Blue Phoenix

Seeing the interest in Deng Wu’s eyes, Hui Yue could not help but smirk a little. He understood how tempting it was to see someone who had found a way to control multiple corpses at once, and at the same time not spend one’s focus on them. To make them tools for fighting without having to be there himself would be incredibly useful. Currently, he relied on inscriptions and the skills locked within were always weaker than the actual skill used by the practitioner who had the elemental affinity with the said skill causing the caster to be at a disadvantage in direct battle. Although he was capable of inscribing any sort of skill, no matter the elemental affinity, they would always be weaker than the real attacks causing the Metal affinity experts to almost always have weaker attacks making them worse fighters than most cultivators.

Due to this many who had the Metal affinity were craftsmen. They created inscriptions that increased one’s strength, martial art skills, or other abilities then forged them into weapons, armors, and other things. The few Metal affinity users who focused on cultivation after unlocking their middle dantian would concentrate on either necromancy or inscriptions. The inscriptionists would have a multitude of different inscriptions to ensure that despite them being weaker, they had quantity on their side. This was generally enough to overwhelm and defeat their opponents. Deng Wu though was both a necromancer and someone who specialized in inscriptions. He spent all his time working hard on either inscriptions or creating soul shadows.

Hui Yue could not help but snort a little as he saw Deng Wu’s eagerness. He knew that the older man was willing to do nearly anything to increase in strength so he could become much more dependable, and get closer to taking revenge for his family. Seeing this Hui Yue could only smile. If it were truly possible for a necromancer to move corpses in the way that presumably An He could, then Deng Wu would sooner or later certainly discover how it was done. When he did, he would be sure to tell Hui Yue about it. Especially if they found a way which allowed them to track down the user of the technique.

“Well if you find out anything make sure to tell me about anything you discover,” Hui Yue said with a smile as he left Deng Wu to tackle the problem, and headed towards his room. There was still some time left before he could move into his new mansion, and until then, he wished to work hard cultivating. He needed all the strength he could get as soon as possible to deal with the third prince and An He.

….

The days went by swiftly. Hui Yue spent all his time cultivating while Cai Jie would vanish from time to time. Some days he was gone an hour, others he was gone the whole day, leaving at daybreak and returning at dusk. Deng Wu was shut in his room, and occasionally curse words could be heard alongside explosions while other days were completely silent. Every evening he would leave the mansion and return with various dead fish and other small animals that clearly had been meant for consumption, but instead became a part of Deng Wu’s experiments.

Gao Yan did not visit the Rong family as he spent all his time at the Black Lion going through one memory stone after another searching almost desperately for information about anyone named An He. Unfortunately, although the search became more and more intense, the result was the same. Gao Yan could no longer wait for the two Tang twins to return with information. He waited as patiently as possible as he knew their task was not an easy one. As one day passed another, Gao Yan still had nothing more to tell Hui Yue.

It was not only Gao Yan who was busy. Ma Kong was also busy with his family and the Black Market Auction House. The family was busy because they were about to switch factions, information no one yet knew. Because of this a lot of things had to be prepared in advance. Since only Ma Kong, his father, and his grandfather knew about their new stance, Ma Kong was left with most of the work. Although it might not sound like much, he was very busy with all the practical aspects that would be changing when they switch who they supported.

Suddenly, without noticing it, two weeks had gone by, and it was time for Hui Yue to stop his closed door training and visit the Lord of Mansions. While gripping the handle to his door, he looked out over his room. He did not feel any sentimentality, but instead, he was overwhelmed by the fact that it had only been two weeks since he had arrived. Two weeks since he had arrived and reunited with his friends, not to mention hearing the terrible tragedy that struck the Deng and the Wang families. Thinking about the current situation Hui Yue nodded his head with determination. This was something he could never forget. Although fourteen days was not that long, it was indeed far too long considering that he had done nothing for his friends. ‘I cannot rush this,’ He ground his teeth and reminded himself. ‘I need to ensure victory. I cannot afford to let my friends suffer anymore! The only way to achieve my goals and protect the ones I love is strength! Heaven defying strength!’

