When I felt the aura of a Golden Core cultivator approaching the House of Heavenly Pleasure, I stopped in place and used Cloak of Dusk to hide my presence. If the Golden Core cultivator was who I thought she was, letting her catch sight of me would just make things worse. Ellen, Elliot, and Harlow, who followed right behind me, stopped as well.

  Just to be safe, I pulled several talismans out of my storage ring. They once belonged to the Golden Core cultivator I killed back in the Howling Desert province, the one from the Ancient Blood Sect. These were my trump cards, in case I ever faced enemies far above my cultivation base. I hoped that I didn’t need to use them. However, I feared I would have to.

  Everyone else in the House of Heavenly Pleasure flew into a panic when they realized that a Golden Core cultivator was approaching. Shouts of fear filled the air. They were all in Qi Condensation, except for Madame Janessa who was in Foundation Establishment. To someone in the Golden Core realm, they might as well have been ants.

  Most of them tried to flee, even shoving others aside in their mad dash to escape. A few suffered injuries. The scent of blood mingled with the smell of alcohol and sex, creating a sickening stench.

  As for Willow, she pulled her black staff out of her storage ring and took a defensive stance, facing the entrance to the House of Heavenly Pleasure. She wore a grim expression on her face.

  “Let him go.” She commanded the two burly men who accompanied her.

  The two men, who kept Zayne pinned to the ground, glanced at one another.

  “But, Young Mistress-” One started to protest, but Willow cut him off.

  “Just do it!” She commanded. “Things will only be worse for us if it looks like we’re attacking him.”

  The two men obeyed, though they wore reluctant expressions on their faces. Zayne scrambled to his feet and ran towards the entrance to the House of Heavenly Pleasure. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, one with an affinity for Wind, he moved faster than everyone else and soon pulled ahead.

  While this took a while to describe, it all occurred within the span of a few seconds. When Zayne reached the entrance of the House of Heavenly Pleasure, the Golden Core cultivator walked through at the same time. He almost collided with her, but stopped himself in time.

  The new arrival was a tall and slender woman, with fair skin and long blond hair that flowed down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes were the same color as the cloudless sky, clear and bright. She wore a light blue dress crafted from the finest silk. It was also a mid-grade Golden Core level magic treasure, a defensive one I believed. She was beautiful, even when compared to other members of Clan Wind Dance. However, the cold expression on her face filled me with dread.

  Lucille Wind Dance, my uncle’s favorite wife and Zayne’s aunt. Well, mine too I supposed, though she never saw me as her nephew. The feeling was mutual.

  The moment Senior Lucille arrived, everyone froze in place. Her aura pressed down on everyone, making it difficult to breathe let alone move. The only exceptions were the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

  “Auntie!” Zayne cried out, his tone a mix of joy and relief. “You’re here.”

  He threw himself into Senior Lucille’s arms. For a moment, her expression grew soft and warm.

  “What’s wrong, my dear Zayne?” She asked in a gentle tone.

  Like her appearance, her voice sounded beautiful. It was harmonious and melodic.

  “That bitch is bullying me!” He whined, pointing a finger at Willow.

  A part of me sneered at Zayne for his behavior. Why had I ever let someone so juvenile wield so much influence over me? He was nothing more than a child in a grown man’s body. The last lingering traces of fear I felt towards Zayne disappeared.

  “Junior Willow,” Senior Lucille said, her expression turning frosty once more, “What is the meaning of this?”

  Willow swallowed before responding.

  “Your nephew insulted me.” She said, speaking in a tone that was neither disrespectful nor servile. “I merely responded in kind.”

  Senior Lucille snorted.

  “That doesn’t give you the right to harass my nephew.” She said. “You may be Senior Ava’s granddaughter, but that doesn’t mean I will allow you to look down on our Clan Wind Dance.” She paused. “However, out of consideration for your grandmother, if you apologize to my dear Zayne, I will forget this ever happened. After all, we will be family soon. I can afford to show some leniency.”

  Anger blossomed in my heart. Willow stated that Zayne insulted her first, but Senior Lucille wanted her to apologize to him? I knew she favored him, but this went beyond the pale.

  “Auntie,” Zayne said, grasping at Senior Lucille’s dress. He wore a desperate expression on his face. “I made a mistake. She knows.”

