211 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 211: Whereabouts A figure clad in a black robe stood at the edge of a watchtower, arms behind her back, gazing down upon the nightscape of Xiaocheng. Behind her, the floor of a quiet room was awash with blood. A woman adorned with ear feathers on her cheeks lounged lazily before a low table, wordlessly pouring herself another cup of wine. A screen separating the host from the guest during an audience was sliced neatly in half and teetering precariously. Servants moved silently to drag away the corpse before the master of the house. The male corpse's muscles were semi-inflated, short yellow-black fur sprouting from beneath the skin. His facial bones were still in a half-demonic form, staring emptily at his headless body sprawled on the ground, with small streams of blood trickling slowly from the clean cut on his neck. Not long ago, rumors had circulated about the Xiao Clan’s leader, Xiao Luan, intending to form a union with Su Bo Yuan. Yet, here lay the envoy of the Tiger Clan. Xiao Luan took a sip of the fine tribute wine, calmly engrossed in the scroll in her hands, not sparing a glance at the unfortunate body. The alliance through marriage was not a lie, but Su Bo Yuan seemed to have misunderstood something. To Xiao Luan, marriage was merely one form of guaranteeing the alliance, a demonstration of sincerity and a point-of-no-return tactic. When the envoy of the Tiger Clan dared to spout arrogance before her, she could almost hear the jumble of pride and lust rolling aimlessly in Su Bo Yuan's empty mind. She did not regret humiliating her most crucial ally. Her only regret was not questioning properly beforehand how Su Bo Yuan managed to send such an idiotic envoy, who dared to attempt a demonic transformation as a means of intimidation under such circumstances and at such a venue. Dispatching troops to suppress the Northern rebellion was a complete trap. The Tiger Clan's vanguard not only failed to gain any benefit but was also blockaded by the Demon Emperor's forces in the north. If the Demon Emperor called for unity, the Northern defectors, having received favors from the throne, would eagerly join forces with the Southern army to annihilate the Tiger Claw Legion. Currently, the only entity both capable and willing to assist was the Xiao Clan. However, her scheming junior sister led the Blackscale Army to divide their forces, occupying both the neck marshes and the Xiao Clan's southern territories, effectively cutting off any northern offensive to besiege the Demon City. Xiao Luan herself couldn't move freely in the short term. Announcing the marriage alliance was merely a diversion to focus the Blackscale Army's attention and force other onlookers to quickly choose sides. The marshes were crucial. Perpetually shrouded in miasma, they negated any means of aerial traverse, and the ground was treacherously unstable. Without local guides, passage was impossible, and detours were even less viable. The marshes had always been the focal point of contention among the demon factions. Obtaining the marsh tribe's support would bring the throne of the Demon Emperor within reach. But even in its absence... Xiao Luan had other strategies. The reason the neck marshes were impassable was due to the central territories of the human province encroaching upon Demonland. However, if one were to go straight through the divine continent and reach the north, the terrain advantages upon which the Blackscale Army relied would vanish. This was what Xiao Luan truly desired. The woman of the Xiao Clan couldn't help but sigh. While she schemed tirelessly, that old fool Su Bo Yuan dared to send someone to discuss post-marriage matters. Even a fool could see she would never actually go through with the marriage herself. Both held significant positions and could not leave, yet Su Bo Yuan expected her to marry into the Tiger Clan's lands. Was he truly as stupid as a pig? Hardly; perhaps he merely intended to secure more future benefits for his clan. But Su Bo Yuan forgot that he was never the one in control of this alliance. Xiao Luan rubbed her temples forcefully. Her gaze, needle-like and piercing, made the already anxious young maid cleaning the bloodstains on the floor even more unsettled, casting furtive glances at her master. Water from the maid's cloth slowly trailed towards Xiao Luan. She gestured to call it back. Xiao Luan noticed the poorly covered welts on her neck. The girl's gills quivered from anxiety. The Xiao Mansion's staff mainly comprised elites handpicked by Xiao Luan from Xiaoyu and Xiaoying. It's rare for outsiders to appear among them—unless they were toys presented by subordinates for Xiao Luan's amusement. She disliked fish and also disliked subordinates presuming her preferences. Noticing a strange resemblance in the unfamiliar girl, Xiao Luan furrowed her brows even more. She waved a hand dismissively: "That's enough; you may leave." The maid fled without delay, taking her tools with her. Finally turning her head, the woman in black gestured, and a wave of water wiped away the grime on the floor. He He pressed down her garment and took a seat opposite Xiao Luan. "How's the night scenery in Xiaocheng?" Xiao Luan poured