Chapter 281: Spoils go to the victor

Once again Huang Liyue went into the Phoenix Hall where Matriarch Huang Yufeng was. For several days now, she had had many meetings and audiences mostly concerning the memorial services and a few about the upcoming reconstruction. Now was still a moment of mourning for many. That being said, loss and tragedy were not that uncommon for cultivators who had lived hundreds, if not thousands of years like Governor Leng or Matriarch Huang Yufeng. As such, they were a bit more preoccupied with what was coming next. However, they still had to take care of the mortals and the younger cultivators who had been shaken by what had happened.

What was immaterial often turned out to be more important than even the most expensive building. Taking care of the needs of the citizens was thus essential to maintain order and improve the upcoming reconstruction.

And as she had been waiting for it, Matriarch Huang Yufeng immediately accepted the audience with Cao Yun. There were still some tensions between the two women, but both of them stayed very professional. They could maintain the decorum no matter what. In fact, apart from the elders, almost no one had discovered that Huang Liyue was the only daughter of the matriarch. Even Huang Cixi had taken a lot of time to see through this. But Huang Liyue had always felt estranged from her mother. And Huang Yufeng had to admit she was to blame for most of it. Paradoxically, being her bodyguard had maybe even worsened the situation because she felt her relation with her was more professional than anything else.

Then, Cao Yun was called into the Phoenix Hall where he met with the Matriarch. Unlike some of her other audiences, Matriarch Huang Yufeng did not use her spiritual senses to protect their conversation. If she had, it would have raised some suspicions. They would just need to be careful about their words. And with her spiritual senses, she could still send a lot of information directly into Cao Yun's mind while talking about anything else.

In fact, while they were exchanging the formal greetings between a junior and a senior, she used the opportunity to tell him about Cleansed Asura. As she had discussed with Huang Liyue, she only told him that she had failed to find the body. But she had been able to sense a bit of his lingering aura. So if she could become a Sage, she would be able to find him. That also meant that the same was true for Cao Yun. In fact, with the Drop of Wrath, he could maybe be able to find him and retrieve the body only as a late Spirit Warrior.

Instead of creating another worry for the young man, it produced a new incentive to become stronger faster. On the side, Huang Liyue had a look of disapproval but thanks to her stealth, she was perfectly invisible to Cao Yun's eyes. As a bodyguard, she almost always stayed very discreet to the point of being barely present. Everyone would forget about her existence just after she had entered the room.

"The reason I asked to see you is to talk about what you'll do next. From Can Mouye's mind, I discovered many interesting things. Although he didn't know everything, he still knew many things about what is happening in the Wubei Sect. Apparently, a Spirit Warrior demonic cultivator named Mo Tian is infiltrated among the elders of the Wubei sect. From what Can Mouye knew, this demonic cultivator is directly under the orders of the Demon King. This Demon King seems to be the current leader of the demonic cultivators.

"A few decades ago, he was able to unite all demonic cultivators and found strange ruins from the time when the demons still ruled over us. This is why they have become so more dangerous. The demonic cultivators have many new toys to play with. And I am almost certain that this also explains why they have become more active and aggressive. They must have a clear goal in mind thanks to those discoveries.

"I have not yet heard everything that had happened in the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute, but it seems like that stampede did exactly what they wanted. It created enough diversion for them to get their hands on something that was in the institute. Spirit Master Xiao will soon cross our city to go back to the Wubei Sect with her disciple. I suggest that you wait for her for the time being. She'll be able to give you more details considering the relationship between you two.

"What I can tell you is that they also have something in preparation for the upcoming year in the Wubei Sect. Apparently, there is something important in the Ancient Ruins. And it can only get accessed once every seven years. So I doubt that they will change their plan to wait an additional seven years. This is precisely why they wanted to kill you. They have identified you as a threat for their plan because you will be inside the Ancient Ruins when that happens. So Mo Tian would be rather safe than sorry. He went to the extent of altering this stampede plan just so he could integrate Yinmen City and attract you there."

"So I really was the cause of all this? Yinmen City would have been spared if I had never set foot there in my life..."

"Chen Guo, many other cities were eradicated without any relation to you. The only ones at fault are the demonic cultivators, the Demon King and Mo Tian in particular. I already sent everything I learned to both the Wubei Sect and the Imperial City. I do not doubt that the Imperial City will send some men to examine all the locations Can Mouye had in his mind. But I also have no doubt that they will all be empty. This Can Mouye mostly knew about temporary camps. Since he disappeared a very long time, they will have most likely left already.

"Sadly, there is almost nothing else I can tell you. Despite his cultivation, and even with all the seals in him, Can Mouye was kept mostly in the dark. Apparently, this Mo Tian is incredibly secretive. He's been planning for at least a century. Now, his plan seems to be close to fruition. As such, next year will be very dangerous for you in the Ancient Ruins."

For quite some time, Huang Yufeng went over many insignificant things and all she had already talked about when she had first met Cao Yun. At the same time, she was talking to him through telepathy to give him more details. However, she never once revealed to him that his servant had been Huang Cixi. And she insisted on the fact that maybe the Imperial City was involved in some capacity with the death of his family and how much the Huang and the Cao families had been close. Until they knew more, Cao Yun should keep his identity secret, not so much for the demonic cultivators who already wanted him dead, but because of the Imperial City. Matriarch Huang insisted on the fact that they couldn't know whether the Emperor was really in control, or even alive. Indeed, it had been almost a century since anyone had seen him in public.

Then, after more good words, she stopped sending things in Cao Yun's mind.

