Chapter 115 - Black Clouds from the South (Part IV) (Patreon)

While Lucian remained immersed in cultivation within a warehouse near the docks, a meeting was taking place aboard a ship anchored by the shore.

“That’s ridiculous!” said a man wearing an eyepatch, slamming his hand against the table. Then, he pointed toward an empty seat. “They murdered the Beggar!”

Madame Ching sighed, glancing at the furious Smuggler. She briefly looked toward the brooding Thief and settled her gaze on the silent Whore.

“What did you find?” Madame Ching asked, dragging on her cigarette.

Licking her red, plump lips, the Whore answered in a melodious voice, “My girls found nothing. They weren’t aware of the mass sacrifice.”

“Nonsense!” the Smuggler said, slamming the table again. “I refuse to believe nobody knew about this chaos! What about you, Thief?! Didn’t your people fill their pockets that night?”

Sending him a murderous glare, the Thief allowed her Qi Condensation aura to expand for a brief instant before retracting it. She didn't do anything else because of a warning look from Madame Ching.

Crossing her leather-covered legs, the Thief tapped the table lightly and said, “My people moved when the mayhem started, but most of the gangs affiliated with me were purged by the City Council afterward. I gained almost nothing.”

Once she finished speaking, the trio turned toward Madame Ching.

Dragging another puff from her cigarette, she sighed again and said in a raspy tone, “We lost too much. Finding another Head to replace the Beggar can wait. First, we need to recover from our losses.”

“And how exactly are we supposed to do that?” the Thief asked, her tone harsher than usual.

“Now that Prince Xuan has left, there’s a new business opportunity in protecting the lesser fleets and stray ships,” Madame Ching said, her eyes shifting as her thoughts raced. “At the moment, many cultivators previously aligned with the Azure Royal Fleet who chose to remain in the city are looking for work.”

The trio nodded slightly. The anger in their eyes gave place to a greedy glint.

Madame Ching continued. “We need someone to lead this new operation and quickly devour the market before another force claims it first.”

All three adjusted in their seats, each calculating how to seize the opportunity if it was handed to them. However, they soon froze when another presence appeared alongside a chair.

“What?!” the Smuggler exclaimed, recognizing the short-haired woman whose muscular bare arms were covered in tattoos. “Why is she sitting here?”

“I have chosen Mei Huo as the new Head of the Shadow Alliance,” Madame Ching said calmly. “She will hold the title of Guard.”

Momentarily stunned as Mei Huo nodded toward them, none of the current Heads knew how to react.

Then the Thief scoffed and asked, “Are you putting this to a vote?”

None of them would support the decision, making the outcome obvious the moment voting was mentioned.

“No,” Madame Ching replied to their surprise. “There’s no time for that.”

Before anyone could protest further, she added another piece of information.

“I should add that it has come to my attention that the City Lord’s First Concubine, Obsidian Sea, has broken through to the Core Formation realm.”

Everyone froze, their eyes widening in shock.

“Before you panic over another Core Formation expert residing in the city,” she said with a smile, “there’s good news as well. They will be officially married.”

The silence that followed was so deep that their heartbeats could almost be heard.

Allowing the information to settle, Madame Ching continued, “Their marriage will attract a flood of powerful figures to Three Feathers City, and that means opportunities for every one of you.”

Without waiting for them to recover from the shock, she stood up.

“Now make preparations. During the next half year, we will swallow every force that clashes against us and ensure that every independent player either becomes our ally or falls under the protection of a stronger backer,” she said while waving her hand dismissively, signaling the end of the meeting.

Confused by how abruptly the meeting was ending, the Whore stood up and asked, “Wait, we need more information! Isn’t it dangerous to stay in the city? We are the only force facing the Feathered Serpent Castle!”

Frowning slightly, Madame Ching replied, “What are you talking about? There’s still the Merchant Chamber and the Sailor School.”

The Thief spoke next. “But the Sailor School never acts beyond its own grounds, and after that massacre, the East Bo Merchant Chamber is finished. The West Bo Merchant Chamber is sure to follow eventually.”

Though silent, the Smuggler nodded in agreement. It was unnecessary to talk about the purged Tidal Church or the absent Azure Royal Fleet. How could the faraway river quench their thirst?

Observing them for a moment, Madame Ching smirked beneath her veil.

“Too naive,” she said, unleashing her Foundation Establishment aura and making them tremble. “Grandmaster Miao is still alive. As long as that man still breathes, the Merchant Chamber remains a threatening force. Do not underestimate a Foundation Establishment expert.”

The trio nodded hurriedly and scrambled away, each bowing before leaving with movement techniques.

Sighing in exhaustion as she sat back down, Madame Ching turned toward Mei Huo. A wall of dark Qi spread around them, sealing sound, light, scent, and Qi within the room.

“Mei Mei, do you think I’m making a mistake?” Madame Ching asked, massaging her temples.

Going behind Madame Ching and massaging her shoulder, Venomous Shadow Mei replied, “Not at all. Nothing is more important than discovering your family’s whereabouts and guaranteeing their safety.”

Relaxing slightly, Madame Ching muttered, “We need to place every piece in position before chaos unfolds.”

Nodding, Mei Huo said, “Once the City Lord’s marriage is announced, the Ancient Golden Clan will spread news of the Sect Tournament. More forces will move.”

Closing her eyes briefly, Madame Ching sighed. “I should have listened to that man and acted earlier. If I had attacked the Tidal Church, my current situation wouldn’t be this troublesome.”

“We had no way of knowing Vice-Lord Obsidian Sea would advance to the Core Formation realm,” Mei Huo said while continuing the massage. “Confronting Vice-Lord Vermilion Tide wouldn’t be wise without that piece of information. You know that.”

Silence lingered between them for a few moments before Madame Ching rose to her feet. A trace of killing intent leaked from her body, deepening the shadows within the room for an instant before she regained control.

“Those waters have long passed,” she said coldly. “It’s time to move forward.”

Thinking of her little granddaughter, she harrumphed.

“This is an opportunity more than anything else,” she continued. “I finally have a way to make the City Council indebted to me and facilitate the search for my family. This Sect Tournament is too important for me.”

Turning toward Mei Huo, Madame Ching gave her next order.

“Arrange a meeting with the City Council,” she said. “I’m prepared to hand over the Shadow Alliance in exchange for a spot in the Sect Tournament.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Mei Huo asked, “What about that man? If what the Beggar told us before we silenced him was the truth—”

“We can’t kill that lunatic directly,” Madame Ching said, narrowing her eyes. “We need a borrowed knife. If he can control mortals despite Qi artifacts protecting them, then he’s a danger to my granddaughter.”

Nodding, Mei Huo thought for a moment, and then whispered, “Let’s be patient. He has more enemies now that he made such a huge move. We can use them after a while.”

“I agree,” Madame Ching answered, shadows spreading to hide even the feelings behind her eyes. “Sailing in these troublesome waters is never easy. We will wait and see.”