11 Chapter 11 - Scheming

Nie Lie did not know what was going on, but something was very wrong.

First, instead of the Sacred Family, the influence of the Snow Wind Family was the greatest. Although, they have always had a lot of influence as the descendants of one of the founding families, the influence in this life was on another level! Even the Sacred Family and the Divine Family couldn't hold a candle to them now. Countless experts had risen up in their ranks and they were now a forced to be reckoned with. That is not all, Ye Mo had already declared that Legend-rank was just the gateway to a realm of true cultivation.

Something really wasn't right here. Even his presence in the timeline with all the memories of his previous life intact shall not cause this big of a change in the timeline due to the butterfly effect.

The city had changed. Better facilities to everyone. New and improved cultivation techniques had been given to talented individuals from the Academy by the Snow Wind Family. The influence of the Sacred Family was declining. And most of all, Ziyun was different.

In his previous life, she had successfully cultivated to 5-star bronze rank by the time they were 18, but now she was a 3-Star Silver Rank expert at 14! Plus, the look of disgust she had given him when he had announced that she was his woman, was too much. Wasn't she supposed to like him? She was his true love after all, wasn't she?

He had spent the entire day in the city, looking for information on what had caused all of these changes. And one name kept popping up again and again and again.

Ye Xen, the genius son of the City Lord that changed the landscape of Glory City.

A prodigy unlike any other. People in the city had been informed as to why the size of the soul realm also affects cultivation, something even he did not know about but Ye Xen did. And the path of cultivation was more challenging the bigger the size of your soul realm was, and he was born with the biggest soul realm ever, falling in the category of Royal along with an Indigo soul realm!

Even with that, he managed to breakthrough to Silver Rank very easily.

Another different thing between the two timelines was that the families now focused more on conditioning of the bodies of the fighters as well. Previously, becoming a demon spiritualist was the ultimate goal and people generally discarded learning about the benefits of a fine physical constitution, which caused problems when cultivating as your body couldn't handle the pressure of the amount of soul force assimilating inside you.

Ye Xen had changed this way of thinking of the masses too.

It astounded him how one guy brought all of these changes. Something wasn't right. This guy had suddenly appeared in this timeline and caused all of these changes? No, he would definitely go down to the root of this problem.

He had seen the blind worship in the eyes of 'his' Ziyun for the bastard. The look one has when they are fanatically in love with someone.

…No. No, he wouldn't let the bastard take 'his' woman away from him. At first, he thought that Lu Piao and Du Ze at least would support him in his quest to make Ziyun his woman, but both of them had flat out refused. Apparently, every year the Snow Wind family picks up individuals they feel are talented alongside the Divine Family and many noble families of the realm. Both of them had been selected by the Snow Wind Family and they would not see the future of them and their families destroy due to Nie Lie 's lust and his 'hopeless' quest.

He was hurt by that but he was greatly angered when they called it hopeless. Ziyun was his woman and he would have her. So now, he was alone on his quest to power and obtain Ziyun.

But he would have to take care of Ye Xen first. Either drag his reputation down or if he turns out to be dangerous then secretly eliminate him. He was dangerous. That much was clear. He just needed time and resources. For that, he would first hunt horned sheep for money and buy soul crystals and then send the formulas of the many elixirs he has to the Alchemy Association to get their support.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not checked his surroundings, and the slight rustle of leaves in the bushes behind him.

~ City Lord's Mansion ~

The elders and important members of the Snow Wind family were gathered in the private meeting room of the family. Ye Zong, Ye Xiu, Ye Long, Ye Mo and Ye Shuo had been called here by Ye Xen due to an important matter he had to discuss regarding the safety of the city and the family. Ziyun especially.

"Oh good, you are all here," Ye Xen's voice rang out as he entered the room. he had been at the Alchemy Association for a good 4 hours, refining elixirs for two and railing Yang Xin for the other two. Yang Xin loved the feel of breaking rules and hence, they were having sex right there in the lab where all the elixirs are first tested before they could go for mass production.

