Cao Yun was wearing a dark blue robe with black embroidery on it. Boss Gui couldn't read it but she knew right away what those characters were. On his clothes, he was wearing characters from Nuhua. Immediately, it confirmed everything she had already suspected. The Mo Yun she knew was just an illusion. In front of her was not a demon but an asura. And it made a lot of senses. However, it also ignited genuine fear in her. She had nothing against humans as she only cared about business, to the point where she was using poison which was the biggest taboo. But if Mo Yun didn't try to hide his origins, then it meant that he knew for a fact that she wouldn't ever talk about this to anyone.

While trying to hide it, Boss Gui sent some of her spiritual senses toward the gates behind her. Everything was locked. Not a shred of her soul could leave these chambers. And no one in the entire Piaolu planet could penetrate those gates without forcing them. The seals and the runes on them would prevent any form of extrasensory perception from going through them. Still, any seal or rune could be broken or unraveled. However, it would take time and this would be difficult not to arise suspicion. For all intents and purposes, Boss Gui was trapped down there with Cao Yun.

While she was a powerful 2nd-grade Accomplished Demon, there was no doubt in her mind that Cao Yun was much stronger than she was. Besides, he clearly ruled over the Sisters of the Abyss in secret. In fact, she even began to imagine wild things about what had happened to High Mother Qin Xue. Combined with all the pressure she had felt in the past few years because of City Lord Sihe, Boss Gui was truly terrified. However, she was extremely good. Thus, she hid it so well that even Cao Yun couldn't see how afraid she was. She remained as calm and composed as ever. After all, if he wanted her dead, he could do so easily. But then, there were worse fates than death...

Cao Yun was gladly surprised by Boss Gui's composure. He gestured to her to sit in a specific spot. Of course, he had sensed her attempt to feel through the gates but he didn't care. In truth, he could have completely sealed her spiritual senses, but he didn't want to go to such lengths right now. Besides, Boss Gui was completely blind. The poison she had encountered had given her great ideas for her business but had robbed her of her eyes forever. Blocking her spiritual senses would be akin to throw her into pure darkness.

Boss Gui walked forward and sat down in front of Cao Yun without adding any other word from her. Right now, Cao Yun was busy writing some letters. With both hands, he was writing two different texts while several brushes were flying around and writing on other pieces of paper. Obviously, they both knew that these were theatrics. But they did work on the atmosphere. Meeting Boss Gui wasn't that important to him, just a small task to do between more pressing matters. That also meant that he didn't truly need her. Ironically though, it proved to him that he had put some thoughts into her presence here, so he did need her.

After a few minutes, Cao Yun stopped writing and all the papers disappeared into his spatial ring.

"It's good to see you again, Sister Gui."

Throwing her title away, Cao Yun was using the word 'sister', but it wasn't the same word used for the religious sisters of the Sisters of the Abyss. It was much less formal and even a bit affectionate. Boss Gui had not been called in such a manner for a long time and she hated it. After all, even her enemies were shaking in fear when they heard her name, thinking of the cruelty she could inflict on them. Strangely though, she didn't feel that this word was out of place here. And this made her hate it even more. Her fate was in this man's hands and she resented her own weakness. She should have been smarter than that, she should have prepared contingencies. But she had wasted all her efforts on City Lord Sihe.

"Sister, it's really a pleasure to see how well you're going, despite the circumstances. Without you, my Blazing Swallow wouldn't have prospered that much. In fact, it would have crumbled to dusts and my employees would have probably been tortured for their secrets and killed. So it is with genuine gratitude that I greet you today."

"Thank you, Mo Yun."

"Oh... it isn't my name. My real name is Cao Yun. And as you can imagine, I am indeed a human. I hope that this isn't a problem to you...?"

"Of course not. It does come with a bit of surprise, I must say."

"There's no need to pretend. You had to have had doubts about myself. Although I tried to hide my origins, even associating myself with City Lord Sihe somehow, you had to find it suspicious."

"I did. And the idea did cross my thoughts. But I didn't think it was the most probable solution. Why did you come to our Desolate Sepulcher?"

"There isn't any deep reason really. Sincerely, believe it or not, but I got stranded here by accident. Maybe the broken space of the Desolate Pillar was the best spot for my arrival, but there was no intention behind it. In fact, I do wish to go back to the Hongchen Kingdom as I have urgent matters there and people counting on me, especially during this war against the Empyrean Asura Theocracy."

"And this is why you tried to get close to me... You want to have access to the national navy so you can sail back to God's Land."

"Indeed. However, there were things that I couldn't disregard in this continent. You see, we humans have a history with slavery. When I see around me, it makes me sick to my stomach. That being said, I did understand that I couldn't change an entire culture by myself, especially from the outside. Thus, I will task the Sisters with this mission. And I do want your help in several endeavors."

"But I profit from slavery. Do you really think I'm the best person for this kind of task?"

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Boss Gui was more and more anxious. But this time, it wasn't out of fear. She was getting excited about what she could imagine. If she could secure an alliance with the Sisters of the Abyss, she would clearly become the most powerful woman, outside of High Mother Lisha obviously, in the entire Desolate Sepulcher.

"Of course, you are. The fact that you dominate this business along with City Lord Sihe puts you in the perfect position. Besides, I do know that I can count on your pragmatism. You're not dealing in slaves because of some ideas of principles, but simply to make money and increase your influence. If I can show you a more profitable way, you will take to it in a minute. In fact, I am certain that you are thinking of it right now. In that mind of yours, you probably already have many plans to make even more money and climb higher and higher. I can promise that if you follow my lead, you will rule the Xinian Confederation in less than a year."