her a drink like she was an old friend. "More prosperous than the Demon City. Indeed, you are quite the talent in governance," He He observed placidly, speaking the truth. The talents of cultivation are fairly distributed among both geniuses and fools; superior cultivation doesn't necessarily extend to other areas of talent. The idiots of the Tiger Clan were proof enough of that. "Are you in low spirits?" Xiao Luan herself wasn't feeling particularly grand and, for once, opted not to discuss her idiotic allies, instead asking about He He's situation. Though the guest seemed unsettled, He He picked up her cup yet hesitated to drink, staring intently at the ripples within. She suddenly spoke, "I sense... the presence of an old acquaintance." "..." Xiao Luan, observing her peculiar expression, narrowed her eyes. “With Xiao Mansion being so well-guarded, who could possibly infiltrate without alerting my guards?” Xiaoying monitored every corner of the mansion. Unless someone of extremely high cultivation infiltrated, it would actually be easier to attack openly than sneak in. Throughout her life, Xiao Luan had only ever seen one "unannounced guest," who now sat across from her. "This place is secure," He He shook her head. “She... is probably north now.” Even a true dragon couldn’t sense the entirety of the divine continent; this clearly surpassed the range of divine consciousness, bordering on "telepathy." Xiao Luan scrutinized her strangely. Her golden eyes flickered as He He moved her hand across the map spread on the table, tracing a line. "The Blackscale Army has a firm hold on the neck marshes. How do you plan to respond?" "The Blackscale Clan suffered severe losses earlier; they can’t spare enough manpower. Either the neck marshes or their homeland must be abandoned," Xiao Luan replied, "I intend to concentrate my forces for a strong attack." There hadn't been a major war between the clans for a century. The Blackscale Clan suffered the greatest losses in the last conflict, with their leader then having been beheaded and sent back by cultivators, a notorious incident still discussed among the demon tribes. The one who beheaded the Blackscale Clan’s leader was precisely… A strange itch flowed repeatedly through her chest. It wasn't her own emotions but a feeling scratching within her since midday, a discomfort that made her want to squeeze her fingertips. Separated from her soul-sharing counterpart, she hadn't experienced this in nearly sixty years. Xiao Luan observed her disconcertedly fiddling with her clothing, staring absentmindedly at her cup. The woman scoffed, asking out of boredom, "Does this relate to your upcoming plans?" Following He He's initiation of her final scheme, Xiang Shi Yan had been out of sight for nearly a year. What exactly had she been preparing for? Could it be that the master encountered trouble, causing the mental barrier, stable for nearly six decades, to falter? Had the mysterious presence within Xiang Shi Yan's consciousness stopped aiding her, or could it be... A trap to lure her? "You should at least investigate," He He noted the playful smile forming on Xiao Luan’s face, frowning impatiently. Ten days from now, everything would come to a close; nothing would matter anymore, including Xiang Shi Yan. ...no longer important. Dipping her finger into the wine, Xiao Luan traced a route on the map—from the green-striped forest under Xiao Clan's control to Huaihai City on the northern border of human cultivation territory—creating a convoluted trail on the leather with the liquid, silently questioning with her gaze. Should the frontal assault fail, the southern and northern passes could allow those under Xiao Luan's command to bypass both the Blackscale and Demon Emperor’s armies, rendezvousing with the Tiger Clan cultivators in the north. They might catch the opposition off guard before being detected. However, even a single feather could not openly fall within the core of the divine province. From the Grudge Souls Gorge to Huaihai City required navigating at least four blockades: the checkpoints set by Yucang Mountain and Tianji Sect in the green-striped forest, the Tianji Sect controlling the southern divine province, Yucang Mountain in the west, and lastly the garrison at Huaihai City in the north. Huaihai City, since its creation, had never fallen—even during demon incursions in the north. Marching from south to north was nigh impossible in a foreign land. Xiao Luan awaited He He’s response but saw the black dragon narrow her eyes, slowly tracing the route Xiao Luan had drawn. Reaching Huaihai City, she extended a bit further—pointing towards the Snow Mountain. With the last pure-blooded line of Jade Foxes as the Demon Emperor's prisoners, the Du family lost control over the north completely. Amidst the power struggles, the Snow Mountain now lay in a convenient power vacuum. Golden eyes narrowing into vertical slits, He He raised her head, unsmiling, "Pardon me." A fox, about the size of a small dog, darted down the main road, catching the attention of several passersby who noticed the small spiritual beast scampering through the city. Those cultivators who approached to inspect the fragile creature quickly spotted the red ribbon fluttering