The courtyard of the Ironwood compound was a vision of ruin. The fires from the shattered main hall cast dancing, orange shadows across the blood soaked cobblestones. The blue robed cultivators of the River Flow Clan stood among the wreckage. They were exhausted and bleeding from a hundred different minor wounds. They leaned heavily on their swords and were trying to catch their breath.
The Night Sable Clan had surrounded them during this ti. The black robed cultivators stood shoulder to shoulder with their weapons drawn and their Qi reserves were mostly full.
The River Flow Patriarch stared at the leader of the Night Sable Clan. He clutched his side where a deep wound was slowly seeping blood. He was a Half King but the long battles and the final clash with the Ironwood Patriarch had drained his powers to the absolute dregs.
"What is the aning of this?" The River Flow Patriarch demanded. His voice was hoarse and lacked its usual booming authority. "We had an agreent. You were to secure the periter and prevent any Ironwood remnants from escaping."
The Night Sable leader smiled. It was a polite and entirely chilling expression.
"We did secure the periter." The black robed leader replied smoothly. "Not a single green robed cultivator escaped. But the night is still young. Our clan has decided that sharing the city is a very inefficient way to conduct business. The spirit stone mines are simply too valuable to split."
The realization hit the River Flow forces. They had been used and betrayed. They had spent all their strength breaking the gates and killing the Ironwood Patriarch while the Night Sable Clan waited patiently in the shadows to steal the ultimate prize.
"You treacherous dogs." The River Flow young master scread. He raised his sword and tried to channel his Core Formation Qi. "You planned this from the very beginning!"
"It was a very basic strategy." The Night Sable leader admitted without a hint of sha. "And you fell for it. You were blinded by your own greed and your desire for control. Now your clan will share the sa fate as the others and we will take over this city!"
The Night Sable leader raised his hand and brought it down in a swift chopping motion.
The slaughter that ensued was completely one sided. The black robed assassins surged forward like a tide of dark water. The River Flow cultivators tried to mount a defense but their arms were too heavy and their Qi was completely depleted. They were cut down where they stood with very little resistance.
The River Flow Patriarch roared in fury. He tried to summon his blue water vortex for one final attack to at least take a few people with him. The Night Sable leader simply stepped forward and unleashed a dense wave of shadow Qi. The attack pierced directly through the exhausted Half King’s chest. The River Flow Patriarch fell to his knees and then collapsed onto the stone courtyard.
He was dead before he even hit the ground, just like the patriarch that he had killed monts ago.
Li Yu watched the brutal execution along with the others. He tossed another roasted nut into his mouth and chewed slowly. It was a ruthless betrayal. The Night Sable Clan had manipulated three different factions into destroying each other while they conserved their own people. They had erged as the undisputed rulers of the border city without losing much.
The black robed cultivators began to clean up the courtyard as soon as the battle was over. They already ca here with a plan and were now executing it. They gathered the storage rings and secured the remaining resources.
Suddenly the ambient pressure in the city changed entirely.
The mist hanging over the streets was instantly blown away. A terrifying and oppressive aura descended from the dark clouds above. It was a pressure so vast and strong that it made the recent Half King battles feel like children fighting in the mud.
Li Yu stopped chewing and he looked up at the sky.
A tear appeared in the fabric of space. A colossal flying ship erged from the void. The ship was forged from pristine white material and radiated a blinding, golden light. A massive banner depicting a soaring, golden crane hung from the main mast.
It was an envoy ship from a much more powerful sect than what this city could handle.
An old man with a long flowing white beard floated down from the deck of the ship. He wore immaculate white robes and looked ancient. His cultivation base was completely unfathomable to the cultivators below. He was an existence that far surpassed the Half King level. He stood in the air above the ruined compound and looked down at the Night Sable Clan with indifference, as a lion looking at ants.
The Night Sable leader imdiately dropped to his knees with the new arrival. His entire body was trembling uncontrollably as he could understand he had no hopes of contending with such a person. The victory he had just secured ant absolutely nothing in the face of this true behemoth.