"Less than a year?!"

Even she couldn't believe such a thing. Despite a support from High Mother Lisha herself, it would take some time for her to recover after everything City Lord Sihe had done to her.

"Well, probably much less than a year in fact. It may be hard to accept but things are going to move very fast. You see, I already lost a lot of time here. And now that my cultivation rose to such a level, I do want to leave as soon as I possibly can. The fastest way is for me to have Lord Wanghuo give me boats and a great navigator. If I control both the Sisters of the Abyss and the Xinian Confederation, I don't see how he could oppose me, even with his personal strength."

"But the Xinian Confederation is dominated by City Lord Sihe. And he also has a lot of support within the military. Getting rid of him will be much more difficult than you think."

"To the contrary, you underestimate the superstitions of your own people. I was in the nomadic tribes for some time and I realized how easy it was to turn them. For the moment, they think that you used a deadly poison against them. And this mere rumor was able to put a lot of pressure on you. I will use a similar method against City Lord Sihe. The reason why he didn't press that advantage against you is because he is using poison himself."

"Even if I stop..."

Cao Yun interrupted her before she could elaborate further.

"No need to stop. As an alchemist, I can tell you that poison and medicine are extremely close. So close in fact, that they are sometimes indistinguishable. And now that I control the religious order of your Desolate Sepulcher, it will be easy to alter your decoctions so they pass as orthodox pills rather than taboo poisons. The same can't be said of City Lord Sihe. Besides, I already know how to spread those rumors. And this time, they will be absolutely accurate. Spreading rumors that contain truths in them is much easier after all. And they are harder to dispel too.

My main goal is to go back home of course. But I do want to bring a bit more justice to these lands. Do not misunderstand me. I am not some kind of great savior or moral arbiter. But since I have the opportunity to lessen sufferings I see around me, I do feel like it is my duty to address it. Maybe it won't amount to much, but I sincerely think it will do good. Even in a purely selfish way, if you demons stop supporting slavery, then you will be less inclined to see humans as just slaves. And stopping your slavery trade will also weaken the Empyrean Asura Theocracy. Not by much I imagine, but I'll take every advantage I can."

"But to do so, you'll blackmail others and even cause some riots and deaths. No matter how well you do what you plan, innocent demons will die, even slaves themselves."

"I told you already. I'm no saint. And I am no stranger to death either. What I realized is that people who make a spectacle of their virtue are no better than those who hide their corruption. I don't have all the answers, but I know that some things are clearly wrong. What I see around me is clearly wrong. Even if I have to do questionable things, I will try to change what I can. But I do have lines I will not cross. With my plans, I do think we can limit the number of deaths to a minimum. Besides, they will be focused around City Lord Sihe and his supporters. I can live with that. And I know that you don't care at all as long as it's good for you."

"Precisely! You don't see any problem working with me, knowing that I don't care at all about your so-called morality."

"I don't mind what's your mind. I only care about your actions. And you're smart enough to know what is your interest. In this current society, City Lord Sihe will end up winning. And you know what will happen to you, so you will work for me and do as I tell you to. We both know it to be true. However, I will also put seals in your sea of consciousness to make sure that you are always reminded of our deal. High Mother Lisha will also make sure that you don't forget, even after my departure."

"So you despise slavery, but you will resort to it with me?"

"You won't be my slave. I have no slave and I won't ever have any. These seals will just ensure that you respect your words. Am I forcing your hand? Yes, of course. But you know what the alternative is, so we both know that you will agree to all my conditions. In a year, your slave trade will be completely over. Your business will turn to alchemy completely. And in exchange, you will have all the economic power and influence of the Xinian Confederation behind you. Are you telling me that this isn't what you wish?"

"Of course it is what I wish."

"Fine then. Just relax and I will create the proper seals in your mind."

And so Cao Yun did. He put several seals right in her sea of consciousness and she didn't resist at all. Like he had said, those were not the Slavery Brand used by City Lord Sihe, or even Boss Gui. However, she did feel like she was completely under his orders, and she was. At any moment, he could decide to kill her. But those seals would prevent anyone from stealing her memories and would kill her if she disobeyed her own word to Cao Yun. In a sense, it was more of a contract that she couldn't break.

The two of them discussed for several hours. Cao Yun told her everything he intended to do. Now that there were seals in her, her secrecy was absolute. Even if someone tried to pry those secrets from her very soul and mind, they would fail, even City Lord Sihe himself. In fact, even Xiao Xuefeng would fail. Boss Gui's mind would be obliterated before those secrets could be recovered.

-

Wile the ceremonies were going on in the Oasis of Life, Cao Yun's plans had been put into motion. Within the Oasis of Life, he couldn't act as he wanted because of all the powerful Accomplished Demons there, Lord Wanghuo above all. But there were still things he could do. For example, he had asked the Sisters to put subtle pressure on City Lord Sihe, and on the Weiji family.

After many considerations, Cao Yun had decided that the entire Weiji family had to go. Although he couldn't get to the uncle, he could get to the wife, the husband and the kid. And he knew exactly what he was going to do. To be honest, he was glad that Weiji Nian and her son Weiji Bao were both terrible people. And deep down, he asked himself whether he would have done the same thing if the boy had been innocent of any crime. Thankfully, he didn't have to find the answer to this question, although he hoped that it would have been negative.

This time, he didn't ask the Sisters to do anything but make sure that his presence was well hidden.