against its snow-white fur. Similar red and bright yellow patterned banners remained hanging on the city's impregnable walls, deterring those who dared look upon them. Xiang Shi Yan dashed fleet-footedly through the crowd, the chains clinking on the ground as they dragged behind her. She periodically glanced back to check for pursuers, weaving anxious paths through the bustling main streets. Unsurprisingly, just before she reached the inn, the street erupted in a clamor. Guards of the Zhu Mansion were ordering bystanders to clear the way as a contingent of soldiers in red armor conducted a search throughout the city. Xiang Shi Yan quickly slipped into an alley, and with a leap off the walls, ascended to the rooftops, maintaining a careful distance from the commotion below. In this tiny body, she couldn't help but click her tongue. Xiang Shi Yan scampered up the roof of a nearby house, relying on her limited memory of Huaihai City to forge a path forward. Their hotel's windows were left unlatched. As Xiang Shi Yan dived into the suite, tumbling into a fluffy white ball, Li Hui was pacing nervously inside. Seeing the dazed little fox, the man was about to say something when his junior sister solemnly extended her soft paw, signaling for him to hold still. The white fox promptly darted behind a screen, changed clothes rapidly, and emerged from the other side. "The Zhu family is actively searching for me. We need to leave now and find a guide." Li Hui said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized her. Only then did Xiang Shi Yan realize the ribbon was still wrapped around her neck, and she pulled it off with a frown. Meanwhile, Zhu Yun's servant, face sweaty with anxiety, led the men into the tavern, only to learn the suite's occupants had already left. After inquiring about their descriptions, the group split up: one team rushed to notify the city gate, while the other spread a wanted notice within the city. Despite their efforts, they were a step too late. As Zhu Mansion's sudden search plunged Huaihai City into chaos, Xiang Shi Yan and Li Hui were already heading toward the northern border. The vendor who had promised to help them sneak across the border was baffled about how these two troublemakers had found him. He had been peacefully meditating in his mountain abode, gathering strength for the night's endeavor, when the pair burst in and whisked him away. His residence wasn't far from the small town outside Huaihai City where they'd met. He figured they must have placed a tracker on him the previous night. The guide felt slighted; his guests were clearly outsiders, ignorant of the norms. Locking eyes with the unfamiliar woman, a chill ran down the guide's spine, and he hurriedly averted his gaze. Under different circumstances, he would have quit such an assignment. But dealing with these two menacing figures was his misfortune. "Could we not wait until nightfall, honored guests?" the guide hedged, "I don’t know whether our contact on the other side is ready." "If you're not willing, then just point us the way," Xiang Shi Yan remarked, sneaking a glance at the checkpoint where guards patrolled, their leader clutching a paper—likely a wanted notice delivered by Zhu Yu's search team. "You jest. We've been treading the main highway; there's only one route," the guide laughed nervously, sensing a different air around the checkpoint and wavering slightly in his resolve. The trio stayed hidden near the checkpoint, where a few commoners bowed repeatedly to the guarding cultivators—a normal occurrence, as the human activity usually extended northward from the city gate. On regular days, leniency allowed cultivators and commoners to move within the checkpoint, and teams from the three major families also aided in clearing the nearby mountains of demons. With the escalating conflicts up north, Huaihai's three families tightened their checkpoint controls, which only led to new trading paths for border smugglers. Charging guide fees, then tolling passage, were common practices now. Xiang Shi Yan declared, "Whether on the main road or a side path, we must pass through here today." With Li Hui's cultivation level, forcing their way even with Xiang Shi Yan would have been no challenge. However, that would draw too much attention; Xiang Shi Yan bet He He would learn of it within three hours and could easily deduce her destination. With the black dragon's speed, reaching the Snow Mountain from the demon's southern border would take merely a day. The guide cast a wary glance at the silent Li Hui. Though Xiang Shi Yan seemed devoid of cultivation, she was the true leader, and he had no doubt that at her command, he'd be in grave danger. The man licked his lips nervously, "I'm not sure my network is set, but I hope you two have an easy journey. If not, can I just show you a back route instead?" The two exchanged a glance. Li Hui telepathically suggested, "Perhaps we should wait a few more days?" Xiang Shi Yan shook her head, "The Thirteen Seats of the Celestial Men Sect will arrive at the Taixu Sect soon, and there will inevitably be casualties. The Snow Mountain's secret realm opens only once a year, starting tomorrow." Li Hui hadn't heard of any secret realm on the Snow