Chapter 15 - "W-W-Where did they go?!!!"

As Yu Yin watched Layla walk away, he was being thought of elsewhere. Yu Xue was sitting in one of the garden pavilions of the Yu Family Palace, gazing into the sky with a melancholy expression.

"Yin’er.... just where are you?"

Yu Xue let out a long sigh before rising from her seat and strolling back towards her living quarters. Today was the day she was to be crowned the new Matriarch of the Yu Family. Or at least, it was supposed to be until 5 days ago. Two days after her coronation was announced, just when all the guests had finished turning up for the festivities, the 5 star sects made another more pressing announcement.

All leaders of major powers and all cultivators of the [Solid Soul] realm were to gather at the Searing Star realm to attend an import “meeting”.

This was something unheard of. As far as Yu Xue was aware, a “meeting” had never been called by those otherworldly individuals at the absolute peak of cultivation. NEVER. Yu Xue was extremely curious about what could have possibly happened, but she knew that Mother and Grandmother would be tight-lipped about it.

So, the coronation was delayed by a week, much to Yu Xue’s delight. Yet before she had time to enjoy her extra week of semi-ordinary life, Yu Yin disappeared.

In the 5 days that followed, most of the members of the Yu family hadn't even noticed that he had left. Although a few people felt they hadn't seen him for a while, they just assumed he was camping in the library or was out scamming unsuspecting civilians again. As for the servants and guardian sect members, they didn't see him enough to notice his absence anyway. The only one other than her who had noticed the anomaly was Yu Hai, the second in command of the Crystal Corps. Obviously he would realise it too. After all, he was the one assigned to guard Yu Yin, at least until THAT incident occurred a week ago.

Yu Xue discovered it on the night he left. Every night, she would sneak into Yu Yin’s room to talk about life, the stresses of cultivation, the annoying family politics, and her dreams of living freely. That night however, she floated into his room from the window only to find a note.

“Xue’er, do you remember our promise 10 years ago. I’m afraid I’ll be leaving first. There’s something I have to do, and I can’t do it here. See you around!” It read.

‘The Hell?!!!!!!!!’ she had exclaimed whilst reading it. Yu Yin wrote this? THAT Yu Yin? Her little brother who had always hated cultivation? Yin’er who always claimed that there was no need to stay in the palace, as long as he had his wealth?

“I guess THAT incident had more of an affect on him than I thought…” Yu Xue sighed.

She stood up and left the garden to return to her quarters. As she was walked back to the palace, she caught sight of one of her aunts waiting beside the path for her. Yu Xue narrowed her eyes at the middle-aged woman in front of her. She had an imposing stature and wore luxurious red robes which made her look like royalty! Her name was Yu Bao and was the third most authoritative person active in the Yu Family. She was Yu Xiuying's cousin and the chief of the Yu family's first auxiliary bloodline! If it hadn't been for Yu Xiuying's outstanding talent and constitution, Yu Bao would've most likely been the current Matriarch. She dryly smiled at Yu Xue and reached out her hand, beckoning her to come closer.

‘Ah’ Thought Yu Xue. ‘It’s this bitch…’

"Can't you hurry child?!” Yu Bao chided. “Are you unaware that the Matriarch is returning today? If we don't finish the preparations to greet her in time, then how much face do you think I will lose! What are you doing loitering around out here?!"

Her voice was cold and strict, void of any compassion that would have made her seem the smallest bit genial. Yu Xue didn't flinch back at her almost reprimand tone and instead glared back at her with an icy gaze, her jade-coloured eyes turning blades which could cut the soul!

‘Damn family politics’ Yu Xue thought as she steeled her emotions for the day ahead. She spoke back harshly, her voice fully exhibiting the arrogant demeanour that she showed to those not worthy of her attention.

"Yu Bao, I am fully away of today's significance and you do not need to remind me! And for you to speak to me like that… Did you forget that I’ll be your senior in only a week’s time?”

Yu Xue’s upcoming coronation wasn’t the only reason she could speak to Yu Bao, a senior, without restraint. The disparity in their cultivations was actually rather small. It was far too little for Yu Xue, who had reached the peak of the [Expanded Soul] stage at the tender age of 18, to fear her! Such talent in cultivation along with her extraordinary battle prowess meant she could even fight evenly with those in the [Tempered Soul] stage, and that included her aunt. While it was true that if they actually fought Yu Bao would have the advantage, it would be physically impossible for her to teach Yu Xue a real lesson. Hence, Yu Xue could as she pleased, even if Yu Bao was in charge due to Mother’s absence.

Yu Bao sneered at Yu Xue, disdain visible in her eyes.

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"You shall refer to me as Vice-Matriarch in the future!"

With that, she swished her sleeve and walked back towards the Yu Palace.

Yu Xue sighed internally whilst still displaying an icy exterior.

‘It seems this wretch still thinks she can seize my mandate to the throne, even at this point…’

It was a well-known secret that Yu Bao wanted to be Matriarch. Heck, if Yu Xue could, she would transfer the mandate to Yu Bao instantly, finally riding herself of the shackle that kept her from freedom. Unfortunately, and unknown to Yu Bao, it wasn’t that simple.

Yu Xue reluctantly followed Yu Bao, exuding a freezing aura which would cause any onlooker to shiver uncontrollably. As they went past, servants and guardian sect zealots would bow down in reverence, a look of awe on their faces. They immediately ceased their preparations for the welcome ceremony and moved all their attention to them.