  Senior Lucille looked down at him, her brow furrowed.

  “What do you mean?” She asked.

  “She knows I’m not-…” Zayne trailed off before finishing his sentence.

  Senior Lucille’s expression lit up with understanding.

  “Ah,” she said, “I see.”

  She looked up and surveyed the House of Heavenly Pleasure. An icy claw gripped my heart when I saw the look in her eyes. It was as if she didn’t see the people in here as, well, people. Instead, she saw them as vermin to be exterminated.

  “Don’t worry, my dear Zayne,” Senior Lucille said, “Auntie will make sure that it will only be her word against yours. While we might lose some face, it won’t be too bad.”

  By the ancestors. I almost couldn’t believe it. Senior Lucille was going to kill everyone else here in order to silence them. All to save Clan Wind Dance a bit of face.

  “Senior,” Madame Janessa said, her eyes filled with despair, “Please spare us! We won’t tell anyone what we heard.”

  Everyone else in the House of Heavenly Pleasure nodded, their desperation and hope palpable.

  Senior Lucille gave her a cold smile.

  “Even if I took you at your word,” she said, “Someone could always soul scour you. There is only one way to ensure your silence.”

  Madame Janessa’s face fell.

  “I’m not going to stand by and watch you kill innocent people.” Willow said, brandishing her staff.

  The two burly men took up positions behind her. They knew that they had no chance at stopping Senior Lucille, yet they were going to try anyway.

  “You’re not strong enough to stop me.” Senior Lucille said with a snort. “I can’t kill you without provoking your grandmother, but I can certainly teach you a lesson.”

  “I can’t stop you,” Willow said, “But I can cause enough of a commotion to attract the Black Iron Guard. They can stop you.”

  Senior Lucille let out a scornful laugh.

  “The Black Iron Guard doesn’t care about a dirty pit like this.” She said. “By the time they arrive, everyone here will already be dead.” She shrugged. “Afterwards, the worst punishment I’ll face is a few days of imprisonment, followed by a fee. Even the North King wouldn’t offend Clan Wind Dance and the Thousand Blade Sect over the lives of a few vermin.”

  A hand touched my shoulder. It was Ellen. She wore a solemn look on her face.

  ‘We need to leave while we still can.’ She said, speaking to me through telepathy.

  I stared at her in disbelief.

  ‘What about Willow?’ I asked. ‘And everyone else here?’

  Ellen grimaced.

  ‘Little Sis Willow will be fine.’ She said. ‘At the very least, she’ll live. As for everyone else…” She shook her head. ‘There’s nothing we can do for them.’

  I glanced over at Elliot, who nodded.

  ‘We can’t just leave them to die!’ Harlow said

  Ellen regarded her through narrowed eyes.

  ‘Then what do you propose we do?’ She asked.

  Harlow had no response to that.

  ‘We need to go now,’ Ellen said, ‘Before she notices us.’

  She tugged on me, but I refused to budge. A strange feeling filled me, as if I stood before a precipice. Whatever I decided in this moment would affect me for the rest of my life.

  If we left now, my companions and I would live. Even if Senior Lucille caught us, my mother would come to the rescue. I suspected that she was watching over us even at this moment. My mother wouldn’t stand by and let us die. And if that wasn’t the case, the talismans in my hand were more than enough to keep Senior Lucille at bay long enough for us to escape. However, that meant abandoning the people in the House of Heavenly Pleasure.

  Willow would survive. Senior Lucille already stated that she would spare her. The same could not be said for everyone else. Senior Lucille would kill them all. However, if I intervened, I might be able to save them.

  In doing so, I risked serious injury, or even death. Even if my mother came to save me, it would still take her time to arrive. She wasn’t omnipotent. A lot could happen within the span of a few seconds, or even just one. There was also no guarantee that I would be able to save anyone, even with the talismans in my hand. My opponent was in the Golden Core realm, and I was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

  ‘Darian!’ Ellen hissed in my mind. ‘Don’t do anything foolish. These people are strangers. We owe them nothing.’

  To retreat or jump off the precipice?

  “Step away, my dear Zayne.” Senior Lucille said. “I don’t want any blood to splash on you.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Zayne obeyed his aunt and took several steps back. The moment he did, Senior Lucille pulled a beautiful sword out of her storage ring. In that moment, she looked elegant and noble, like a celestial maiden ready to slay demons in the name of righteousness. No one would ever suspect that she was about to murder a building full of innocent people.

