Chapter 74: Silent Steps

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Liu Jin and Lei Kong are each given a private room inside the Five Blessings Auction House. The building is well-equipped for receiving guests. Though it may be called an auction house, it is more accurate to call it the main headquarters of the Five Blessings Group in Five Bats City. The auctions just happen to draw the most attention.

The room Liu Jin is given is opulent enough for him to know he is being treated well, but not so much that it becomes overly gaudy and uncomfortable to stay in. Its large, comfortable bed, muted colors, and classic furniture gives it a serious atmosphere, which Liu Jin finds himself favoring.

As for Lei Kong’s room, Liu Jin has not seen it. He doubts Lei Kong has either as the man seems intent on becoming his shadow.

“You have questions.”

Liu Jin does not bother looking up from his desk, his focus on the letter he’s writing. Even if he did look at Lei Kong, he’d just find him kneeling in the corner of the room. He has been doing that for the past hour.

“That is indeed the case, my lord.”

As Lei Kong speaks, Liu Jin puts down his writing brush and looks at what he has written so far. His eyes are halfway through the page when a dissatisfied hum leaves his mouth. His brow crinkles into a frown. A shake of his head. A click of his tongue. The paper is tossed away. Poison disintegrates it before it even hits the ground.

A new sheet of paper is placed on the desk. The brush is inked. Soon enough, Liu Jin is writing again.

“How curious. I thought you were a tool. Since when does a tool ask questions?”

“I—”

“It is fine,” Liu Jin interrupts, his brush drawing a soft curve. “You have tied your life to mine, allegedly.”

“I wish my lord did not feel the need to add that last word.”

“Wanting to know in which direction we are heading is completely natural,” Liu Jin continues without missing a beat. “Uncertainty is an ugly thing.”

Liu Jin hums a little tune as he reaches inside his spatial pouch and pulls out a talisman. It is one of many his master taught him how to make.

“For utility,” Old Jiang had said. As Liu Jin sends out a jolt of Qi to activate it, he finds himself grateful for his master’s foresight.

“That is—!”

“A talisman, yes,” Liu Jin says, sounding bored as he lets go of the talisman and leaves it floating in the air. “It will ensure we can talk without being overheard.”

The Five Blessings Group has proven far more reliable than Liu Jin had been expecting. Still, that doesn’t mean he is about to let down his guard.

“Please, try not to sound so surprised at every little thing. It is rather annoying.”

The brush makes a soft noise as Liu Jin sets it down.

“It is a weird situation we are in. I know alienating you is probably the worst thing I can possibly do right now.” Liu Jin finally turns away from the desk. “Like it or not, I do depend on you. It is in my best interest to treat you well.”

Uncomfortable as it is to admit it, Lei Kong has been at his side ever since he woke up. If Lei Kong had lost his patience with him at any moment, he could have killed him. There’d have been little Liu Jin could have done about it.

Even now, all Lei Kong would need to do is to attack him. It is unlikely Liu Jin would be able to react in time.

“And yet, I find it hard to suppress my dislike of you. To be more accurate, I can’t find the will to do so. While it is heartening to know I am not without emotion, it is rather troublesome.” Liu Jin drums his fingers against his left knee, lightly biting the inside of his cheek. “Oh, well. No matter. You have questions. Go ahead and ask them. I do not feel like telling you my life story, but I will try to answer as best as I can. It is the least I could do.”

“My lord, I…” Lei Kong trails off, unsure of how to continue. Perhaps it is because he is having a hard time deciding where to start. Perhaps it is because Liu Jin’s manner is simply that off-putting.

Liu Jin wouldn’t blame him for that. He finds himself rather off-putting as of late.

On the bright side, he has been able to think about his Master without feeling any sorrow lately. That is certainly an upside to his condition.

“My lord, I will not question how it is that you have such a good relationship with the Five Blessings Group.”

Liu Jin blinks.

“Truly? I thought for sure that would be the first thing you were going to ask about.”

Lei Kong shakes his head.

“I will not deny I am curious, but it is as you say. I am a tool. There is no need for me to know about my lord’s past. My lord is clearly better connected than I had initially assumed. I acknowledge my error and ask forgiveness for my presumptuousness,” Lei Kong says, bluntly and seriously, his face contrite. “What I do wish to know, however, is what is it that my lord seeks to accomplish here? Certainly, we have been treated well, and selling that core will give my lord funds, yet I do not think that is all my lord is after. Am I wrong?”

