Chapter 113: Smoke and Mirrors
Meili Zhu had intended for her to be one of the last ones to arrive, but she was not particularly surprised to find that Wenyan Ren, Jie Tang, Jiayi Song and Liewei Hu were waiting for her just outside the Heavenly Sky Sects territory.
Her expression was a mask of cold composure as he came to a stop next to the procession of her fellow Legacy Family Patriarchs and Matriarchs, as her mind had already begun calculating answers to questions that she already knew they would ask. Questions that would be no less than veiled attacks at the capabilities of her Zhu Family, insinuations at her control over the house of assassins she had so masterfully cultivated spilling out of their own insecurities.
For Yao Shen had already stepped out of a realm they could challenge and Zhou Hui had already pledged his allegiance to it. Neither were targets they could provoke any longer, so it left her, Meili Zhu, Master of the Faceless. Strong, powerful and ancient, she was. Yet she was also old and getting older and had no hopes of ascending to the Soul Emperor stage. Her successor had not yet ascended to Nascent Soul, either.
However, the real reason for the bitterness lay in her own dereliction of duty as the spymaster of the Heavenly Sky Sect. How did Yao Shen amass such knowledge, strength and wisdom under the far more experienced Meili Zhus watchful eye, without her catching even a glimpse of it?
Meili Zhu still did not understand it fully, as she grappled with half-formed theories and researched ancient tomes for knowledge on Soul Emperors.
However, she could not admit to her own weakness lest the furious spiritual beasts in the water sense blood.
Elder Zhu, Wenyan Ren greeted, his tone an imitation of the usual politeness he addressed her with.
He is dissatisfied, She thought to herself. The fool chose the worst time to make an enemy out of Yao Shen and now seeks to blame his own incompetence on others. Pathetic.
Elder Ren, Meili Zhu greeted with a dainty smile, her scarletberry lipstick glistening on her lips as she spoke. I see you all have been waiting for me, She addressed the larger crowd, acknowledging the silent anticipation of her arrival.
Let us talk whilst we move, The reserved Jiayi Song, clothed in sleeveless martial robes that hugged her body. A tapestry of white on blue, her robes portrayed a sense of serenity further echoed by her well-balanced musculature neither too built, nor flabby in the slightest. Any later and we shall not arrive at the ordained time.
Very well, Meili Zhu conceded, not to tardiness but her own willfulness.
They are desperate, She thought. If I am in the shadows, then they are the personification of darkness itself. They know nothing, nothing at all.
The group of five Elders flickered out of sight of the Heavenly Sky Sect as they shot forward at astounding speeds, the three Wind Cultivators amongst them parting the air resistance before it could weigh them down in the slightest.
Ten minutes ticked away before the first question was asked.
Elder Zhu, Liewei Hu began, his aquiline features well suited to the aspect of sharpness Meili Zhu knew him to imbue in his Wind Qi attacks. Do you know why Yao Shen has summoned us?
He demands more than asks and that too, bluntly, Meili Zhu thought. As I thought, this is a test.
Perhaps, Meili Zhu replied simply.
Elder Zhu, if you know something I urge you to share, Jie Tang, Elder of the Divine Might Hall and a unique body cultivator that practiced a cultivation manual that compressed his muscles and focused on explosive strength while not allowing his strength to be readily apparent on the surface.
Elder Tang, have you not considered why Yao Shen and the three Patriarchs insist on such secrecy? Meili Zhu asked, her expression unmoved by the forceful tone in Jie Tangs words.
Secrecy? Jie Tang replied. The departure of five Elders can hardly be concealed from the eyes of both our own as well as the spies of other forces. Where is the secrecy in that?
Meili Zhu shook her head before responding, Did you tell the other legacy families the truth about why you were summoned?
If you are asking, then you already know. Jie Tang replied, a hint of bitterness audible in his tone.
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You told them that Patriarch Yao Shen had asked the five of us to deal with a hidden demonic path threat, She revealed. A perfect excuse that few would suspect. We are not Yao Shens allies, so it is unlikely that we would meet with him in secret. We can no longer resist his commands either, so if he chooses to get rid of us, it gives our descendants enough time to flee before our resources are pillaged. No righteous path cultivator would or for that matter, could, slaughter an entire family.
And if it benefits us, Jiayi Song spoke. Then none of the others would know.
Honesty, Meili Zhu thought. How refreshing.
Benefits us? Liewei Hu sneered. Yao Shen only serves his own designs.