  Ah, to hell with it. I jumped off the precipice. Otherwise, I would never be able to look at myself in the mirror again.

  I slapped two of the talismans onto my body and activated them, before leaping towards Senior Lucille. One was a Shield Talisman, one meant to withstand blows from Golden Core cultivators. The other was a Divine Speed Talisman, which multiplied my speed. However, since this talisman was also meant for Golden Core cultivators, I couldn’t control my movements. By combining the two, I turned myself into a human-shaped projectile.

  I shot towards Senior Lucille, moving so fast that she had no time to react. Her eyes widened, before I slammed into her. She didn’t even have time to activate her dress, which was a defensive magic treasure. The impact made my bones ache, even with the Shield Talisman’s protection.

  The two of us shot out of the House of Heavenly Pleasure, shattering the door into wooden splinters. We missed Zayne by inches. By some miracle, the street outside was empty of people. Otherwise, we would have slammed into them, causing serious injury. They must have fled when Senior Lucille first arrived.

  The two of us tumbled together for a bit before separating. I rolled a few more times and used my momentum to get back onto my feet. The moment I did, I activated all of the offensive talismans I looted from the Golden Core cultivator back in the Howling Desert province. There were three in total. When facing a more powerful foe, I couldn’t hold back. Hesitation would only get me killed.

  Despite this, Senior Lucille recovered first and attacked me with her sword. In the blink of an eye, she destroyed the barrier created by my Shield Talisman. The talisman itself turned to ash, its power spent. My heart ached at the loss. However, it bought me the time I needed.

  Three demonic skulls emerged from the talismans. They were blood red, with sharp teeth and horns jutting from their temples. The overpowering stench of blood filled the air. The three blood-red demonic skulls let out malicious cackles, before charging towards Lucille.

  Her eyes widened when she saw this and she darted back. A yellow barrier sprang into existence around her as she activated her defensive magic treasure. Despite Senior Lucille’s attempt to flee, the blood-red demonic skulls moved faster than her. They caught up to her with ease.

  Senior Lucille destroyed one with her sword, slicing it in half. It dissipated into nothingness. The other two reached her and started eating her barrier. It diminished at a rate visible to the naked eye. However, she destroyed a second blood-red demonic skull, which slowed the rate at which her barrier diminished. I realized that if I didn’t do something else, she would destroy the third skull and attack me afterwards.

  I took the two Earth Prison Talismans, the ones I received from Cultivator Desolate Gale, and activated one of them. The cobblestones around Senior Lucille broke free from the ground and rose up to imprison her. While she flung them off with ease, this distracted her long enough for the last blood-red demonic skull to break through her barrier and attack her. I then activated the second Earth Prison Talisman.

  When Senior Lucille tried to swing her sword at the last blood-red demonic skull, the effects of the Earth Prison Talisman threw off her attack. It bit her arm and tore into her flesh. Senior Lucille let out a scream of pain.

  Rather than give her time to recover, I pulled a pair of Fire Dragon Talismans, which I also received from Cultivator Desolate Gale, out of my storage ring. I activated them both at the same time. While they weren’t as strong as the talismans that summoned the blood-red demonic skulls, they were still powerful in their own right. Two dragons made of flames emerged from the talismans. Heat washed over the entire area, driving away the winter chill. The flame dragons roared, before charging towards Senior Lucille.

  A short, but ferocious, battle ensued. The blood-red demonic skull and the two flame dragons attacked Senior Lucille, while she tried to fend them off. However, her initial injury must’ve damaged her more than I realized, because she didn’t display the same strength and speed that she had before. By the time the blood-red demonic skull and the two flame dragons exhausted their power, they managed to injure her quite a bit.

  Senior Lucille was bloodied and battered. One of her arms hung from her side, useless. When she moved, she walked with a limp. Her hair was a mess and her dress was in tatters. Despite this, she was still on her feet and able to fight. Her eyes burned with hatred as she glared at me.

  “I’m going to kill you.” Senior Lucille said through gritted teeth.

  As she limped towards me, I pulled the last of the talismans that I received from Cultivator Desolate Gale, the two Dark Slumber Talismans, and threw them at her. She slashed one in half, but the other attached itself to her body. Her eyes fluttered and she swayed on her feet. However, that still wasn’t enough to bring her down.