Leaving his room, he waited for a short time before Cai Jie left his room. As soon as the golden young man saw Hui Yue, he smiled before the two young men made their way down the stairs. In the hall was Ma Kong, Gao Yan, Deng Wu, the Rong twins, and Xu Piao. Sha Yun was nowhere in sight, but Hui Yue had spent the last couple of years away from his friends, and he did not think anything of it. All of them were seemingly waiting for Hui Yue’s arrival. Ma Kong had a small bracelet with a memory stone in his hand. This memory stone was handed to Hui Yue, “This is your key,” He said. “Today is the start of our new faction; we have invited all the guests we could think of, and the entire upper class of Muchuan City are awaiting your arrival at the mansion to hear what you have to say.” Ma Kong started, and Hui Yue could not help but grimace. He knew this was something that had to be done, and he had dressed as well as he could, but he could not help sighing as he knew that first impressions would determine how well his new faction would be received.

“Well, nothing will get sorted, waiting here,” He sighed and straightened his back. On his right hand side was Deng Wu, the young man who shared his body with Little Dragon, and on the left was Cai Jie, the mysterious young man whom no one truly understood. With the two friends by his side, Ma Kong and Gao Yan fell behind the three of them and at the back was Xu Piao. These were the friends who had sworn to help Hui Yue.

“Thank you so much for having us,” Hui Yue said full of gratitude as he looked at the Rong twins. He gently hugged both of the twins feeling sorry for them that they had no choice about who they could support. Wang Ju Long was nowhere to be seen neither was Sha Yun. Both of them had done everything in their ability to stay away from Hui Yue since he had returned to the capital.

That Wang Ju Long was avoiding him was not surprising considering how embarrassed she had been right after falling into his embrace and crying from relief. Hui Yue expected that she would need some time to get past the embarrassment and pretend it never happened; however, what worried him greatly was the fact that Sha Yun had vanished as well. She was a magical beast, albeit one with a beast contract, but she was still a beast and Hui Yue could not help but worry about what she was doing. About where she was and why she wanted to distance herself from him. In the end, he understood that she had been hurt by him choosing Wang Ju Long, but he hoped to keep his friendship with the snake-woman even if they would not love each other romantically.

“I really should make a trip back to my family and the magical forest,” He sighed with a voice so low that no one heard anything but a mumble. Perhaps Sha Yun wished to return to her roots. Perhaps she wanted to see her sisters and return to the life of less luxury, but to more of the world she had known previously. While letting her return to the magical forest, Hui Yue would like to visit his family. He was worried about how they had been doing. He had not seen his younger brother or parents for years.

Many things went through his mind as he walked into the entrance hall of the Rong twin’s mansion, but as soon as he stepped into it, the crisp air cleared his mind. The thoughts which had been swirling around his mind, his thoughts about his friends, his family, and their situation all settled down, and his mind focused on the task at hand. He needed to impress the upper class of the city and show them he wasn’t to be taken lightly. Usually, nobles would never walk through town. They always rode in a carriage, but Hui Yue did not care. Deng Wu, who was walking by his side, had hair as blue as the summer sky and a matching robe. His robe had a beautiful silver dragon running from the lower back up and across to the top of his shoulder. While Cai Jie was on the other side with hair like the purest gold and skin as white as porcelain. He was clothed in a golden robe decorated with pearls and intricate patterns of the sun and stars. Between the two walked Hui Yue, white as the purest snow wearing a white robe with gold and silver inlays and phoenix embroideries.

Behind the three astonishingly good-looking young men were Gao Yan and Ma Kong. Both of them were wearing black robes of the finest quality with their family crest on their chests and at the far back was Xu Piao, a strong middle-aged man. Looking at these beautiful people, everyone felt as though they were celestial beings; angels who had descended from the heavens. The people who usually looked down upon them for being of mixed blood currently could not look down upon them because they were simply too radiant right now. Everyone was staring at them slack-jawed and amazed.

The two mansions were both located in the same part of the city. Although there were a few major differences between the two mansions, the one Hui Yue purchased was meant for a small family or an individual while the one the Rong twins owned was for a full family. It could easily house all the Rong family members if they were to enter the city.

Many of the houses and mansions were made to house over a thousand family members. Although both the mansion belonging to the Rong twins and the mansion Hui Yue had purchased were within the same district, the walk was longer than expected as the majority of the estates were massive. This was the reason everyone rode in carriages. Even if one were going to a place in the same district, the distance would not be short. Hui Yue though did not currently own a carriage and had no intention of arriving in a friend’s. Therefore he walked. This helped him focus his mind and let all the nobles sweat a little while waiting for him. He once more felt as if he were the Grand Marshall of the Siban Empire ready to talk to the masses. As he remembered the faces of the many beasts who had followed him, he felt himself become focused and calm.

Walking through town, the group was filled with excitement. They could not wait to reach the mansion so that they could announce their new faction. This was certain to shock all the nobles and merchants present, and as for how they would look upon the new faction only time could tell.