“Ho, rather insightful, aren’t you? Wasn’t being a soldier a waste of your abilities? No, there is no need to answer that,” Liu Jin adds when he sees Lei Kong about to open his mouth. “It is as you say. Obtaining funds is only one of the reasons why we are here. There are three others.”

Liu Jin raises three fingers.

“First, I wanted to know if news of the attack on Eastern Port City had already reached this location.”

Five Bats City experiences a high amount of trade. Since people from all over the empire travel to and from the city, news from all over the Crimson Cloud Empire eventually make their way here. Despite that, Liu Jin has not heard a single thing about Eastern Port City being attacked. Not when walking through the streets and not when conversing with Branch Manager Bianfu.

In other words, it is safe to assume the fate of Eastern Port City is still not public knowledge.

Lei Kong’s words… he most likely wasn’t wrong in implying only Liu Jin survived.

Liu Jin takes a deep breath and wills himself to keep talking.

“Had that happened, Five Bats City would have been the safest place to stay while keeping an eye on the situation. Even now, staying in Five Bats City is probably for the best.”

Which isn’t to say Five Bats City is the safest place for them to stay at. Far from it, really.

That’d have been New Moon Town.

A small town several days away from Eastern Port City, lacking any resources that would make it attractive to an invading army. Had Liu Jin gone there, he’d have been treated well. No one would have questioned his motives, and he’d have easily been able to stay for as long as he wished to.

However, that would have been nothing but hiding.

Although… is what he is doing right now really so different?

“Tell me something, do you think your former comrades will keep pushing their way into the Crimson Cloud Empire?”

“What?” Lei Kong looks shocked before quickly shaking his head. “No, my lord. I rather doubt it. Murong Bang is unfortunately not so foolish. The only reason he attacked Eastern Port City is that the Empyrean Crystals were a too tempting target. He and his army will most likely stay in the area until they have mined all of it then return to the Storm Dragon Empire.”

“I see.” Liu Jin hums. “There are worse alternatives, I suppose. If the situation changes, we’re well poised to take action.”

How exactly is he supposed to act, however, is a mystery not even Liu Jin knows the answer to.

“My lord is not going to inform the people of what happened?”

“I probably should, shouldn’t I?” Liu Jin muses. “However, I am leery of doing so, which, I guess, brings me to the second reason we are here. The attack on Eastern Port City will eventually make waves. That is why certain people must be informed of it discreetly before it becomes public knowledge.”

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People like Xiao Fang.

The Xiao Sect’s main headquarters in Eastern Port City are now destroyed. That does not mean the Xiao Sect is gone. It still has several branches all over the Empire. Right now, Xiao Fang is somewhere out there, unaware of the fate of his home. As he is Xiao Zheng’s heir, he is someone who can claim leadership of the Xiao Sect one day.

Will all the Branch Masters agree to that, though?

Elder Hui had ended up being a traitor. Who is to say there aren’t others like him? With Xiao Zheng gone, how many people will soon wonder what the Xiao Sect would be like under their rule?

What is to stop those people from deciding Xiao Fang’s existence is an obstacle?

Xiao Fang not being the next leader of the Xiao Sect is not something Liu Jin minds much. Xiao Fang being assasinated, however, is something he will not allow.

“To that end, I have asked the Five Blessings Group to help me locate certain people.”

Xiao Fang needs to be informed first. Of that, at least, Liu Jin is sure of. That way, he will be able to prepare himself for any potential treachery.

If only Liu Jin could figure out how to write the damn letter!

Liu Jin has gone through six drafts since he sat down to write. Every single time, he finds himself making stupid excuses. Perhaps, that is why the notion of going out to find Xiao Fang in person is so unattractive to him.

What would he even tell him? That Eastern Port City has been destroyed by his folly? That he tried his best and was worthless?

Even like this, it seems the guilt is far too much. No, Liu Jin cannot show his face to Xiao Fang right now. That makes finishing this letter all the more important. With Xiao Shuang, Liu Jin can tell himself she’s as safe as one can be.

Because she is in the Divine Frozen Palace.

If he really wanted to do something about this, shouldn’t informing the Divine Frozen Palace about what happened not be his first task?

Liu Jin can tell himself he‘s in no condition to make a journey like that. He’s too weak to go to those frozen lands. There is no guarantee they’ll listen to him. He doesn’t even know if it is possible to send a message there.

He can make as many excuses as he wants, but isn’t he just being a coward?

“My lord?”

“It is nothing,” Liu Jin says, “As I was saying, there are some people I believe must be informed before this becomes common knowledge. As for the third reason, well…”

Liu Jin looks at the ceiling.

“There are some people here I thought I’d visit.”