"This seat is an elder of the Golden Crane Sect." The old man announced. His voice echoed through the minds of every living person in the city. "I was passing through this area and felt a unique resonance. A latent physique has awakened here!"
The elder waved his hand. A powerful gust of wind swept through the ruined main hall of the Ironwood compound. The debris was cleared away to reveal a small hidden cellar.
A young boy wearing torn blue robes was huddled in the corner of the cellar. He was perhaps twelve years old. He belonged to the River Flow Clan. He had survived the slaughter by hiding beneath the floorboards at so point. His face was covered in dirt and tears.
The old man extended his hand and the boy was gently lifted into the air. He floated up to the elder’s side.
"A Pure Water Vein." The elder nodded in satisfaction. "A rare and excellent talent. You have lost your mortal family tonight boy. But you have gained the heavens. You will return with
to the Golden Crane Sect as a disciple."
The young boy did not look at the elder. He looked down at the Night Sable leader kneeling in the blood soaked courtyard. The boy’s eyes were completely dry now but they burned with an intense and unyielding fire.
"I will rember your face." The young boy yelled down at the Night Sable leader. His small voice was filled with absolute hatred. "I will return."
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The Night Sable leader kept his head bowed to the ground. He did not dare to speak or defend himself. He was just sweating profusely and hoped the old man would not take action for the boy.
Li Yu watched the scene unfold with deep fascination. He noticed another figure standing on the deck of the ship. It was a young girl wearing torn red robes. She belonged to the Raging Blade Clan. The sect envoy had clearly picked her up from sowhere nearby. She must possess a rare talent as well and had survived the massacre of her people.
The girl looked down at the city with the exact sa expression of cold fury as the young boy. They had both lost everything within the last few days. They had now both been recruited by a supre sect.
The elder simply stroked his beard and chuckled. He did not care about local squabbles or the empty threats of children. He turned around and floated back up to the ship with the young boy in tow. The spatial tear closed seamlessly behind them and the massive vessel vanished from the sky.
The oppressive pressure lifted from the city as quickly as it had co. The Night Sable leader slowly stood up and he was trembling. He looked at the empty sky and his face was completely pale. Night Stable had won the city but they had just acquired two terrifying enemies with limitless potential. They would surely co back for him once they were strong enough.
The next morning Li Yu walked down the bustling streets of the market district. The city was already trying to return back to normal. The Night Sable Clan had taken control of all the other clan’s assets. The ordinary citizens simply accepted the new ruling clan in this city and went back to their daily lives.
Li Yu found a crowded tea house and ordered a simple breakfast of eggs and stead buns. The entire tea house was buzzing with gossip about the events of the previous day.
"Did you see the eyes on that River Flow boy?" A rchant whispered loudly to his table. "He looked like a starving wolf. The Night Sable Clan is dood in the future."
"Dood." An older cultivator agreed while shaking his head. "They won the spirit stone mines but they lost their future. That boy was taken by the Golden Crane Sect. He will be given resources and ancient techniques. He will return as a king and destroy them in ti."
"Do not forget the Raging Blade girl." Another patron chid in. "My cousin works the eastern gate. He said he saw her on the deck of that ship. They will surely co back together for revenge against this clan. It is only a matter of ti."
"Thirty years east of the river and thirty years west of the river." The old cultivator sighed, quoting an ancient proverb. "The strong beco weak and the weak beco strong. The Night Sable leader will not sleep peacefully for the rest of his life. He will probably enjoy his victory for a while before having to go into hiding."
Li Yu drank his tea and listened to the chatter. He completely agreed with their assessnt because if he was in the shoes of those two, that is exactly what he would do. Bide his ti, get stronger and co back for revenge. It was the natural cycle of the cultivation world. A clan rises through betrayal and falls through vengeance. He had seen it play out several tis.
Li Yu finished his al and left a few coins on the table. Over his ti spent in the city he had traded to acquire the normal coinage of the empire. He walked out of the tea house and headed directly for the city gates, it was ti to go. He had spent quite so ti here watching the events unfold like a noisy old man but it was ti for him to continue exploring this empire.