  “You think… Something… Like this… Is enough… To stop… Me?” Senior Lucille asked in a sleepy voice.

  With little other choice available, I pulled my treasure talisman out of my storage ring and prepared to use it. The reason why I hadn’t before was because I hadn’t wanted to kill Senior Lucille. There were two reasons for this. One, she was kin. Despite everything, that meant something to me. Not a lot, but enough that I didn’t want to kill her. Two, Lucius would never forgive me for killing his mother. However, I feared that I had little choice.

  In the end, it didn’t come to that. Dozens of silver needles shot towards Senior Lucille, piercing her skin. At the same time, a pair of curved daggers sank into her abdomen, while an arrow embedded itself in her left shoulder. The surprise attack caught Senior Lucille off guard. She stopped in place for a moment, before she dropped her sword and crumpled to the ground.

  I looked to the side and found my companions standing in the now shattered entrance of the House of Heavenly Pleasure. Ellen and Harlow must have thrown the daggers and the silver needles respectively, while the arrow came from Elliot. He held his azure bow, a high-grade Foundation Establishment magic treasure, in his hands.

  “You can ask for help.” Ellen snapped in a harsh tone. “You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

  I blinked at her in surprise. I think this was the first time I’ve witnessed her angry with me. However, before I could respond, a wave of exhaustion washed over me and I stumbled forward.

  “Darian!” My companions said, before rushing towards me.

  “It’s fine,” I said in an exhausted voice, “I’m just low on internal qi.”

  Activating multiple talismans within a short span of time, five of which were meant for Golden Core cultivators, had drained my internal qi by a significant amount. That was another reason why I hesitated to use the treasure talisman, since it took too much internal qi to activate.

  I pulled a bottle of mid-grade Qi Restoration Pills out of my storage ring and swallowed a few. They went to work right away, replenishing my meager reserves.

  Ellen grabbed my face and forced me to look into her eyes. Her pupils were narrowed to thin slits.

  “Promise me that you’ll never do something like that again.” She said.

  I gave her a sheepish smile.

  “I don’t think I can make that promise.” I said. “Rather, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep it if I did.”

  Ellen stared at me for several moments, before she let go of my face and stalked off. She didn’t go far, but it was clear that my answer angered her even further. Elliot let out a resigned sigh, while Harlow snorted and shook her head. I made a mental note to make it up to her somehow. Right now, we didn’t have any time to spare.

  “Secure her.” I told Elliot, gesturing to Senior Lucille. “Don’t forget to take her sword and her storage ring.”

  He nodded and pulled a Binding Rope out of his storage ring, before going over to tie Senior Lucille up. While he did that, I rushed back inside the House of Heavenly Pleasure. Everyone inside was no longer pressured by Senior Lucille’s. Despite this, no one had moved. This was because Willow released her own aura to keep everyone in check.

  While she wasn’t a Golden Core cultivator, she was still far more powerful than almost everyone else here. The only exception was Madame Janessa, who was busy tending to her people. Zayne laid unconscious on the ground, bound and gagged, with one of Willow’s two burly companions keeping an eye on him. The other one kept an eye on Zayne’s companions from the Thousand Blade Sect. The group eyed us with fear in their eyes.

  “Are you alright?” Willow asked, still facing the others.

  I nodded.

  “We need to leave before the Black Iron Guard arrives.” I said.

  We were lucky that they hadn’t already showed up. The sooner we left, the better. This night had already turned into a disaster. Getting in trouble with the Black Iron Guard would just compound our troubles. However, before that, there were a few things that I needed to take care of first.

  I walked over to Madame Janessa. When she noticed me approaching, she stood up and regarded me with wary eyes. She held a talisman in her hands, the one she intended to use on Zayne when he started to cause a commotion. I reached into my storage ring and pulled out a storage bag containing two thousand spirit stones.

  “Compensation for the trouble we caused.” I said, holding the storage bag out towards Madame Janessa.

  She eyed it with a tempted expression on her face, but refused to take it.

  “Fine,” I said, shrugging, “I’ll keep it then.”

  I started to put the storage bag back into my storage ring, but then Madame Janessa snatched it out of my hands.

  “Thank you, esteemed guest.” She said. “Now please leave and never return.”

