Just to be sure that her ssage had been clear enough, Boss Gui increased the guards around the residence of Weiji Nian. As the official City Lord of Duma City, it was her prerogative after all. Besides, with all her slave warriors, she probably had the strongest guards among the City Lords. Lord Wanghuo and the Sisters of the Abyss had even stronger guards of course, but they were above City Lords. Maybe the Xinian Confederation could boast to have better guards than Boss Gui. However, hers were absolutely loyal to her without needing to pay them anything at all.
For a few days, the association between Cao Yun and Boss Gui was the topic on everyone's lips. The two of them were still figuring out the small details of their alliance. With his knowledge of alchemy, Cao Yun did improve upon her blood mixture. Of course, the improvents wouldn't be spectacular but he could shave off a few weeks, even maybe a couple of months from their training. For Boss Gui's business, this was a great improvent in fact.
Moreover, Cao Yun did impart so martial arts to the trainees as well as the instructors. Since he had read every book he had ever co across, he had an entire library of manuals on every conceivable weapon. Just having the knowledge didn't an he could simply master any weapon. But with his own mastery of the spear and of the sword, it was very easy for him to teach that knowledge to others. Besides, he didn't need to make them into great masters, he just had to improve their level. And it turned out to be rather easy.
Cao Yun had not just decided to do so to improve his relationship with Boss Gui. He had understood how she was controlling them. After they were enslaved by others, she bought them, broke their spirit in the pits while poisoning them to speed up their recovery and make them stronger. After months being abused in the pits, they all realized that they were growing stronger and stronger, faster than they would have ever imagined. Maybe the poison was also affecting their mind, but to be honest neither he nor Boss Gui knew anything about it for sure. Anyway, the intense psychological trauma and pressure put on young people turned into excitent, and even gratitude to so extent.
Then, she simply had to take them out of the pits when they broke through to the Golden Blood Child realm. From there, she would impart them martial arts and knowledge to make them even stronger. She gave them a new purpose and a sense of accomplishnt. Even those who were sold to the Empyrean Asura Theocracy felt as though they were part of sothing bigger. Playing on their psychology, Boss Gui had made a perfect small army. But Cao Yun also knew how to manipulate them. It would take ti of course, but he knew he could give them sothing even greater to aspire to. Maybe he wouldn't be able to replace Boss Gui in their hearts, but he would take his place anyway.
"Boy, you keep surrounding yourself with slaves. No matter what you claim, your very plan revolves around using slaves, doesn't it?"
"My plan will free them all."
"Those who survive, you an."
"I can't save everyone. But if I'm able to unite Gui's army and the nomad tribes, I could topple the Nalupu Kingdom. Gui doesn't really care about slavery. Anything that could give her influence and real power would be to her taste."
"What?! You want to put her in Lord Wanghuo's place?!"
"To be honest, I'm not too sure. Although I have a general idea of where I want to go, I am altering my plan as things evolve. Now that I've t her, Gui will be a part of my plans for sure. There are different possibilities. I might engineer a rift between the City Lords, tearing apart the Nalupu Kingdom. I could also use the nomad tribes to put pressure from the outside. Attacking both from within and without, taking down Lord Wanghuo would be easier. My problem is mostly about the Sisters of the Abyss. The Xinian Confederation is only interested in money. As long as I can give them profit in a way that doesn't revolve around slavery, they'll take it. Those people have no real principle apart from their money."
"So you intend to 'use' the people who are hunted down and enslaved?! How is that different from slavery? You're just using them as pawns."
"I won't debate morality with you. If you can give a better plan, go ahead."
Cao Yun was obviously upset about his discussions with Dian Mo. In fact, he was slowly realizing that his discussions had shifted. Before they used to talk about array formations, seals and even martial arts. Sotis, they had talked about poetry, culture, philosophy and many interesting subjects. Recently though, Dian Mo seed to always be critical of his actions. Besides, he was making Cao Yun doubt himself more and more.
Of course, Cao Yun knew that his actions were not following the moral of the School of Ren Dao. But there were other philosophers and moralists who would argue he was in the right. Among the Lesser Houses of Wisdom, so had argued about a more practical view of morality where the end was just as important as the ans. Others had gone a bit farther but Cao Yun didn't quite agree with them. Both the end and the ans were important. Keeping a clear conscious while doing nothing didn't sit too well with him. But doing what felt right while causing more pain and suffering was also a terrible thing.
Despite his cultivation and his mastery over martial arts, Cao Yun was in doubt right now. He thought he was doing sothing right, but it did feel wrong indeed. Truth be told, he hated to be part of so political intrigue. If he had been strong enough, he could have simply forced the Nalupu Kingdom to stop enslaving the nomad tribes altogether. Technically, it was illegal in this very kingdom. He didn't even have to change their minds, just to force them to apply their own laws. However, he wasn't strong enough. And that was also the reason why he had to stay here so ti before going back to the mainland. He couldn't fight either the Empyrean Asura Theocracy or Emperor Weide in his current state.
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Moreover, once he would be back, he would end up in the sa kind of moral dilemma. Even if he could kill or depose Emperor Weide with the help of others, it would cause chaos. That chaos could then be used by the demons to take over the Hongchen Kingdom. Cao Yun wouldn't have just killed Emperor Weide, but many more innocent people. Having such a responsibility was not sothing Cao Yun cared for. One thing was for sure, he would never beco a ruler. What he had realized was that staying behind the scenes while having enough strength and influence to force the rulers to do what he wanted was a much more comfortable spot. He didn't want to be in the arena.