He had not fought a single battle or intervened in a single sche. He had simply watched and listened and it was incredibly refreshing. However, it was ti to move on. High above the clouds, the five elite stealth experts watched Li Yu walk through the city gates and take to the sky.
"He is moving." Autumn reported. Her voice carried a distinct note of relief.
Spring let out a long breath and sheathed her throwing knives. "Finally. I thought we were going to spend the next ten years watching him eat local delicacies and listen to tavern rumors."
"Perhaps he will seek out a true challenge now." Solstice muttered hopefully. "He is heading deeper into the populated territories."
"Let us hope so." Sumr agreed. "My skills are rusting."
"Maintain formation." Winter ordered. He kept his eyes fixed on the flying figure of the young master. "The Ancestor wants his path smoothed. If he encounters trouble, we eliminate it. If he seeks fortune, we ensure he finds it. Let us see where he goes next."
The five shadows fell into perfect synchronization and followed Li Yu through the sky.
Li Yu wandered for two entire days. He crossed vast plains of pale grass and navigated around towering mountain ranges of dark stones. While traveling, he enjoyed the quiet solitude of the journey.
On the afternoon of the second day, a truly massive structure appeared on the horizon.
It was a tropolis that dwarfed the border city in every conceivable way. The walls were hundreds of feet high and forged from glittering white stone. Massive floating arrays hovered above the city. They projected bright golden light that pierced through the perpetual mist of the On Realm.
This was not a quiet military outpost or a remote border town. This was a central hub of comrce and entertainnt.
Li Yu landed on a wide paved road leading up to the main gates. The road was packed with luxurious carriages and high tier spirit beasts. Cultivators wearing incredibly expensive silk robes walked toward the entrance.
The city was known across the realm as a haven for risk and reward. It was a place where fortunes were made and lost in a single night. It was famous for its grand auction houses, its fighting arenas and most importantly, its massive gambling dens.
As Li Yu approached the towering gates, he noticed a large group of people wearing bright yellow sashes standing near the entrance. They were actively approaching the incoming travelers.
These were local guides for the city. They offered to show newcors around the sprawling tropolis for a small fee. Li Yu slowed his pace as he looked at the massive and confusing layout of the inner city visible beyond the gates. He definitely needed soone to point him in the right direction as he was still relatively new to this realm.
A young girl darted out from the group of guides. She was quick and had a bright, energetic smile. She wore practical linen clothes and a bright yellow sash tied around her waist. She stopped right in front of Li Yu and offered a cheerful bow.
"Greetings young master." The girl said enthusiastically. "Welco to Gilded Fate City. It looks like it is your first ti here. Do you need a guide?"
Li Yu looked at her and she possessed a very weak Qi Condensation cultivation but her eyes were sharp and observant.
"I am i." She continued without missing a beat. "I know every tavern, every auction house and every gambling den in this entire city. For just a few spirit stones a day, I can make sure you find exactly what you are looking for and keep you away from the bad neighborhoods."
Li Yu smiled at her, everyone had to make their way in the world sohow. He liked her straightforward pitch and quickly made his decision.
"I agree, of course." Li Yu said. He tossed a few glowing stones into her waiting hands. "Show
the best this city has to offer and I will reward you more based on how good you are."
i’s eyes lit up as she quickly pocketed the stones. She turned around and gestured for him to follow her through the grand gates.
Li Yu followed his new guide into the bustling and bright streets of Gilded Fate City and surprisingly there was no entrance fee. As if reading his mind, i quickly pointed out why.
“This city is renowned for gambling, it has no need for entry fees because they make it all back and more from taxing all the establishnts here.” She said while pointing out a few other places.
Li Yu looked around and was ready to try his luck. If this city was so famous for such things, he couldn’t wait to see what kind of entertainnt this massive tropolis could provide. High above the glittering city the five invisible shadows watched their target enter the gambling capital of the region.
"He hired a guide." Autumn reported from the clouds.
Winter stared down at the massive casinos and betting arenas below. A small determined smile finally touched his lips.
"He is heading into the dens." Winter said softly. "The Ancestor ordered us to ensure his complete success in all endeavors. Prepare yourselves. We are going to rig every single ga in this city."
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