Shuren could feel the cool touch of the metal that jutted out of his chest, and the warmth of blood dripping from it.
He had long been used to that cursed pain.
“To think I would be the cause of bloodying my own shirt.”
He held the forlorn jutted blade between his thumb and index, breaking it off. With a single motion, he crushed the metal piece in his clenched fist. His open palm released a mist of metal dust, falling to the ground.
The sword was thrown across the floor. “Stand up.”
Having not dared to look up and see the scene with the sword, Captain Guanzi almost stumbled as he regained his bearings. He couldn’t test the patience of a madman like Shuren. Living was the only thing on his mind.
Shuren noticed the man eye the entire room to look at his compatriots. He could tell what he was thinking.
“Blood isn’t easy to clean off.” Shuren assured Guanzi of his life.
Liu Shuren was still a foreigner in Cloud City, not a citizen. If he murdered all of them, it would be an unnecessary headache for his family in Cloud City to deal with. The jurisdiction that handled cultivator’s affairs was not worth the loss of his reputation and time.
And it’s not like they did anything to offend him for such a punishment.
The Liu Clan was situated in the Granxian Continent, after all. Not all the way down here in Cloud City. There was no need to flaunt his status as the previous Patriarch’s descendent.
“Focus all of your Qi Aura around your stomach for defence. I’ll let you go after that,” Shuren commanded, and Guanzi naturally followed. I’ll use him as a template.
With a casual punch, Guanzi’s body flew across the room.
Not bad. With just 10% of my Qi Aura combined with my Iron Talisbody, I could do this much to a Stage 4 Bronze cultivator.
QI Aura was the first thing all cultivators in the first rank had to master. It could be used to reinforce the body or enhance the offence. Likewise, the more you focused on a single area, the less you covered the rest of the body, weakening your defences and offences. Maintaining and balancing Qi Aura until it was akin to breathing was the first sign of mastering Qi Aura.
Shuren simply wanted to test if the peak of his physical strength, with barely any circulated Qi, could do enough damage to incapacitate a Stage 4 at full defence.
“Qaen, let’s go. I made a little bet with that shrewd Zelfin.”
Qaen took a moment to answer back, eyes blinking at the scene he just saw. Since when did Zelfin get this crazy kid to do his bidding? Fighting fire with fire, he actually managed to bring some higher up scion to deal with this matter so swiftly! The troubles we’ve had for years are going to end just like this?!
He put the useless speculation to the side, jogging to catch up with Shuren. He even waved off the irritation from being whacked in the head. Perhaps with this person, not just saving his sister, but taking down the Huang Clan’s influence in their district was feasible! “Y-yes, lord. I’ll lead you that One-Eyed Veseil’s underground office.”
Shuren noted that the bald Stage 1 had long run away. It was no shock. But as Qaen lead him even further downstairs, he couldn’t help but ponder.
“You know why the Huang Clan has focused on this area, right?”
Qaen swallowed his spit. “If I knew, I’d be dead. But, they’ve been focusing heavily on the labour force of us, Silvents and Vulfoans. We’re the cheapest and best workers.” He had a self-depreciating chuckle at the end.
I would spend more time to investigate, but I’d need to discuss this with Father first. If we can find a weakness of that Huang Clan, it only means more benefits for us. But now’s not the time. Shuren thought as he was led to the main office, barred by two engraved doors.
“Don’t say a word. Let me handle the matters with the Huang Clan,” Shuren warned Qaen, before stepping forth.
He spared no thought, kicking it wide open to the point the hinges almost fell out. Shuren had to make an imposing presence.
There was no surprise from the one-eyed man inside, the shadow far behind him gentle with the glint of steel. Shuren recognised the hidden bodyguard at a glance.
The one-eyed man continued to read the scripture he held, expecting his audience.
“The Eye of Heaven looms in the curtains of the world, observing all with its gaze, blessing the chosen with a blink. Its nine-coloured radiance shines through the seasons, and those living astray are bereft of its light. Those which deny its succour are branded, shunned by the virtuous.” The tome he held closed in a thud. “An old tale, yet your kind follow it like a mandate of a higher being. I’m sure you have seen it on the Granxian Continent.”
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Shuren raised an eyebrow in confusion. He even glanced a look at Qaen, but the Silvent gave a look as if this was no new occurrence.
“Your kind, huh? You should be the last person to be saying that.” Shuren stepped forth until he was at his desk. What, has everyone been feeling like ancient scholars by reading that? First Zelfin and now this guy. But, I didn’t expect this…
One-Eyed Veseil flashed a few missing teeth as he held a deep grin. His dark hair ran down to his shoulders, and his ears were different to Shuren. Crowned at the top of his head, blending in with his hair.
“Who would’ve thought the slave of the Huang Clan, was the hypocritical dog flogging his own people. That a Vulfoan like you is leading the factory.” Shuren almost leaned over the desk, staring down at the seated Veseil. He almost laughed at the absurdity.
“Hypocrite? I don’t need to hear that from a Granxian man. Even only eighty years ago, your Immortals exterminated a city just for their belief that only a pure sphere of shining gold should belong in the sky, over the Eye of Heaven. All that over a million year old story.” Though Veseil held a light smile, his clenched jaw told another story.
Shuren didn’t even bother entertaining the sudden change of topic.
“Are you done rambling?”
Veseil took a long sigh and began tapping on his desk. “Brat. What do you want?”
“You have one job. Take out a piece of paper and tell your master of the demands the Liu Clan is making.”
