New Destination

"But how? You're dead..." Qing Ning's words tripped over one another, and he seemed to be in shock. Xia Ye walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Well, I thought I was actually going to die for a second there. But here I am." Qing Ning continued to stay frozen for quite some time.

It took a lot of Xia Ye convincing him he wasn't a ghost and a little longer for the shock to finally wear off. Plopping onto the ground, Qing Ning looked dazed. "I can't believe you really survived. You're incredible; you know that. My sister said she saw that attack pierce your stomach."

"Ya, that hurt like hell. Speaking of which, where is your sister?" Hearing that, Qing Ning sprang up onto his feet. "Oh, right, we need to tell her you're alive! She's in her office right now preparing for the upcoming Blue Wind Ranking Tournament." Xia Ye tilted his head, hearing the name. "What's the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament?"

Qing Ning turned his head, seeing Xia Ye really didn't know before explaining. "Well, like the name suggests, it's a tournament hosted for the entirety of the Blue Wind Empire. Around 500 of the Top Sects in the empire send their representatives. There they all compete to determine their rankings amongst one another. And of course for the prizes."

Qing Ning went into more detail about how grand of an event it was before asking a question. "But you guys aren't a sect? Are you still allowed to participate?" Qing Ning gave a mischievous smile. "Normally no, but my sister is one of the very few Sky Profound Cultivators in the empire. Not only that, but she's definitely stronger than most. So they plan on making an exception and sending us an invitation so yours truly can go."

Xia Ye was actually pretty impressed when he heard Sun Wukong. [You should attend, no, you have to attend!] Hearing how forward Sun Wukong was about it, he asked why. [It's a perfect chance to put yourself to the test. You can't tell me you're not excited about the idea.] Xia Ye's eyes trailed off as a smile grew on his face.

'Ok, maybe a little. But we still have to find your treasures.' He didn't want another gourd scenario happening. It was way too stressful for him. As the two of them began making their way to the top floor, Xia Ye asked Qing Ning something. "So technically speaking, if I wanted to enter the tournament, what would I need to do?"

Qing Ning stopped and looked at Xia Ye. "You want to-. Well, actually, you're definitely qualified, but still. In the end, you need an invite, and those only go out to large sects and powerful groups. As it is, it'll be pretty difficult." Xia Ye sighed. "I see." Qing Ning thought to himself for a second before speaking.

"Well, we can ask my sister when we meet her." Reaching the top, the two of them were stopped by the guards patrolling the floor. "Young Master Ning, who is this?" Referring to Xia Ye, the guard was suspicious especially considering how Xia Ye's clothes looked. "Ah, he's a friend of mine; you should know him. He's Xae Ye."

Xia Ye immediately saw the guards look at him in surprise and shock. "You- But I thought Xae Ye died back then. What…" Xia Ye seemed confused as Qing Ning explained. "Well, we tried our best to hide information about you from the public. But some people couldn't keep their mouths shut."

Rumours and stories about his shapeshifting abilities and strange methods leaked into public ears. That, mixed with what happened in the mist, also got its own set of rumours lurking around. Now, most of the public in Crescent City knew him as a disciple of some unknown legendary figure. The news had died off considering he had 'died', but it was still pretty well known.

"I see! Please forgive me for stopping you, Young Master Ning!" The guard immediately backed off, and Qing Ning nodded and took Xia Ye to his sister's office. Knocking on the door, Xia Ye heard a familiar female voice. "What is it?" Qing Ning responded happily by opening the door. "Sis, I got something I want to show you. I think you'll be surprised."

Walking inside, Xia Ye looked around till his eyes landed on someone sitting on the other side of the room. "You know I've been busy lately, so you have to show me quickly or-" Qing Huanying's words stopped flowing as she looked up and spotted Xia Ye. "You…" Xia Ye looked at her for a second before laughing.

"So that's what you look like without that mask on your face." Qing Ning nudged Xia Ye in the shoulder while smiling. "I know, right isn't she pretty. I don't know why she keeps wearing that mask in public." Seeing the two of them talking, Qing Huanying stood up. "Xae Ye… You're alive? But how…"

Xia Ye glanced around before smirking. "Why else." Reaching for his waist, something grew in his hand as he held it out in front of him. Qing Huanying's eyes widened to an incredible degree. "The- The artifact?" Qing Ning immediately looked towards the gourd in Xia Ye's hands. "Yup, It's thanks to this that I survived though I used practically all of its power."

The crack that was originally stretching down the gourd had long disappeared. Xia Ye now had full ownership over it and control as well. Putting the gourd away, Xia Ye said one more thing. "Oh right, and sorry about lying, but my name is Xia Ye, not Xae Ye." Hearing that, Qing Huanying chuckled. "So Chu Yuechan's guess was right about you."

