Chapter 128 - Be Prepared (Part II) (Patreon)

Lucian observed through a rat’s eyes as the streets of Three Feathers City bustled with life at night, the movement and chatter almost reminiscent of the days before the Tidal Massacre.

An ingenious move, City Lord, he thought, noticing how people were focusing less on the tragedy and their mourning, and more on their daily lives.

The reason was not that they had forgotten their lost loved ones, but that life moved on, and now they had something else to care about.

After the festival's announcement, the public coffers had been opened, and thousands of commissions were being issued daily directly by the Feathered Serpent Castle. They ranged from constructing special buildings outside the city walls to clearing nearby woods and prairies, gathering delicacies from other kingdoms and islands, and countless other tasks.

Everything was being prepared for the so-called festival, which also served to flood the population with silver and gold so they could rebuild their lives and remain employed rather than turn to banditry.

Of course, after Vice-Lord Obsidian Sea herself demanded peace, no one dared rob or cause trouble. At least, not for now.

This won’t last long, Lucian thought. It’s a move meant to appease the population, but the public coffers cannot be used like this forever. It will weaken the value of money and endanger the interests of the noble families.

It had been a long time since Lucian ruled a domain, but he still remembered that social inequality, familial structures, and noble privilege were necessary to maintain a stable kingdom.

In this case, stable for those in power.

Giving too much to the people is bound to cause dissatisfaction among the noble families, Lucian thought, controlling other rats spread throughout the noble district. But for now, it will create the illusion of peace they desire.

While the poor could not simply flee the city if they were dissatisfied, they could riot. Appeasement was useful to everyone, and that's why Grandmaster Miao was so fearful of Lucian making a move now. The City Council would not tolerate interference in their plans for the festival!

As Lucian watched the city from multiple vantage points, he finally noticed traces of what he had been looking for. Next, he commanded two rats to follow two women who were changing their clothes in an alley behind a pile of refuse.

They were Sister Yi and Sister Mu, the same spies who had monitored Lucian alongside Lady Caihong.

Stalking them, he paid no attention to their briefly exposed bodies as they hurriedly dressed, focusing on their movements from a safe distance.

While the city enjoyed a fragile peace and its people grew more boisterous by the day, Lucian was among the few who knew a battle would soon unfold in the shadows.

Moments passed as he stalked the two women. Soon, they entered a courtyard where patrons came and went. All men were accompanied by beautiful courtesans, and the bright red illumination made stealth difficult. Even so, Sister Mu and Sister Yi walked by without drawing attention, their new clothes and makeup allowing them to blend seamlessly into their surroundings.

Lucian’s two rats followed them as they slipped through a hidden tunnel that was concealed behind a wardrobe and guarded by two sentries. Fortunately, the rats were silent, small, and far too quick for mortals and ordinary cultivators to notice. More importantly, they emitted no Qi.

A few minutes later, as he continued following the duo, Lucian noticed they were moving beneath a cluster of inns. From time to time, batches of women would enter the tunnel, all remaining silent and nervously glancing over their shoulders.

Uncertain whether stronger cultivators were among them, Lucian avoided unnecessary risks. He left a single rat with Sister Yi and Sister Mu, while the other rat remained farther behind to track the last woman who entered the passage.

Controlling other rats and leaving the three near the Sailor School on alert, he left most of his focus on those below ground. Then, in less than ten minutes, his stalking rats appeared to reach their destination.

It was a pagoda enclosed by high walls, accessible only through hidden tunnels, at least as far as Lucian could tell.

Observing the steady stream of arrivals, all women dressed elegantly and wearing heavy makeup or elaborate disguises, he was perplexed that he had never heard of such a place before.

Looking beyond the compound, he was even more surprised to realize it stood remarkably close to the noble district.

How have I never noticed this building? Lucian thought.

Not allowing the rat to lose sight of the two women, he commanded other critters to search the city for information about the building. Simultaneously, as he reached the pagoda, he had to hide his rat body beneath the wooden floorboards, as thousands of women were gathered inside.