  I nodded and turned towards the group of Thousand Blade Sect disciples. They shrank away from me, staring with wide eyes and fearful expressions on their faces.

  “How ma-may we serve you, Senior?” One of them asked, stuttering.

  “Tell Dominic Wind Dance that Darian has his wife.” I said. “If he wants her back, I’ll be waiting at Divine Beast Palace.”

  “Ye-Yes, Senior. We’ll deliver your message.”

  “Good.”

  With that I turned Willow.

  “Done?” She asked.

  I nodded.

  “Let’s go then.”

  She gestured to her two burly companions. One of them picked up Zayne, and together we all left the House of Heavenly Pleasure. As we walked towards the others, Willow spoke to me through telepathy.

  ‘I didn’t realize that kidnapping Lucille Wind Dance was a part of your plan.’ Willow said in a teasing tone.

  I grimaced.

  ‘It wasn’t.’ I replied. ‘However, now that we’ve come this far, we might as well go all the way. Half measures won’t suffice.’

  Willow shrugged.

  ‘Fine with me.’ She said, nonchalant. ‘I always hated that bitch. However, how are we going to return to Divine Beast Palace without getting caught by the Black Iron Guard?’

  She had a point. Divine Beast Palace was a fair distance away from this area of North King City. It wouldn’t take the Black Iron Guard long to notice us, especially since we were carrying around an unconscious Senior Lucille and Zayne.

  ‘I have an idea.’ I said.

  I pulled a transmission talisman out of my storage ring.

  “Mother.” I said.

  Before I could say more, I heard a snort in my mind.

  ‘I was wondering when you were going to ask me for help.’ She said through telepathy.

  Before I could respond, something tugged at me and my body moved. The world around me blurred. The next thing I knew, I was standing in my mother’s courtyard within the Dragon Palace.

  My friends stood near me, as well as Willow’s two burly companions. Everyone looked around in confusion, before they noticed my mother. She lounged atop a comfy couch, dozens of empty wine bottles littering the ground next to her.

  “Thank you, Mom.” I said, giving her a martial salute.

  My companions also saluted and thanked her.

  “No need to thank me,” my mother said, making a dismissive gesture, “This is all for the sake of my newest daughter-in-law. I’m more than happy to help.”

  Willow’s expression twisted when she heard that, as if she didn’t know how to react to that statement. I didn’t blame her. On the one hand, my mother was a powerful cultivator with high status within the Dawn and Dusk Sect. On the other hand, she was akin to a natural disaster; a lustful, alcoholic natural disaster.

  “Thank you, Mother-In-Law.” Willow said, taking refuge in politeness.

  My mother nodded, before glancing at Senior Lucille and Zayne.

  “Besides, I have a grudge against those fools in Clan Wind Dance for the way they treated you.” She said. “This is a perfect chance to slap them across the face.” She looked at me and my companions in turn. “You’ve all had an eventful evening. Leave those two here and get some rest. You’ll need your energy for what’s to come. I’ll make sure nothing bothers you until then.”

  I felt lighter when she said that, as if her words had taken a heavy burden off of my shoulders.

  “Thank you.” I said, relieved.

  My mother rolled her eyes.

  “I just said that there was no need to thank me,” she said. “Now go.”

  With that my companions and I headed back to my courtyard within the Dragon Palace. Willow dismissed her two burly companions and told them to report back to her grandmother. They saluted her, before leaving.

  When we arrived at my courtyard, Ellen stomped off. I wanted to chase after her, but wasn’t sure if she would welcome my presence at the moment. In the end, I watched her leave, feeling helpless. Elliot placed a hand on my shoulder.

  “Go.” He said.

  I gave him an uncertain look.

  “Maybe it’s better to give her some time to calm down,” I said.

  Elliot shook his head.

  “Ellen needs you right now, Darian.” He said. “Her anger stems from fear. The best thing you can do for her is be there for her. Reassure her.”

  I studied him for a moment, before glancing at Willow and Harlow.

  “Go.” Willow said, smiling. “Big Sis Ellen is always taking care of us. It’s up to you to take care of her in return.”

  “Remember to buy her something expensive afterwards as an apology!” Harlow said, a cross expression on her face.

  I chuckled and shook my head, before I chased after Ellen.

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  This chapter was edited by Radriel7