Xia Ye seemed a bit confused by what she meant as she shook her head. "Never mind, it's not important. I'm sure you'll find out eventually. In any case, it's great that you're still alive. I should apologize for leaving you there, but…" Xia Ye shook his head. "It's fine really compared to the other cultivators in the world. I've had the pleasure of meeting you, and Qing Ning has treated me the best, even with other motives. We can let the past be the past."

Hearing that, Qing Huanying was surprised but nodded. "Alright then, thank you for that." Soon Qing Huanying took a break from her work as they all sat down. "So you're interested in competing in the tournament?" Xia Ye nodded. "Hmm, well, I suppose we could ask for permission to send two people. But are you sure you want to?"

Compared to the selection they hosted, the tournament would be in another league." Qing Huanying nodded. "Alright then, if that's what you want, I have no reason to say no. I'll temporarily include you into our ranks, so there are no legal issues. Still, even after the invitations arrive, the tournament will only be starting in around half a year."

Xia Ye put his hand on his chin. "So that means I have half a year to myself? That should be plenty of time then." Eventually, Xia Ye left the room as he thought to himself. 'Half a year should be enough time to find another one of your treasures.' As he thought that a different conversation was going on between Qing Ning and Qing Huanying.

"So you noticed how much he's changed, right? Even without having Profound Energy, it's obvious he's gotten stronger." Qing Huanying nodded as Qing Ning continued. "So, what do you think? It's not like you want to choose one of the current candidates. Plus, it would finally shut everyone up about it."

Qing Huanying smiled to herself silently for a second before speaking. "He's still young, and you're impatient. I want to see just how much stronger he's gotten. Until then, let's hold off on any decisions." Qing Ning frowned and crossed his arms. "Boring… But fine, whatever, I'm not going to rush you." While they spoke, Xia Ye had made his way all the way back to the Black Moon Merchant Guild.

The old man working as the clerk recognized him instantly. "Ah, welcome back to the Black Moon Merchant Guild, Sir." Xia Ye greeted the clerk and quickly had the remaining Profound Cores he had on him turned into money. In the end, he had around two hundred thousand yellow profound coins on his Profound Currency Card.

"I want to speak to an information broker again. Preferably the same one as last time." The clerk nodded. "Of course, please follow me." Taking a similar path as last time, Xia Ye found himself on the third floor of the building waiting in a familiar room. And wouldn't you know it only after a few minutes someone entered the room.

The same young man as before sat down with a smile. "If it isn't, our dear customer Xia Ye. It's wonderful to see you alive and well." Xia Ye couldn't say he was surprised they knew his name. The Black Moon Merchant Guild was simply too good at gathering information. The moment his fake name Xae Ye was spread, it was inevitable. "So, how might I be of assistance?"

"Like before, I'm still interested in any sudden changes or events in the past fifteen years." The broker thought to himself for a moment. "I see sadly; I'll have to disappoint you and say our branch has no information or such a matter." Xia Ye frowned. "Really?" The broker nodded. "Indeed"

Sighing, Xia Ye clicked his tongue. "However that is simply because we are but a branch of the Black Moon Merchant Guild. You see, the information you desire is being suppressed quite severely." Xia Ye leaned back. "Someone is suppressing the Black Moon Merchant Guild? I find that hard to believe."

The broker shook his head. "No such thing is impossible. However, it is possible to pay us to have information... Become hard to acquire." Xia Ye began to understand what he was saying. 'Someone's trying to hide the existence of one of the artifacts? But who has enough money and influence to affect the Black Moon Merchant Guild?'

Coming out of his thoughts, Xia Ye asked. "So, what do you suggest?" The broker sat up and leaned in, whispering to Xia Ye. "If our dear customer is truly bent on this, then there is only one method. The first requirement is having enough money to buy the information. As for how much, I know not. The second is to head to our HQ located in the Imperial City."

Xia Ye thought about the broker's words for a moment. 'In the end, money was the biggest issue.' Xia Ye took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. After a while, he left the Black Moon Merchant Guild. He had bought new clothes and paid for the information the broker had given to him.

"So, in the end, my destination is the Blue Wind Imperial City." Putting his hands together, Xia Ye cracked his neck. "Well, I did always want to see what the biggest city in the Blue Wind Empire looked like." Soon Xia Ye made his way back to the HQ of the military in Crescent City. Finding Ao Qin, Xia Ye saw that they were sleeping soundly.

"Heh." Smiling, he raised his foot and kicked the Wyvern in its side. "Ow!" Immediately it woke up, raising its head while breathing fire. "Oh, stop being so dramatic." Hearing Xia Ye, Ao Qin looked down at him and whined. "Master, why did you kick me…" Xia Ye explained briefly. "I'm going to be leaving soon, and you're coming with me."

"But-" Ao Qin was cut off as Xia Ye spoke over them. "Oh, come on, you're telling me you want to miss the potential chance of becoming a Dragon God?" Ao Qin halted their response as they lowered their head and mumbled. "Dragon Goddess…" Xia Ye frowned and looked at Ao Qin before saying something.

"Hold on, Ao Qin, are you a girl?"