“That’s fine.” One-Eyed Veseil said, grabbing a glass of malt beer by the side. Three cubes of raw black ice exuded smoke as it clinked, and he took a long swig.
“…That was quite fast. I expected some resistance.”
“I’m just a mere Vulfoan survivor of a dead city. The Huang Clan only use me as their mule, as you rightfully said.” Veseil chuckled heartily, and the stench of beer spread around him. “And you’re some brat of the Liu Clan. Even if you’re a distant descendant, your lineage has the blood of Immortals.”
Shuren saw the glint of depreciative ridicule in Veseil’s dull purple eye. That’s right. No one is aware of my true lineage as the grandson of the last patriarch. But he’s still giving considerable face to the Liu Clan to this extent. I didn’t expect that much, because of the Huang Clan.
Veseil waved to the chair across from his desk. “Sit. You’re a guest, kid of the Liu Clan.”
Obliging with his request, Shuren sat. Both now at the table, they could negotiate on an equal playing field. Qaen continued to stay near Shuren’s side, but struggled to keep his face in check at the sight of Veseil.
“First. Cancel the indentured contracts for some of your workers. I’ll send someone to give you the list later today.”
“No more than five. That’s all I can do,” Veseil replied, putting a limit to Shuren’s actions.
Shuren rested his chin on his fist as he ruminated. Five should be enough for Zelfin. In the case he needs more, I can get another personal oath from him. I’ve done more than enough as it is.
“I accept.”
Veseil brought out another clear glass. “Want a drink? I even have ice from the Glacial Volcanoes.”
Shuren let out a huff of air from his nose at the sight. “I don’t drink.”
When he heard that answer, Veseil’s eyebrow raised with such exaggeration, he almost couldn’t believe these words. “It’s rare to see a scion that doesn’t drink. Or you don’t trust me?”
“Move on, Veseil.” Shuren pointed a thumb at Qaen. “Second. Bring his sister and pay him five years of his salary, and do the same for the other four who’ll leave.”
“You… That’s three requests in of itself. Shuren, aren’t you being too greedy?” Veseil took another sip of his beer.
Wait, when did he hear of my name? No, it’s not too much of a surprise. My family’s the only one from the Liu Clan in Cloud City. Damn Veseil, trying to throw me off.
He didn’t allow any emotion to show on his face, only relaxing his body even more as Shuren leaned back in his chair. “The Huang Clan can’t afford a few years of a mortal’s salary? If you’re struggling with money that much, I can loan you some.”
The tranquil negotiation was interrupted with a thud at their table. “Veseil, traitor to your own kind. Is life such a joke to you?!” Qaen struggled to keep his face stable as veins popped at his forehead. His fingers trembled, digging into the table. “Even when I begged you, and get the support of this guy, you still want to play coy?!”
The sheen of metal glistening in the dark swayed.
Shuren backhanded his fist into Qaen’s chest, throwing him towards the door of the office without hesitation. “Fool! Who told you to speak?! Or are my orders too much for an imbecile like you to understand?”
Feeling the force of Shuren’s power, Qaen could only curl up and bear with the pain.
Shaking his hand like he touched dirt, Shuren slammed his fist on the table. “Ignore him. Veseil, can you do it?”
But instead of replying, he spent some time staring at Shuren.
“We only grabbed his sister to give him a little scare. Not a hair has been removed from her, rest assured.” Lifting his right hand up in the air, Veseil chuckled. “The Huang Clan isn’t so cheap, right?”
He asked the question, as if waiting for a reply. But no one answered.
“We’ll do it,” with a sigh Veseil agreed. This kid… He timed it so that guy wouldn’t act against Qaen out of his mortal disrespect. At the same time, he made sure to make Qaen his subordinate, sending a message that we aren’t to deal with him to clean up loose ends. If the rest of the Liu Clan’s kids like him, then those Immortal dregs are damned crazy.
“Surely, that’s about all there is, right?”
“Just one more thing.” Shuren slightly tensed his shoulders, keeping his arms by his side. “The Huang Clan is to leave the western Residential District. Or they’ll be making an enemy out of the Liu Clan.”
Veseil scrunched his eyebrows. He rubbed the ridge of his nose to gain his bearings, but Shuren continued to speak.
“Oh, this isn’t negotiable.” Shuren raised his chin up high, full of arrogance.
“It’s a threat.”
The room was silent. Save for the slice of metal.
And rustling of chains.
An oversized sickle, towering the size of half a man, soared to cut Qaen in half.
It failed to reach its target.
Shuren had already blitzed in front to halt the sickle by its hilt, using his other hand to grab on the chains attached to it.
“Arrogant runt of the Liu Clan. Our great Huang Clan isn’t to be pushed around by some foreign brat from another continent!” A raspy voice echoed from the shadows, observing from the beginning.
“As I thought.” Shuren grabbed the chain with his right hand.
With veins coursing with Qi, Shuren did one simple motion.
Pull.
And the body of the wielder was flung forth. A middle-aged man with brown hair, garbed with dark yet lightweight armour. The representative of the Huang Clan.
Both he and Shuren stared at each other, now a metre apart.
It didn’t matter if his opponent was a martial master of the Huang Clan.
It didn’t matter if his opponent had decades of life and battle experience, trained by the Huang Clan.
It didn’t even matter if he was a Stage 6 cultivator in the Qidense Realm, the same level as Shuren.
For there was one thing for certain.
“You aren’t qualified to face me.”