The Alchemy Association had a lot more talents now due to a book Ye Xen had compiled to make the path of becoming a Senior Alchemist much easier. The Alchemy Association had many more employees now that worked day and night to create a batch of fresh elixirs every day.

"Xen'er, what was so urgent that you called all of us here?" questioned Ye Mo.

"Yes grandpa, allow me to explain. Today on the first day of class, a strange occurrence happened with a boy from the Heavenly Marks family."

This puzzled all of them a bit. Wasn't that a declining aristocratic family that worked as farmers?

"What happened son?" Ye Long questioned, worry etched in her voice.

"Mother that boy questioned our teacher, Shen Xiu, regarding the existence of humans outside Glory City and the existence of many places like the Bone Mountains and Heavenly Luster Mountains as well. The information we have on these places due to the information in the books from our library hasn't been leaked outside. So, how is it a no-name brat from a declining family that struggles to make more than twenty or thirty thousand DSC (demon spirit coins/crystals) every year, got his hands on such sensitive information?"

This greatly alarmed all of them. This could only mean three things; one, this person was a reincarnation of a supreme expert which was highly unlikely; two, someone broke into their family library; or the third one, they had a spy amongst them that had somehow gotten his hands on this information. Neither option felt good for them.

"Furthermore, this person had loudly stated in front of the entire class that Ziyun was his woman, making her extremely uncomfortable. And do you remember when she came to us and told us that she felt someone was spying on her during her time in the baths, I believe this guy is the one who did it," Ye Xen said, seriousness oozing from his tone and body language.

As soon as he finished, Ye Zong shot up, his soul force raging outside like a tsunami before he abruptly slammed his hands through the coffee table. He was about to march outside and strangle the brat who dared to eye his daughter like that before he was stopped by his father and wife.

"Thank you, mother, grandpa. Father I know you wish nothing more than to kill the bastard but please do wait for a few moments," Ye Xen said as he tried to calm his father down.

Just as he finished, a man wearing a ninja like attire entered the room and kneeled in front of them. from his aura alone people could tell, he was Black-Gold rank. This was a member of an elite force directly under the City Lord's command called the ANBU. They were made up of Black-Gold rank experts only and worked just like the ANBU from Naruto, a show Ye Xen loved in his previous life. This was Ye Xen's idea so he had some sort of control over the forces as well.

"Young master, I have completed the task, and would like to report about this individual named Nie Lie," the man said. At Ye Xen's nod and seeing the eager look on the faces of the elders, he continued, "Young master, just like you told me I have tailed this individual from the moment he has left the fighter apprentice class. He spent the entire day in the local markets and taverns, gathering information about young master, mistress and Glory City in general. It was like he was someone who had never been inside the city.

After that he used some unknown poison to hunt Horned Sheep and it was one of the most effective poisons I had ever seen. The beasts were out with just one shot from his crossbow. Then he spent an entire hour talking about how he was going to make young mistress his woman and take revenge, though from who I do not know. He also has hostile intentions towards young master and was constantly saying abusive words to you," he finished with a calm voice, but there was a hint of anger their for the shitty son of a poor farmer, who dared to talk about their lord like this.

At this, everyone expected Ye Zong to throw another fit, but surprisingly it was Ye Long who's aura burst and pressured everyone in the room. She was a mother and was naturally protective of her children, and the way this person was talking about her children, she feared for their safety.

"Well done, captain. Please do continue your task starting tomorrow. I want to know everything that he does," Ye Xen said. The captain simply nodded in agreement before disappearing in silence. "Father, I believe this individual has ties to the Dark Guild or his body is being inhabited by a high-ranking expert of the Dark Guild using some sort of demonic arts."

"You are correct, Xen'er. Please continue monitoring his movements and inform any of us if you see that this boy is involved in some plot of the Dark Guild," Ye Zong said with a firm voice.

Ye Xen nodded, before smirking evilly and saying, "Father, I believe it is time we finally move against the Sacred Family."

At this even Ye Zong gave a cheshire cat-like grin, thinking about the sweet revenge he shall have. The Sacred Family would regret ever crossing them and Glory City.