Thanks to his heightened senses, he picked up fragments of conversations here and there, but the most important one came from the center of the hall.

Standing on a raised platform was a beautiful woman with an ample chest and soft lips, her eyes carrying a naturally seductive charm even as she frowned.

Beside her stood Lady Caihong, whispering with a concerned expression. “We don’t have much time, Head Whore,” Lady Caihong said, smacking her lips, her height barely reaching the other woman’s chest.

Lost in thought, the Whore, one of the Heads of the Shadow Alliance, did not answer. Instead, she observed the influx of women entering the pagoda as more climbed to the upper floors and curiously glanced toward the platform.

“Caihong Zi,” Lady Caihong said in a harsher tone. “You must act now.”

Feeling goosebumps at hearing her name, Caihong Zi nodded slightly and replied in a soft voice, “Thank you, Mother.”

Taking a deep breath, she waited until everyone had arrived before waving her hand. Then, talismans around the pagoda lit up, sealing the doors and strengthening the concealment formation outside. After checking that the sound was sealed, she empowered her voice with Qi and addressed the crowd from the raised platform.

“My girls, welcome.”

In unison, every woman except Lady Caihong bowed slightly and shouted, “We greet Our Head.”

Nodding, Caihong Zi held back a sigh and said, “Some of you likely assumed this assembly was called because of the festival announced last week by the Feathered Serpent Castle.”

Most nodded, while a few frowned, sensing something unusual in her tone.

Searching for better words and failing to find them, Caihong Zi continued in a saddened voice. “It is with deep regret that I must tell you that you were wrong. You are here today because we were betrayed.”

A wave of murmurs swept through the pagoda, and several cultivators among the crowd released their auras to restore order.

Once silence returned, Caihong Zi placed a hand over her chest and said, “Our Madame Ching, for reasons unknown to me, has sold our information to the Feathered Serpent Castle. Our cultivation realms, our artifacts, our secret routes, our codes, our hidden clients, everything.”

The pagoda fell completely silent. Most women turned pale, while the few who did not fully grasp the severity of the situation remained quiet, lowering their heads to not appear dull.

“Our lives were built upon secrets. That is both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness,” Caihong Zi said, glancing at her mother. “We work with secrets, and this is also our leash. This leash, however, allowed us to eat, to sleep, and to raise children without fear of losing more loved ones."

Looking around at the women who depended on her, Caihong Zi felt her heart tighten. Despite being called the Head Whore, the truth was that her life had been far easier than those of the women staring at her. She never had to sell her body, for once.

She had a caring mother, food to eat, friends to play with, and was even born with a talent for cultivation. She learned to read, write, and count, and step by step, she grasped a powerful position in the organization she cherished so much.

Her empathy and sense of responsibility had shaped her into the woman she was today, and she alone gave a new meaning to the Whore branch of the Shadow Alliance.

That’s why her heart ached so much.

As she saw the fear and, more importantly, the trust in the eyes of the girls before her, she struggled to hold back her tears.

“While working under the Shadow Alliance, we had protection and freedom. We could take revenge on those who wronged us, and we could leave and start a new life once we had earned enough money,” she said, even though she herself had never needed to consider such things.

She had never worried about survival, about the danger of the streets, or a past lover literally hunting her down. And the more she spoke, the more she was reminded how privileged she was.

“That is why I must tell you that now, with the Feathered Serpent Castle holding our leash, no matter what others may say, this was an act of betrayal! Our freedom of choice has been taken from us. No matter what comes next, we were forced to act!”

She stomped her foot against the platform, invisible Qi ripples amplifying her voice. Feeling anger slowly rise and overtake her sadness, she continued.

“I will not lie! Working for them means you will earn less for your work. Your assignments will become more dangerous. And some of you will be discarded without support once you reach a certain age.”

The crowd reacted in different ways, though most clenched their fists and gritted their teeth.

“It changes nothing!” a young woman suddenly shouted, her eyes wide with fear. “Big Sister, this isn’t any different from working under the Shadow Alliance! Whether it’s Madame Ching or the City Lord, aren’t they the same?”

