Chapter 089 – Commanding Demonic Beasts - Part 1

The man waited in the rear courtyard, hearing footsteps behind him. Turning slightly, he saw, illuminated by the restaurant’s warm light, a striking beauty in a crimson dress.

She had an almond-shaped face and large eyes, and her tall figure swayed with every step. She gave off an air of both grace and gentle allure.

The man lowered his gaze and bowed, saying nothing.

Xue Ning studied him. “Who are you? Why do you want to see me?”

The man drew a deep breath, as though suppressing some deep sorrow. “My name is Tang Qiu. I’ve come to see if you might take in a young girl. She’s obedient and resourceful. She can do any kind of work, so long as she gets enough to eat.”

Xue Ning paused, realizing he was referring to the little girl she’d seen in the front hall moments before. Her expression grew cold. “She’s your daughter?”

“Yes,” he said.

“You’re willing to sell your own daughter?”

“I don’t need money,” he replied quietly.

Xue Ning let her anger subside just a touch. “Are you facing difficulties? We’re hiring extra guards right now. My manager says you have some unusual skills. Perhaps you could give that a try. If you make it as a guard, you could earn enough to support your daughter.”

Tang Qiu gave a faint smile. “Thank you for your kindness, but I won’t live much longer. Recently, my daughter and I survived on the porridge your restaurant provided. You’re good people... If possible, I’d like to leave my daughter in your care. Make her a maid or a servant, whatever you need. As long as she can stay alive, that’s enough.”

With that, he opened his palm, revealing a small iron device. It buzzed ominously, its thin metal wings catching the sunlight like blades. Suddenly it shot into the air, circling his hand in a swift, gleaming dance.

Alarmed, Zhou Jia snapped upright and rushed over to shield Xue Ning, but Tang Qiu didn’t seem to mind. He was simply displaying his iron butterfly.

One butterfly finished its circuit, and then a second, then a third rose from his pockets. The three iron insects whirred around him in black arcs, slicing the air with a sound like tearing silk.

With a subtle motion of Tang Qiu’s hand, the trio hurtled toward a nearby boulder. As they banked sharply around it, the stone’s surface showed several fresh, razor-edged slashes. Another gesture, and they fluttered back to his open hand, folding their wings until they once again resembled nothing but lumps of iron.

Bowing again to Xue Ning, he said, “I’ve already taught this little trick to my daughter, Nian Nian. If you take her in, you’ll have a well-behaved maid, and a capable bodyguard.”

Xue Ning regarded him thoughtfully, then noticed how grave Zhou Jia looked. She hesitated and said to Manager Wu, “Manager Wu, give him some money for the road.”

Tang Qiu stiffened. “You won’t take my daughter?”

“Apologies,” Xue Ning replied. “Your abilities are far from ordinary. Under normal circumstances, a man like you shouldn’t have fallen so low. That means there’s quite a story behind you. I don’t want to drag my household into some dangerous twist of fate we’d otherwise never have encountered.”

Tang Qiu let out a wry chuckle. “If I’m leaving Nian Nian here, it’s because I’m sure none of my troubles will reach this place. I’m about to die. And once I’m gone, who would even know she’s my daughter?”

Xue Ning hesitated. She could sense her husband’s interest in gathering people with all sorts of unique skills. And clearly, this iron-butterfly skill was out of the ordinary.

They were both silent for a moment when faint sobs sounded from nearby.

Tang Qiu and Xue Ning turned to see a graceful woman, Yan Yu, leading a young girl by the hand. Tears streamed down the little one’s face, her eyes swollen and red as ripe peaches.

“Yan Yu!”

“Nian Nian!”

Xue Ning and Tang Qiu called out simultaneously.

Yan Yu blushed. “I-I saw this little girl waiting in the front hall, so I took her around to find her father. And, well...here we are.”

She didn’t need to explain. The child’s tears said it all.

Tang Qiu’s eyes grew red. He lowered his head and clenched his fists, whispering, “Nian Nian...”

The girl burst into fresh sobs, flinging her arms around her father. “Daddy, I don’t want you to die! I don’t want you to die!”

