Chapter 96 - Beneath Still Waters (Final) (Patreon)

After he consumed the blood of nearly twenty war prisoners, Lucian left the mansion. Now full of Blood Essence, he did not use it to cultivate, as he had planned. Instead, taking advantage of the night, he rushed toward his new destination as quickly as possible.

In less than an hour, he arrived at the docks, where the flagships of the major fleets were anchored. It was rare for all of them to be gathered there, but due to the turmoil spreading across the Empire and the fleet leaders' schemes unfolding within Three Feathers City, they all happened to be present at the same time.

The other ships constantly came and went, either transporting war prisoners and raw materials from the Great Sea or sending products toward it. They should also be selling products to the Golden Peng Empire's other regions, but if one took the time to observe, the warehouses storing exports were nearly empty, and the ones with imports were packed full.

This was not a good sign for the economy.

The artisans were no longer purchasing materials at the same rate because the demand for their products within the Golden Peng Empire had declined. Because of that, it was impossible to sell the goods in the warehouses, causing products to spoil.  No merchant would buy rotten products or sell something without demand, and the ship's owners wouldn't sail without being paid.

In the end, the ships reduced their crews, leaving people desperate for work. These unemployed citizens couldn't buy what they wanted, impacting the merchants. Selling less, the shops and stalls demanded fewer products, breaking contracts with ship owners and artisans. These groups, obviously, wouldn't take the loss and fired their employees to reduce costs.

It was a never-ending cycle of diminished returns.

Before Lucian’s slumber, such changes had not been easy to notice.

Now, however, as more people fought over positions within ship crews and many resorted to theft or begging, it became obvious that the unrest in the northern regions of the Empire had affected the south.

Passing through the crowd, Lucian did not attempt to conceal himself.

From where he stood on the docks, he could see the Mist Monarch Ship. Its enormous size, cannons, and azure cloud paintings made it stand out among the surrounding vessels.

Lucian merely glanced at it before turning away.

Instead of entering that ship, he headed toward another massive wooden vessel, one embedded with luminous artifacts and lined with cannons along its sides. Most of the people entering and leaving through the boarding bridge were women covered in robes.

The moment Lucian stepped onto the bridge leading toward the vessel, he felt dozens of gazes lock onto him. Then, two guards approached immediately, both muscular women whose faces bore the marks of battle.

“What business do you have here?” one of them asked, resting her hand on the hilt of her saber.

Lucian glanced at her briefly and then looked toward the ship, saying, “I want to talk."

The guards exchanged uncertain glances. It didn't seem that Lucian was talking to them. Besides, he seemed dangerous, and neither woman knew how to handle the situation.

Fortunately for them, a soft humming sound reached their ears, causing the two guards and Lucian to turn simultaneously. Lucian had long perceived the approaching people, but he didn't know if those were the ones sent to talk to him. Behind him, he saw Lady Caihong, small in stature, with white hair and a smiling face, accompanied by Sisters Mu and Yi.

“It's you,” Lucian said, recognizing their scent immediately. They were some of the spies who followed him up and down. “Lead the way.”

Lady Caihong chuckled, while the two sisters flinched slightly.

“Young people are so direct,” Lady Caihong said, opening her fan and waving it lightly toward the guards. “Make way, make way. Madame Ching is waiting.”

The guards nodded immediately and stepped out of their way. Then, Lady Caihong walked ahead, followed by the sisters and Lucian. As they moved through the ship in silence, Sister Mu failed to contain her curiosity.

“Did you know we would come?” she asked. “Did you know we were following you? Since when?”

Beside her, Sister Yi blanched, clearly wanting to smack the girl into silence. Meanwhile, Lady Caihong continued walking with a gentle smile.

Lucian glanced at the blue-robed girl and kept walking without answering. He had no desire to entertain her.

Sister Mu’s face reddened after being ignored. Just as she was about to speak again, Lady Caihong chuckled.

“Oh, Mu’er, he was counting on us to appear,” the old woman explained, waving her fan. “He did not attempt to hide where he was going and openly allowed every spy in the city to watch him. He knew someone under Madame Ching would eventually come greet him."

When she finished speaking, they arrived outside the captain’s cabin. Frowning, Lucian noticed he could not perceive any presence from inside. It felt less like the room was empty and more as though everything within it had been submerged underwater, with sounds, scents, and Qi all hidden beneath a heavy current.

“I brought a guest, Elder Sister,” Lady Caihong said, tapping the door lightly with her now-closed fan.

