable myth. Can you fathom how invaluable a piece of dragon flesh is to us?" Lichi gradually applied more pressure to Xiang Shiyan’s chin, causing a sickening creak in her bones that set her teeth on edge, forcing Xiang Shiyan to cough, though her gaze remained defiant. Xiang Shiyan grasped Lichi's wrist. "But you don't care. Your desire isn't the Dragon Gate; otherwise, when I stepped into the hall without the dragon flesh, you would have acted immediately." The red-eyed carp released her and stood up, turning to the still-kneeling Du Ruo. "Enough, rise." Only then did Xiang Shiyan notice that Du Ruo, who had stayed silent beside her, was drenched in sweat, her makeup ruined by the cold sweat at her brow. The redness at the corners of her eyes was not makeup but the physiological reaction of the snake demon to unbearable pain. The moment Lichi spoke, Du Ruo, who had been holding on with all her might, seemed to collapse as if a string had been cut. Her arms buckled under her, nearly causing her to collapse unconscious. The oppressive aura of a Divine Transformation stage power had held her in place, the pressure against a Nascent Soul cultivator like Du Ruo, who Lichi could easily crush with a fingertip, was almost tangible, causing physical agony. Exhausted, Du Ruo supported herself on her elbows, sprawled on the ground. She glanced at Xiang Shiyan, her eyes full of apology. "What makes you think it was real dragon flesh and not some ruse by the Taixu Sect?" The woman's bony hand brushed over the fur of Xiang Shiyan’s white fox ears. She spoke, "From the moment you first entered my sight, I sensed you carried dragon aura. Even if the dragon flesh from Taixu Sect is fake, you likely have a way to procure the real thing for me, yes?" "Heh..." No wonder, whether in the original script or in reality, Hehe never chose to collaborate with the Demon Emperor. This person held no respect for her shared dragon ancestry, and her formidable strength was hard to intimidate, her mere presence serving only to create further complications. "I know not everything about you, yet the fact that the famed human cultivator, Moonlit Sovereign, is actually of Jade Fox descent is rather amusing... My spies reported the incident at Wraith Gorge. Where is that black dragon now?" Xiang Shiyan remained silent, her ear fur, disrupted by Lichi’s touch, twitching slightly on its own. Up until now, Lichi hadn’t pursued any of the questions that Xiang Shiyan had quietly answered. Her summons seemed less about interrogation and more as if she already knew the answers and merely sought confirmation from Xiang Shiyan. "So it's all true..." the woman mused. "The dragon clan is not extinct after all." As she returned to the throne, she suddenly remembered something and turned back sharply. Her bright red eyes gleamed eerily in the shadows. She asked, "Years ago, I sent someone to retrieve a legendary treasure made from dragon skin in the Hunyuan Realm, but they returned empty-handed. Did that treasure fall into your hands?" 遮云裳... Xiang Shiyan’s eyes flickered for a moment. The Hunyuan Realm's restrictions barred those over twenty years old, forcing her to rely on Huaiye to retrieve it for her. Looking back now, Huaiye's empty-handed return made sense since none other than the owner of the dragon skin accompanied her, and Hehe wouldn't allow outsiders to seize it. In the original story, the Demon Emperor had sent Du Ruo and others to invade Jade Cang Mountain, intending to reclaim the Shrouding Cloud Robe. Xiang Shiyan had read this plotline and knew Lichi was aware of the treasure's existence. For a carp unable to ascend to immortality, coveting dragon skin to cross the celestial threshold was perfectly normal, and Xiang Shiyan had never questioned it deeply. But now she couldn't help but ponder, how did Lichi come to know of the treasure’s existence?