Yet, Meili Zhu refuted. He has been far kinder to us than we would be to him, if our positions were reversed. No doubt you already know that Zhou Hui is not a cultivator that can be bought. Wenjun Long has a decade or two left to live and he is certainly not the type of person to grovel at Yao Shens feet. Kang Long and Lei Weiyuan would not be Patriarch if they were incapable of placing the sects needs before their own personal greed, if only for their descendants and disciples.
Mere conjecture, Leiwei Hu weakly refuted, clearly hoping to hear more of Meili Zhus analysis as they got closer to their destination.
You suspect it, She stated bluntly. All of us do. A secret powerful enough to unite the three divisions. An answer, finally, to what could move the hearts of three enemies and allow them to unite under one banner.
Has Yao Shen sold out our sects in an alliance to the East? Wenyan Ren bluntly asked.
Wenyan is not this much of a fool, Meili Zhu thought. No, he is simply unnerved by the newly unmasked Demonic Path threat. He should know that Yao Shen is not the type of man to bend his knee to another. No one who ascends to Soul Emperor in this barren land could be.
No, Meili Zhu replied. Of that, I am certain.
Silence ensued and stretched on for a few uncomfortably long minutes, before Meili Zhu finally spoke.
In the fight between Yao Shen and Gavril Arkael, Meili Zhu began, as her tone dropped the coy act and turned uncharacteristically serious. One of my faceless managed to catch glimpses of it.
A core formation cultivator would dare to spy on a battle of Soul Emperors? Jiayi Song asked in disbelief, though there was a subtle hint of implication in her tone.
These four are the likeliest to know about Ones existence. It is a failure on my part, but they should not doubt the veracity of my information for that very reason.
There are a myriad of techniques that allow one to spy from afar without giving away their presence, Meili Zhu replied. The Soul Emperors were likely aware, but why should they care about the whims of an ant?
What did he see, Elder Zhu? Wenjun Long asked, his tone tense from the anticipation.
The momentum of the fight seemed to be against Yao Shen for a majority of the battle, Meili Zhu revealed, her tone solemn. My Faceless was on the verge of fleeing, having concluded that it was more important to send warning to the Sect to inform me that all was lost and the Sky Division needed to be vacated if any of us were to hope to survive.
The other four Elders were quiet as they listened to Meili Zhus words, their expressions unreadable.
It was then, that the change happened. Yao Shen retrieved something from within his Soul, a small metallic object that glinted under the beating sun. The terror that my Faceless felt in that instant forced him to instinctively retreat, glancing back as he haplessly fled. Mere moments later, Yao Shen had won.
I knew it, Wenyan Ren snarled under his breath, his expression gleaming with vindication. Yao Shen could not have won on his own, not without underhanded methods. I knew it, He repeated, as if expecting the other Elders to agree.
Fool, Meili Zhu thought. Even now he does not understand that it is not Yao Shens strength that makes him terrifying, but his unfathomable depths. I must distance myself from the Ren Family, immediately.
Elder Zhu, you believe that Yao Shen wishes to reveal this artifact to us? To what end? Jiayi Song quizzed, her tone thoughtful.
It might be the case, Meili Zhu admitted. Or it might be something else entirely. However, as for the purpose of our visit I believe Yao Shen has discovered a way to fight back against the demons. It is the strongest reason I see, one that would allow him to command both the respect and loyalty of the three Patriarchs. It would also be the reason why he has chosen us, members of the Heavenly Sky Sects founding families, to attend.
A way to fight back against the demons do you think they will attack again? Jie Tang asked, concerned.
Almost certainly, Meili Zhu replied. They were curious enough about Yao Shen to send a Soul Emperor to probe and he was sent back with a vendetta against the Azlak Plains.
Yao Shen is strong, certainly, Liewei Hu began. But he is only one man, one cultivator. He cannot defend all corners of the Azlak Plains and to that end, he needs our assistance. There is leverage in that fact.
Both true and untrue, She thought. Yao Shen and his handful of disciples could leave the Azlak Plains any time they wished, but our roots and foundations are at stake here. We should be grateful if my conjecture is true, not selfish.
I would urge caution, Brother Liewei. We need his support more than he needs ours, especially if I am correct, Meili Zhu warned.
We shall see, He replied, before their collective attention shifted to the north-east. A burst of powerful Earth Qi had revealed itself and as they got nearer, they discovered Wenjun Long in his Earthen Armor, standing guard before the mouth of a cave.
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