A moment later, the door opened. Inside, the cabin was filled with gold and precious stones adorning everything from the walls to the desk and bed, reflecting multicolored light in every direction.

Madame Ching sat behind her desk wearing a silk mask that concealed her mouth. She was dressed in layered robes of red and pink decorated with black ornaments.

Spreading his perceptions and senses, Lucian observed how the golden amulets and necklaces hanging from her neck and arms radiated Qi, mostly a kind of dark Water Qi. The Qi flow within Madame Ching herself, however, was difficult to grasp and appeared more like a haze. It reminded him a bit of what happened when he looked at Grandmaster Miao's Qi flow.

Even so, Lucian could hear the calm rhythm of her heartbeat and smell the heavy makeup beneath her skin, showing that whatever had blocked his senses only worked with the door closed. And that he could rely on his senses more than on Qi perception.

Lady Caihong entered first and greeted Madame Ching with a small bow, while Sisters Mu and Yi cupped their hands and bowed as low as possible.

Following them, Lucian gave a slight nod. Then, as Grandmaster Miao had done, he felt Madame Ching use investigative techniques on him. These were waves of dark-colored Qi that swept across his body. It resembled a smudged substance leaking outward from her. Maybe because of this, or because of some artifact that shone brightly in his Qi perception, Lucian couldn't perceive what other Qi she cultivated besides the dark Water Qi.

After a moment, Madame Ching nodded toward Lucian and said,  “You suffer from a very serious Qi deviation. It has worsened greatly during these last few months, has it not?"

Then, she waved her hand. Understanding the gesture, Lady Caihong led the two sisters outside and closed the door behind them.

Now alone with the leader of both the Shadow Alliance and the Deep Shadow Fleet, Lucian walked toward the chair before her desk and sat down. He stared at her for a second and said, “You are the first Foundation Establishment cultivator I have met recently who has not immediately tried to make a deal with me or openly plot against me.”

“You are welcome,” Madame Ching replied sarcastically. “I hope you intend to extend the same courtesy.”

“I am not here to make a deal,” Lucian said, glancing at the jewels spread across the desk. “I came to offer you a gift.”

Madame Ching frowned slightly and arched an eyebrow. She didn't believe a word he said.

“It is your choice whether or not to accept it,” Lucian continued. “In two days, the city will descend into turmoil. Anyone near the Tidal Church branches or the Azure Royal Fleet will become involved. A lot will die."

Adjusting her posture in the chair, Madame Ching narrowed her eyes. Then, she asked coldly,  “What are you talking about, you lunatic? And how exactly is this supposed to be a gift?”

“The gift is the warning itself,” Lucian answered, folding his hands together and staring directly into her eyes. “Withdraw the forces of the Deep Shadow Fleet and the Shadow Alliance from those premises. Preserve your strength and use it later to attack the other forces.”

Madame Ching chuckled in disbelief, shaking her head. Inwardly, she questioned if Grandmaster Miao had sent Lucian to play a joke on her.

“Your Qi deviation has clearly affected your mind,” she said. “If I suddenly withdraw my people, it will look as though I already knew about whatever madness you are planning. The City Lord would take both our heads to appease the other major forces.”

Lucian narrowed his eyes. He had not expected Madame Ching to dismiss the warning without asking for details. She seemed far more cautious than the rumours he had heard.

“I heard you were a bold woman,” Lucian said with a frown. “You are known as a ruthless person who acts swiftly and always prioritizes her goals. You have the opportunity to become the greatest force beneath the Feathered Serpent Castle, yet you choose not to take it. This is, at the very least, an interesting choice.”

The dark Qi around Madame Ching surged slightly, and her tone turned colder. “Leave now, or I will be forced to give you an unwanted gift as well.”

Not wanting to fight her aboard her own ship, as it would be unwise, Lucian stood up and nodded at her.

“As I said, whether you accept the gift or not is your decision,” he replied, turning around and leaving the room.

Once outside the cabin, Lucian slowly made his way off the ship while reviewing his plans.

People saw me enter her flagship. That alone should be enough, he thought, narrowing his eyes. However, she did not ask for details, so the bait failed. She may not spread the word of our conversation the way I expected. This means I will have to create a distraction.

When Lucian left the ship, dozens of gazes focused on him. He ignored them all and walked through the crowded docks toward the district with inns and restaurants. In the end, despite what he had told Madame Ching, he had no intention of waiting two full days before making his move.