Day 71-85 A nice meal in the Forest

Awakening the next morning after talking with the stow-away Deity and settling their cultivation, Liang Yu went to meet up with his Dark Moon forces. Ye Xinghe moving to meet with members of the Azure Feather Family.

The conversation was heated and resolved with a very difficult decision between those involved. One Ye Xinghe did not want to talk about until much later.

Xiwangmu of the Chinese Pantheon had much to share and didn't mind doing it. To the betterment of the two split Champions, her means were terrible but also part of Aspect over Destruction and Creation. With her control over the Aspect of Life & Death, it posed great danger she did not have any Champions anymore.

The Unending Army was such an issue that the Goddess took a firm stand in fighting against it. Which put Leroy in danger since he landed in her territory. The man-god Shango should have removed him immediately or spoke to her the moment everything took place.

"Tch! Don't think about it anymore, it will just give me a headache." Xinghe scoffed as the Heart Method circulated. He could feel the Xiwangmu inside his Internal Space doing exactly as she promised. 'Stupid mistakes all around, good job me.'

The Demonic Star Martial Dantian entered the 5th Heavenly Layer which allowed more use of his Star Energy in the offensive department. That and the healing was better between Demon Beasts and Humans further.

The Advanced Demon Beast Manual the other understood was defintely something to study when he finished. No sense in interrupting his progress.

"Hmm, need to make moves soon. The fight between the Imperial Family and others is getting closer and closer." The idea of the Phoenix Feather Family working with them was not overall bad. But it would take Liang Yu some time to get Huyang Yong in a good position to take over. "Maybe I should speed up taking the Lin Family over?"

Blue Carp Town was just good real estate and something he was comfortable with.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea." Zhao Ning came over breaking away from a few of the other women in the Azure Feather Family. Just a morning conversation on what she did in the Heavenly Academy and asking about Ye Xinghe. "Your mom really wants you to wed. Thinking it will help calm you down."

"Heh, I doubt that. Besides.. I already feel off relationship-wise anyway." Xinghe went over the fact that Liang Yu had grown quite fond of Xia Yuning and An Xueyun with her. Pushing those feeling towards him, in the beginning, was not a good idea. Old habits conflicted with feelings and caused a problem for the other. "Haa, booze and partying will help fill that hole for myself in the time being."

"No." Zhao Ning grabbed his arm giving him a heated look. "You just need to work through it is all. You had something big happen and need to work through it."

She did not know how right she was about that.

"Master Xinghe!" Ye Yue called out. Behind her were a bunch of kids. All training under her and learning basic studies. Good use of her time before she rose in further strength to take on military applications outside. "We saw the Demon Bears out knocking down trees!"

The Demon Bears would knock down some trees in the morning before going back Liang Yu. The workers of the family and those hired would process the wood and check the land over.

"That is good." Xinghe smiled and gave the kids a once over. They looked well and healthy which brought a warm feeling to him. The Heart Method circling in an odd way once more. "Make sure that the clearing out is done well. It is hard expanding into the wilderness if not careful."

"We will stay close to the security area. The old Patriarch is overseeing the operation. So we have a strong combatant just in case." Ye Xue put on a good smile but didn't care to much for the old man. The drive to grow strong was not in him and memories did not paint him in a good light for her. "A few more scouts would help keep a good lookout."

"I know just the creatures for the tasks." Ye Xinghe called out for another of the tamed Demon Beasts, Tyrion. The Frost Bird flew over from up above. Zhao Ning and himself getting on to its back. "I will go get the wolves in "that" area. Defintely good strength and good use as scouts for the territory we carve out."

As the two flew off, Ye Yue smiled in happiness. Fond memories of the Wolves would make the stay in the Azure Feather Family even better. She caught sight of how close Zhao Ning gripped his side.

"She is no Mingye but might help him enough."

"Who is Mingye?" One of the kids asked.

"Someone the Patriarch lost. Do not bring it up unless you want to be punished." Ye Yue warned them with a wagging finger. "He has a damaged heart, so it is up to us to make sure we do our best to keep the burden down. So who is with me in becoming the best we can be?"

"We are!" The kids understood a little. Enough to just follow what she said anyway.

Ye Xinghe sent word to Liang Yu vi the Heart Method on what he was doing. Knowing the other was going to obtain some more Demon Beasts to practice himself, it was for the best they kept each other apprised.

However, Liang Yu was intent on finding a particular set of cat-type demon beasts.

Having pushed herself lately in regards to demon beast taming along with her sword skill, Zhao Ning wanted to do this herself. Quite adamant she was willing to die to accomplish this when talking about it as they flew in the air.

"I have been close by your side for so long, I think I have become complacent like before. Need the action to ignite my fighting spirit." Zhao Ning also had her sword that was finished to try out. Worse come to worse, she would go out in a blazing glory. "Besides, they react better to a strong female right?"

"Well yeah.. but still." Xinghe rembered in the past about the one with an injured eye and how protective it could be. "You must be smart and cunning to do it just right. I don't want you getting maimed."