"Look! The Vice-Matriarch is passing through! Her dignified aura truly surpasses that of the high heavens!

"Isn't that Yu Xue behind her? The pearl of the Yu Family?! She's like an untouchable goddess that us mortals can only see but never touch!"

"Rumours said that her beauty outshone the heavenly seraphs of legends which once roamed the skies, I can now confirm that the rumours are true!"

"Having seen such a perfect woman in my life, I can now surely die in peace!"

These members of the guardian sects were recruited from far and wide across the Frigid Enigma Continent, so it was no surprise that a lot of them had never laid eyes upon the captivating Yu Xue. Stories of her glamorous and captivating appearance had long spread across this world, labelling her as the prettiest girl in the continent. She paid no mind to such silly matters, but she at least understood why these spectators were so astonished. She elegantly stepped past them, not even sparing them a single glance.

Yu Xue and Yu Bao walked into the main building of the palace and descended the flight of stairs. Yu Bao turned to her and began lecturing in a patronising tone.

"As you should well know, whenever the matriarch returns from a foreign world, we present her with the Vindicator's Rod as a symbol of her status. When it is not in use, the Vindicators Rod is kept in a secret area known to only the elders of our family. Do you know where this place is?"

Yu Xue didn't answer, completely ignoring her. No need to talk to a nobody, because when she became Matriarch, Yu Bao WAS losing her position. Instead, Yu Xue was examining a few paintings on the wall and admiring the artist's skill. The corner of Yu Bao's mouth twitched in annoyance but she carried on speaking anyway.

"As you're going to be the next Matriarch, there's no harm in telling you! There's actually a secret compartment at the back of the treasury, where the true reserves of the Yu Family are kept. The Vindicator's Rod is an all-powerful weapon that has been wielded by every generation Matriarch since the founding of our family. Of course, such a thing must be kept in a safe place!"

She looked at Yu Xue and let out a sinister smile.

"You should be thankful towards my magnanimity! That I, Yu Bao, am letting a junior like you accompany me into the family's secret vault!"

Yu Xue rolled her eyes, again internally. On the outside, she remained indifferent to Yu Bao.

‘What magnanimity’ Yu Xue thought to herself. ‘This is obviously another stupid scheme of yours! What are you going to do this time? Convince me ‘accidently’ touch a harmful treasure like the Vindicator’s Rod by chance, and then claim to Mother that I’m ‘ill prepared’ to be the Matriarch? Oh please… how retarded can you get?’

“How nice of you…” Yu Xue replied to Yu Bao dryly

"Hmph!" Yu Bao grunted before opening the large door leading to the treasury. The treasury was littered with magical items neatly ordered on shelves, and interspacial rings obviously filled to the brim with spirit stones. Yu Bao entered the treasury and walked up to a stone stele at the far end of the vast room. Yu Xue following behind her, glancing around at the scene already familiar to her. Yu Bao pulled out a jar from her interspatial ring and held it out for Yu Xue to see. The glass of the jar was as clear as crystal and it was filled halfway up with blood.

"The secret vault can only be opened with the ancestor's blood. The Yu Family blood running in the males of the Yu family isn't strong enough to open the seal anymore, as it has been diluted over the years, reducing its concentration. At this point, only the condensed bloodforce contained within this jar will allow us to enter..."

She opened the jar and dipped her thumb inside before painting the blood onto stone stele in a streaked line. Another large door appeared out of nowhere behind the stone stele accompanied by deafening rumbling sounds which shook the entire treasury.

‘Well this is new!’ Yu Xue thought.

The doors opened revealing the magnificent scenery inside, a room filled with 31 display cases neatly in line. Yu Bao took a step inside and gestured forward with her hand.

"Now listen child! You'll see on the left that the vindi..."

Her words cut off halfway through her sentence has her body froze in place. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull and her jaw was extending so far down it seemed it would actually hit the floor! Her skin had turned whiter than a sheet as if she had seen her ancestors climb out the grave to haunt her.

"W.....W.....w...."

She tried to speak but her trembling body refused to let any words escape from her mouth. Her heart was palpitating at such a rapid pace that it caused her cultivation to go into turmoil! She coughed up a mouthful of blood before finally finding her voice.

"W-W-Where did they go?!!! The G....G....Guardian treasures.....Where are they??"

The cause of her grievous condition was, of course, the sight that she was seeing with her own two eyes! In the display case at the far end, the luxurious resting place of the guardian treasures was completely empty! The objects inside where nowhere to be found!

Yu Xue of course was shocked at first as well, but she calm herself quickly. Putting two and two together, it wasn’t too difficult to understand what had happened. Nor was it too difficult to identify the culprit seeing how familiar she was with him.

Seeing Yu Bao so agitated that she was actually pulling her hair out, Yu Xue chuckled to herself. As normal her emotions were expressed internally, but this time she couldn’t help letting a little of her amusement escape to her exterior

‘Well played Yin’er’ She thought to herself whilst smirking.

Meanwhile, Yu Bao was losing her mind.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY?!!!!!"

Yu Bao's screams resounded across the Yu Family Palace, causing all who heard them to tremble in fear. She quickly recovered her calm demeanour and tried to think clearly, but that still couldn't prevent her heavy panting. Any thoughts of those silly power-plays had long escaped from her mind. All that was left was a sense of urgency and panic, as this was a matter that affected the entire future of the family!

"I've got to inform the Matriarch!"

She shot off at a lightning speed out of the treasury, leaving Yu Xue behind in the dust.