Caihong Zi glanced toward Lady Caihong. She knew the girl had been instructed to ask that question, as no one would dare interrupt her otherwise.

“The City Lord isn’t the issue,” she answered. “He couldn’t care less about us. The problem is that the City Council will be the one using us, and they are not united. Without a proper backer, we will be sent to other kingdoms and islands, forced to gather information on nobles, captains, and cultivators. Sometimes, dying will be a blessing!”

Her explanation weighed heavily on every woman's heart. Most of them merely gathered secrets through their work, while a few specialized in stalking and investigating targets, and only a dozen could deal with cultivators without suffering the consequences.

Yet now, because the Feathered Serpent Castle would know everything about them and their capabilities, even those lacking the courage for such dangerous assignments would be forced into them. They would be a tool to be used, not a workforce.

After all, since when did powerful people care about the weak?

Not only that, but they were also known as Courtesans at best and prostitutes at worst!

Would the City Council openly admit that they used prostitutes?

Never.

The protection provided by the Shadow Alliance would crumble, and other forces would openly exploit them under countless excuses, so long as they did not interfere with the Feathered Serpent Castle’s interests.

In many minds, the Tidal Massacre resurfaced, along with the government's actions afterward, when it used the chaos to gather benefits and suppress minor forces. They were not naive enough to believe they would be treated as official servants. They would be used, abused, and discarded for greater benefits.

Waiting for their emotions to settle, Caihong Zi considered her next words when she felt Lady Caihong sending her a meaningful glance. Understanding what her mother wanted, she briefly closed her eyes and said,

“The Head Beggar died during the Tidal Massacre, which means the beggars will be the first to be assimilated. But the smugglers and thieves will not be brought down so easily.”

This surprised most of the women, as it seemed that the Head Whore wanted to fight against the city. Murmurs of doubt and fear spread through the crowd before being silenced by the pressure released by the cultivators present.

“Sisters,” she said, biting her lip. “My girls, there is war throughout the Empire, and the islands are no safer with tribal conflicts and pirates running rampant...”

Lady Caihong coughed, signaling for her to reach the main point.

Resigning herself to it, Caihong Zi said, “That is why we must surrender and assist the Feathered Serpent Castle in assimilating the other forces.”

Before outraged voices could erupt into endless questions, Caihong Zi unleashed her Qi Condensation aura, freezing everyone in place.

“We will surrender to a single faction within the City Council and help it dominate the others. That way, everyone will be under the same leadership, and together we can demand more.”

Most remained doubtful about how such a plan would work, but they were willing to trust her and listen further, their expressions easing slightly.

“And not just any faction,” Caihong Zi continued, gritting her teeth. “We will follow the Military Faction. That way, the city guards can guarantee our safety and, together with the smugglers and thieves, form an organization even stronger than the Shadow Alliance.”

After that, she began issuing orders to the leaders among the crowd, explaining how they should act and what they should do over the coming nights.

Meanwhile, Lucian listened to everything, the rat’s eyes shining crimson.

Vice-Lord Verdant Creek, are you plotting something, or is your appetite simply that large?

He did not know what methods Verdant Creek had used to communicate with the Heads of the Shadow Alliance without alerting either the other factions or Madame Ching. When he heard the plans being discussed, however, Lucian was certain that the next events would not unfold according to the City Council’s expectations.

While considering how he might benefit from this sudden shift, another image through a rat's eyes caught his attention. In there, he saw Wang Chen moving toward an annex building alongside dozens of workers and large quantities of materials.

Oh, he thought. It’s time to meet the people responsible for building my sewage system.

Ever since Wang Chen brought them to the warehouse, Lucian had not met them and had chosen tonight to plant a few mental seeds and ensure none of them were spies.

Of course, he would pay them, not force or manipulate them. After all, the mental seeds would not last long, and brute force wasn't always the correct path, in Lucian’s opinion.

In fact, he liked to think of himself as someone who preferred subtler methods whenever possible.