Mountain, but with Xiang Shi Yan's insistence, he relented. They sent a shared, steely resolve towards the guide, "No need, lead us via the small route. At the other end, your reward won't lack spirit stones." Faced with the guide's continued hesitation, Li Hui retrieved a bag of spirit stones from his storage pouch, "Here's an advance. Lead us there; just indicate the direction, and you needn't accompany us further." That finally coaxed enthusiasm from the man, "Alright then, please follow me." Li Hui hadn’t expected the guide's idea of a side path to be a cavern. Typically, pathways near checkpoints would have been blocked off by Huaihai City's authorities. There was no way smugglers could tunnel through under the family's noses. This cavern was clearly a beast's den. Xiang Shi Yan, confident the guide knew alternative paths to the Snow Mountain since their meeting, showed no surprise at the deep, dark cavern. Li Hui glanced at her curiously, whispering, "Did you know this person before?" "It's a long story." "Just keep moving forward, and don't mind any sounds," the guide said, handing them a lit torch, "There are eight crossroads up ahead; follow left, left, right, left, middle, right, right, middle, and you should cross before the torch extinguishes." Xiang Shi Yan turned to inspect the torch in Li Hui's hand; the flame flickered under a unique scent, nauseating her slightly—likely a special beast-repellent oil. Inside, the air was stale and oppressive, the confined space amplifying the tension. Thick secretions clung to the walls, with fragments of bones occasionally visible in corners. Xiang Shi Yan's face turned pale with her acute sense of smell; she had Li Hui walk ahead, distancing herself from the torch. "This is the lair of the Red Belly Ants. It's a vast network, and they used to plan passing through this during wartimes to bypass Huaihai City's checkpoints. However, they soon discovered that letting thousands of demons traverse would awaken and provoke the Red Belly Ants to defend their home fiercely, rendering the repellent useless. So it was abandoned quickly." Xiang Shi Yan explained while pinching her nose, "With no wars between clans for ages, bandits have taken over, turning this into one of the black market’s smuggling routes." "After I got Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu out of Huaihai, I initiated a thorough investigation of their upstream operations, purged some bandits kidnapping female cultivators with demon allies. The fellow we met escaped by luck. He doesn't have the guts, only smuggling people or gathering herbs in Demonland. So I let him be." "That's quite a bit to juggle. If you’d told me, I could've helped out," her senior brother chimed in with a tinge of sarcasm, "You and Yuming only ever confide in Gong Ning, always leaving me out." The petty man started bemoaning tales from his youth, like how the three junior sisters once sneaked down the mountain without him, resulting in him being punished by their master. "Frankly, I don’t want to involve myself with ancient beasts or Taixu Sect secrets, yet troubles seem drawn to me." Xiang Shi Yan already regretted bringing along her troublesome senior. Were it not for Yuming being under He He's surveillance and their master's unpredictability… she hadn’t disclosed everything to Li Hui—especially not the emotional entanglements with He He. As Li Hui’s complaints continued, Xiang Shi Yan rolled her eyes, wishing he’d quiet down, when suddenly the torch in Li Hui's hand went out with a gust of chilling wind. Scratches and the tremble of the cavern's wall tensed their nerves. Li Hui handed the torch to Xiang Shi Yan to relight, keeping guard of their surroundings. Striking the flint, the dim light barely illuminated when Xiang Shi Yan witnessed dust fall from above Li Hui's head—their senses dulled by the ant secretions—she shouted, "Look out above!" The next second, Xiang Shi Yan felt a sharp pain on her shin, followed by a sudden lightness, as she plummeted straight down. In the dim confines of the cavern, Xiang Shi Yan was being dragged along. She fiercely kicked the head of the ant twice before shoving the torch right into its mouth. The Red Belly Ant immediately released her, but she continued her fall. Frantically, she gripped the cave wall, her fingers meeting a slippery surface. After much effort, she managed to seize a protruding rock, only to be jostled again. Below, there seemed to be an enormous hollow space. Spreading her limbs against the cave walls, she slowed her descent, swiftly twisting her wrist to hook the chain around another rock outcropping. Her senior brother should find her soon; she just needed to hold on a little longer— "Mu Hua? Fu Xiao? Is that you?" A familiar voice, tinged with panic, echoed from the void below. Author's Note: A heartfelt thanks to the little angels who cast overwhelming votes or nourished with nutrient solutions between 2035-03-07 35:42:41 and 2035-03-12 22:25:09~ Special thanks to the nutrient solution angels: Crane Group Manager with 22 bottles; Author's Update Yet with 1 bottle; Thank you all so much for your support, I will continue to strive forward! No popup ads on this site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)