"Aww, you care." Zhao Ning felt him tense up but did not say anything against it. "I am not made of glass, and won't break from a rebuke. I was quite the brat before meeting you."

"I am aware." Xinghe caught himself smiling. Looking down below at the spectacular view, he almost relaxed to much. The forest and mountainscape was remarkable. "I need strong people by my side, even more so than ever before. Hope you live up to that."

"Humph! Of course, I will." Zhao Ning felt this was about pride now. "I will bring the demon beasts back or die in the process." A wave of qi circled around them both for a bit. 'I can fill a chill creeping back in.'

"Are you sure about this?" Ye Xinghe asked for the last time. She nodded and he gave the Frost Bird a slight rub before standing up and jumping off. "This task is yours to complete then. Be careful as they are quite smart."

Falling from the sky, Xinghe used Frost Air Body to glide along the air currents. His speed was accelerating as he headed towards the lake. Having tracked Liang Yu who was taking in some qi searching the place with Astral Sense.

The Lake was big but to the outside, it was most likely that because of the illusion array set down by Shangguan. The old carp-turned woman was still keeping away for now. As far as he could tell anyway.

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Ling Jiu. A respected senior?-

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As Ye Xinghe moved further towards the quick meet up spot, he came across the old Ye Patriarch and Ling Jiu, a respected senior of some renown. Memory served he was ok but.. still falls into the background all the same.

"I am just warning you that this is coming to pass." Ling Jiu informed. "Members of the Imperial Family are talking and mobilizing across the country. A detachment was seen headed this way a few days ago. Some say it is to squash more of the Rebels rising up, others to deal with families that are causing trouble."

"Haa, I can only attempt to appease them. A few of the funds gained from the sail of meat and rune weapons should help with a bribe." Old Ye lamented. If he knew the situation would have turned sour so quickly he would have done more to speak with the Elders to try and change Xinghe's mind. "Strong he may be, but Xinghe is to daring."

"To think that display of that fire Phoenix over the town was him!" Ling Jiu already had several things confirmed by Old Ye. At first, he was thinking of meeting to get on friendly terms but the information he found about Ye Xinghe and how Liang Yu and him were closed caused some problems. "The only other option is to beg the Patriarch of the Dark Moon Family to take you all in."

Lowering their position even further was a Death Sentence. Not for Xinghe or the trusted members. But for Old Ye and those who decided to support him.

"If only we had more time to work through this." Old Ye was already resigned but didn't voice it openly. Not yet anyway. "I will go back and see what I can do. The expansion into the wilderness just started, hopefully, they take a break when told."

As Old Ye took off to return to the Azure Feather Family, Xinghe sent a message to Ye Yue on what just happened. The Connection with her was so strong he could send to her half way across the country and be fine.

"She will handle the situation well.. as for this one..." Raising his hand and firing a blast of ice out, Ling Jiu was frozen on the spot. "...death seems the best outcome!"

Ling Jiu already had his qi at the ready in case a patrol caught him speaking with Old Ye. Never did he expect to see the Patriarch Xinghe himself was the one who attacked him.

'What is with this cold!?' Feeling his qi sluggish, the old man flared his qi up more hoping that would help. The extra push allowed him to escape but his opponent was right in front of him striking. "KUUKKK!" Xinghe fist burst right through the skin creating a whole through the backside in one go.

"This feels so good..." A bloodthirsty grin in his eyes, Xinghe felt his body throbbing in excitement. The killing was so cathartic that he grew o miss it sometimes. It was a good thing so many were ready to get killed in this Dimension. "..why were you talking so quietly with a traitor of the Azure Feather Family?"

Subterfuge was not his thing but he didn't mind messing around in it. It was better done by meticulous people after all. Thus the reason he wanted Lin Yin back in the fold.

"I didn't know he was a traitor!" Ling Jiu felt the cold permeated his entire body. Yet his meridians were on fire from some weird qi invading them. The strange qi made it to his Dantian and started smashing against it. "Spare me!"

Fresh blood decorated Xinghe's chest as the backlash from what he was doing to the old man caused him to cough up blood.

"Who sent you here?" The plea for mercy was ignored. As a crack was opened inside the Dantian further, he burrowed in with the Heart Method and devoured all the qi inside. Using the old man as a Cultivation Resource while he was still living outside of the Flame Vortex Core at that. "You only have a minute or two left."

"The Divine Sea Pavillion!" Grabbing the arm in his body, Ling Jiu pulled and kicked with every fiber of his being he could muster left. It only sped the process up further. "Friends of Lin Hong that you killed!"

*Fwish!* Flames burned around as Xinghe absorbed everything in the Dantian. It tasted like an old wine somewhat, not the best but not the worse either. He lost out on refining the body but it was no overall matter.

'Enough qi to push the Dragon martial Arts one higher. The Dark Moon Family needs to hurry with those Assasins, I am quite hungry.' Checking the air once, he shot off towards his destination. 'A did Ling Jiu should cause others to want to search for him!'