With all those thoughts in turmoil in his mind, Cao Yun still trained his mind cultivation, using the calligraphy as support. And since he was back in his residence where he had put enough array formations to be completely isolated, he also worked on his Qi cultivation as well as his blood cultivation.
As a 5th-grade Mortal Warrior, he was trying to forge his ridians so they would withstand the Lesser Tribulation. He was using both the Fire Qi in his Middle Dantian, coupled with his Golden Blood rich in Fire, the Water Qi in his Lower Dantian, as well as the Wood from the world tree slowly growing in him. Thanks to his knowledge of alchemy and his experience with his Five Prodigious Gates, tempering his ridians wasn't too difficult. In fact, his Golden Blood was making things even easier, also strengthening his flesh around the ridians.
After reading many books besides the 'Cultivation of Wrath', Cao Yun chose a very specific way of tempering his ridians. Instead of working on them one by one, he was tempering several of them at the sa ti, focusing more on the acupoints than the entire ridians. Indeed, several acupoints from different ridians were close to each other or were compensating each other. For example, there were points that would balance the effects from one another. So he was tempering them at the sa ti, working on smaller sections of his ridians. And with his blood cultivation, Cao Yun also worked on all the smaller ridians that weren't part of the 12 standard ridians. Technically, those twelve were enough to break through, but he still followed Chief Instructor Peng's advice and worked on the lesser ridians as well.
While working on his ridians, he was also tempering his Du Mai, the Governing Vessel in his back. Although he had to work on it in the next grade of the Mortal Warrior realm, he needed it for his blood cultivation. Indeed, as a 5th-grade Golden Blood Child, he had to send his Golden Blood, through his spine, into his heart. Thus, the blood was traveling along the sa path as the Du Mai. Besides, the Du Mai, just like its counterpart the Ren Mai, the Conception Vessel, were connected to the 12 standard ridians through many acupoints.
His Po of Jing, his Flying Poison, was helping him moving his Golden Blood with more ease. And his incomplete Po of Qi, the Unclean Evil, was improving even more on that. After all, his Golden Blood was made of blood and marrow, so it contained Qi and Jing. Despite its density, Cao Yun was able to control it very well. Unfortunately, the problem was Shendao, the Heart Gate.
Along the path of the Du Mai, there were three Flood Gates. He had already crossed Mingn the Life Gate in the back of his Lower Dantian. Now, he was working on Shendao the Heart Gate that was directly beneath the heart, centered on the spine though. The na was rely due to its location. Indeed, this gate was connected to the heart, sending too much blood or Qi there could injure one's heart. Even with the Drop of Wrath in his heart, Cao Yun didn't want to play around with that. He still rembered his failed cultivation and intended to cultivate fast but safely.
Thankfully, his work of all his acupoints was making things easier in the long run. He clearly wouldn't need to wait as long as other demons. According to his progress, he was certain he wouldn't need more than a year to cross that Flood Gate. Of course, this was just an estimation. But he was confident enough.
Besides all of that, Cao Yun could now train his sword and his spear as he wanted. Indeed, the slave warriors in his courtyard were perfect sparring partners. Furthermore, there were also instructors who were all Golden Blood Children. In fact, Mister Dai had co along. That was perfect because Cao Yun could simply claim he was suppressing his cultivation without revealing he wasn't actually an Accomplished Demon.
Mister Dai was a great partner. He decided to learn the sword from Cao Yun after being impressed by his fighting style. Although he hesitated, Cao Yun decided not to teach him 'Three Storms'. He did want for this martial art to spread and flourish, but sohow he didn't feel like doing so right now. For the ti being, it was still too intimate. After all, it was a connection with his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. At the sa ti, he truly wanted this art to survive and for that, he would need to transmit it. Since his family was gone, there was no point in keeping it a secret art. Moreover, he intended to improve it even further to make it an extrely powerful martial art that would make his family immortal throughout the Piaolu planet.
On the business side of things, Dan Yao was improving very fast when it ca to alchemy. Even without Cao Yun, the books he had received were put to good use. Although he was lacking any talent, he was compensating with his hard work. Unfortunately, he always suffered from cauldron explosions now and then. But in the end, his pills were getting better and better. Unlike Cao Yun, he probably wouldn't be able to do anything original as he had a hard ti understanding the concepts of alchemy. However, he was very good when it ca to copying the pills already refined by Cao Yun. His hard work was paying. The quality of his pills wasn't on par with Cao Yun of course, but his pills were very consistent all things considered, except when the cauldron exploded.
Xixue was not working too hard on the other hand as she was plagued with uncertainty. Boss Gui was still trying to learn more about her sister. However, so day, Xixue decided to change. She threw herself in her work so that she didn't have to think about anything else. Anyway, she couldn't do anything about the situation as she was waiting for more information. So she helped Nie Pian.
The old man was very competent when it ca to dealing with money. In fact, he was too competent. After all, he had been enslaved because of a condemnation for tax frauds. Most likely, he had committed other cris that had not been discovered since he was so good with accounting. Even Xixue had a hard ti following his paperwork. To be fair, she had been trained in general affairs by City Lord Sihe to be a good secretary to Boss Gui. So her skills were good overall but never great in any specific domain. On the other hand, Nie Pian was a genius when it ca to handling money and accounts.
This didn't sit too well with Xixue of course. However, she had to admit that he had improved their cash flow a lot. Cao Yun didn't care about the Blazing Swallow too much as it was already making him rich. But Xixue was interested in understanding how Nie Pian had improved it so much so fast. He had even hired a couple of other alchemists to go into new ventures. Obviously they weren't as good as Cao Yun and they were not trained like Dan Yao. But they could refine basic pills that would get the stamp of the Blazing Swallow anyway.
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