"I am sure that Spirit Warrior Xiao will be able to give more information on what has happened in her Golden Flowery Fragrant Institute. You should wait here and go back to the Wubei Sect with her and her disciple. She should reach us in less than a month. In the meantime, I have some gifts for you. After all, you saved Miss Huang Liyue's life and you helped capture this Can Mouye."

Immediately, a spatial ring appeared from Matriarch Huang Yufeng's own spatial ring. And he recognized it as soon as he saw it. This ring was Can Mouye's.

"Considering your cultivation, you should break through to the Mortal Warrior in the early days of your third-year, or even before that. As such, you'll be able to use a spatial ring. Our family really doesn't have an additional spatial tool to gift to you. However, since the great help you've been against Can Mouye, I think it proper that you get his ring. Of course, we already took several important resources from the spatial ring, but it should still be useful to you. And..."

As she spoke, the spatial ring reached Cao Yun. The moment he took it, several documents appeared from the spatial ring in front of Cao Yun.

"This ring also had some interesting papers in it."

In front of Cao Yun, there were various texts about demonic beasts, insects, poisons, Evil Qi. There was also a rudimentary dictionary of Moshenhua, the ancient language of the demons. It had some similarities with the Nuhua and was very close to the Primitive Nuhua. After all, the tongues of the demons were a major influence for the current language used by the humans. This could be very useful. Until now, Cao Yun had never seen this language but if the demonic cultivators had found ruins of the demon era, this could be useful. Moshenhua was the most ancient language spoken by the demons. Most likely, they were using a different language now, but that wasn't the point.

Among those documents, Cao Yun found two texts that were particularly interesting to him. The first one was 'Compassion to all the Universe'. Described in it, was the martial art used by Can Mouye, 'Tianfomo's Compassion'. Cao Yun did not really care about the martial art, even if it could be interesting to try and learn it now that he was able to manipulate Evil Qi. No, what was interesting was the fact that this text talked about Evil Qi and how to use it.

The other document was 'Storms in the Crimson Furnace'. It was really different from everything else. In fact, it almost looked like it belonged to someone else. Maybe it was the case. Can Mouye had maybe killed the previous owner of this manuscript before stealing it. This was some kind of blood cultivation. As such it piqued Cao Yun's interest. As he was reading it, he heard the voice of Huang Liyue in his mind.

"This last one is a gift from the Matriarch. She knows that I gave you a simplified version of 'Ashen Feather Seal'. Without a blood cultivation, you won't be able to reach the highest level in this art. Thus, she agreed to let me gift this blood cultivation to you."

It made more sense. Can Mouye had not shown any trace of blood cultivation during their fight. However, the Huang family was renown for their particular bloodline and their great art related to the True Fiery Fenghuang.

After reading through the texts in a few seconds, Cao Yun knew that they would all be useful for him. Later, he would memorize them in great details. For now, he took them, as well as the spatial ring, and put them in his robe. Then he bowed down.

"Thank you, Matriarch."

"Chen Guo, I have one last question. What do you intend to do with the Mountain Fenghuang egg you protected? Since its parents are dead, we can't really release it in the wild."

"I thought a lot about this. And in the end, I do believe that the Huang family is the best suited to take care of a bird from the fenghuang lineage."

"Chen Guo, are you familiar with the concept of imprinting?"

"Of course. I read about this. A young chick will create stronger bonds with the first person it sees."

"Well, this is not entirely accurate. It turns out that demonic beasts are also sensitive to the Qi surrounding them when they are incubating. And the chick will be very close to the ones who share the same kind of Qi. As such, it is likely that this young fenghuang will get attached to you. That being said, we are indeed the best suited to take care of the bird for you. From what our beast tamers said, it should hatch in the following months. Until you exit the Ancient Ruins, we can take care of this fenghuang for you. But I suggest that you come back to see how it is faring after that. It is possible that the fenghuang would agree to serve you.

"Since you're a long way from becoming a Spirit Warrior, having a flying demonic beast with you would be very beneficial. Besides, you already have a history with this egg and its family. Can you really abandon it to strangers? What do you say?"

On the side, Huang Liyue felt like this was another way for the Matriarch to form bonds with Cao Yun. But it was also entirely true. And Cao Yun was fully aware of it as well.

"You are indeed correct, Matriarch. Please, take care of it until my return."

"Of course. After what you did for Miss Huang Liyue, this is natural. Now, please, excuse me. There are still many matters I must attend to."

"Yes, Matriarch Huang."

Cao Yun thus left the Phoenix Hall with Huang Liyue and went back to some improvised chamber.

Immediately he proceeded to memorize every single character in the documents he had received. Apart from the dictionary, everything was written in Nuhua so he did not even need the physical manuscripts anymore. The Huang family had probably made copies already. So he could gift them to Xiao Xuefeng so that both the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute and the Wubei sect got them.

Most of the documents were not suited for orthodox cultivators, but they could still give some information, even if only on how to fight demonic cultivators. The texts concerning poisons were especially useful to protect oneself against them. But the other documents all had nasty methods. For example, 'Tianfomo's Compassion' could only be mastered by absorbing Evil Qi from living humans. As such, it was necessary to physiologically and physically torture mortals to extract Evil Qi from them. And the various ways to do so were very clearly explained.

Thankfully, Cao Yun did not want to master this technique. What he was interested in was how the technique was manipulating Evil Qi. And it was indeed instructive. The properties of Evil Qi in comparison with Qi were very detailed. And with his improved sensations, Cao Yun was able to understand most of it. This was not surprising that Can Mouye had been able to manipulate Evil Qi within his own body so well, unlike Luduo Bu.