Everyone exchanged looks. Yan Yu suggested, “Why don’t we wait until Li Yuan comes back and see what he thinks?”

Xue Ning nodded. “Let’s do that.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Meanwhile, the carriage bearing Li Yuan came to a halt. He hopped down with the short man, Ah San, and they walked around a small garden strewn with fallen petals. Crossing a path paved with smooth river stones, they arrived at the rear of Blood Fury Hall.

In the courtyard, a broad-shouldered man in white robes, sporting a rough beard, sat at a stone table. He ran his fingers over the tabletop, tracing odd lines as though lost in thought. At the sound of footsteps, he looked up. “You’re here?”

Li Yuan stepped forward respectfully. “I greet the Sect Master.”

Tie Sha studied Li Yuan for a moment, then broke into a hearty laugh. “You’ve been quietly hoarding some fine wine, haven’t you? Next time, bring me two jars!”

Ah San chimed in from the side, “Master, he’s already brought two jars of Springdream Brew today.”

Tie Sha blinked, then let out another deep laugh. Pointing at Li Yuan, he said, “Come, have a seat.”

Li Yuan returned a small bow, then settled on the stone stool opposite Tie Sha. The two faced each other across the table.

That was when Li Yuan noticed the scribbles on the stone tabletop—abstract lines he recognized from the Spirit-Release Technique manual his teacher had given him. These were attempts to replicate a life chronicle, only in rough form.

Tie Sha glanced at him. “You’ve seen something like this before?”

Li Yuan answered honestly, “Yes, in the manual my master gave me.”

Tie Sha let out a self-deprecating laugh. “What’s in your master’s manual is just a hollow imitation, useless.”

“My master said the same,” Li Yuan admitted. “He told me that without its

essence

, no matter how carefully you study it, you’ll never break through to sixth rank.”

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“The sixth rank...” Tie Sha murmured. “Legends always speak of Immortals, but there’s no such thing. If anyone were truly immortal, it would be sixth rank, which divides mortal from transcendent. Crossing that threshold or not, it's like living in two different worlds.”

Li Yuan gave a faint smile. “Sect Master, with your abilities, I’m sure you’ll get there. Isn’t our Blood Blade Sect part of a higher-level faction? They must have the subsequent manuals. Unfortunately, I’m using my master’s technique, so I won’t have access to that kind of opportunity.”

“Higher-level faction...” A subtle hint of sorrow flickered in Tie Sha’s eyes. Instead of elaborating, he said, “Don’t be discouraged. Actually, your master’s lineage and the Blood Blade Sect share a common heritage.”

“Truly?” Li Yuan was taken aback. “Please enlighten me, Sect Master.”

Tie Sha nodded. “It seems that Li Yu hasn’t told you. I understand. He likely didn’t want you chasing after bigger mysteries. He preferred for you to inherit that one school of his. But that must have been his thinking in the past. With your aptitude, he’ll probably tell you everything eventually.”

Just then, Tie Sha turned and hollered, “Didn’t Young Master Li bring good wine? Fetch a few dishes from the kitchen and bring that wine while you’re at it!”

“Yes, sir!” The short attendant, Ah San, answered and left the courtyard.

Tie Sha continued, “The upper-level force behind the Blood Blade Sect is called the Sacred Fire Palace. But the Sacred Fire Palace doesn’t only oversee us; it has ties to several different factions.

“As for your own school, the higher-level force behind it is the Mystic Gold Monastery. It, too, spans numerous lower factions. The Sacred Fire Palace and Mystic Gold Monastery both belong to an even greater power. Who that might be, no one outside their level of authority would know.”

“I see...” Li Yuan said thoughtfully. So the founder of the Fallen Moon School was likely a disciple from the Mystic Gold Monastery who branched off and created a new order. After a moment, he asked, “How does the imperial court compare to such a large power?”

Tie Sha gave him a long look. “They say the imperial court was once just like these major factions. Then it seized control of the realm, took over the rivers and mountains, and now rules over the masses.”