C31 Let's Make a Deal

In the valley, Huang Fann paid no mind to anything else, leading his clansmen in a dash toward Jewelry Mount. At that moment, all eyes were on the Yin God of the Blood God Cult, fixated on Ann Ziqing. The movements of the Huang family were of no concern to anyone at the moment.

With Huang Chen dead and many Huang family members slain, their strength had greatly diminished, and yet more of their kin remained in Darkmoon City. If they could just eliminate the Yin God and neutralize the threat of the Blood God Cult, what sort of trouble could the weakened Huang family possibly stir up?

"Ziqing?" Yu Lili whispered, even as she maneuvered the wheelchair, taking the elder Yu Cann to safety. She had clearly seen the Yin God of the Blood God Cult dissolve into the purple-clad maid's body like wisps of ghostly light. This indicated that the Yin God had now taken refuge within Ann Ziqing's consciousness.

Unsure of the depth of the situation, she decided it was best to err on the side of caution and remove the elder from the scene, leaving Yuan Lianyao and Lih Feng, the practitioner of the "Snow Thunder Technique," to handle the matter.

"Yu Yuan!" The crowd's gaze shifted, tracking Yu Yuan as he sprinted forward. After a forceful shout to halt, he made a beeline for Ann Ziqing.

Yuan Lianyao, taken aback, murmured, "It's just a maid. Why take it so seriously?" As the head of the Yuan family and the ruler of Darkmoon City, her hands were no strangers to bloodshed. That blood belonged to her own family members, to comrades who had fought alongside her in the secret realm's forbidden lands, and to many admirers smitten by her beauty. For her own advancement and for her family's benefit, she had always acted with a decisive ruthlessness.

She believed that Yu Yuan, much like herself, valued human life cheaply. When weighed against a Yin God of the Blood God Cult, did the life of a mere maid really warrant consideration?

As he ran, Yu Yuan bellowed, "Yu family, keep your distance from Ann Ziqing!" "Clear the way!" echoed Yu Lian, the elder, issuing commands from his wheelchair as the familiar faces of the Yu clan elders quickly scattered.

Yu Lian and several other elders familiar to Yu Yuan abruptly distanced themselves. They were well aware that turmoil was brewing around Ann Ziqing.

Many Yu family members cast sympathetic glances at the purple-clad maidservant, sensing her impending doom at the hands of Yuan Lianyao and Lih Feng.

"Yu Yuan?"

As he reached her side, Yuan Lianyao, who had been momentarily still, softly urged, "We must prioritize the greater good. That girl is merely a mortal and not of our Yu lineage. Don't risk letting the Blood God Cult's Yin God slip away on her account, or Darkmoon City will be plunged back into peril."

Lih Feng, who had arrived first at the scene, was poised for action, with silver sparks dancing at the tip of his short spear.

"I'll assess the situation first."

With these words, Yu Yuan bypassed Yuan Lianyao, his brow furrowed in concern. He decelerated, cautiously drawing nearer to Ann Ziqing.

The threat of the Yin God concealed within Ann Ziqing's form was an unknown, leaving all on edge.

Yu Yuan, aware of his own limited power, proceeded with utmost caution, fearing a swift and fatal encounter with the Blood God Cult's deity.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Ann Ziqing, the petite, purple-dressed maidservant, her head bowed as though she were nodding off.

Yet, the consensus was clear: the Yin God was stealthily encroaching upon her spirit, intent on possession.

"Ziqing."

Halting a mere seven or eight meters away, Yu Yuan called out to her gently.

Lih Feng, following Yuan Lianyao's silent cue, took up a position to Yu Yuan's left, vigilantly prepared for any sudden aggression from the Yin God within Ann Ziqing.

Yuan Lianyao, Zhao Dongsheng, and other Darkmoon City stalwarts discreetly fanned out, forming an unspoken perimeter around Ann Ziqing, effectively encircling her.

"Young Master..."

The purple-clad maid trembled, her shoulders betraying fear or perhaps pain. Lifting her head, her eyes brimmed with tears, her complexion ashen as if sensing her fate. With a heart-wrenching gaze fixed on Yu Yuan, she whispered, "Young Master, am I about to die?"

The blood light swelled between her eyebrows, as if it were her third eye.

As it grew, her trembling intensified, and the agony etched on her face became even more heart-wrenching. "It hurts! Young Master, the pain is unbearable!"

"Senior of the Blood God Cult, may I propose a bargain?" Yu Yuan mused for a moment before speaking out. "I will grant you safe passage from here, alive. But please, spare my maid's three souls before you depart."

Hope flickered weakly in the tear-filled eyes of the purple-clad maid. "Young Master, oh Young Master," she whispered, her voice laced with sobs.

"Yu Yuan, this seems unwise," Zhao Dongsheng chimed in first, his plump face scrunched up until his eyes were nearly invisible. "Allowing him to escape, to refine the Yin God with the blood sacrifice array, who then could contain him once he reunites with his flesh?"

Yuan Lianyao's usually seductive smile faded, replaced by a detached calm. She regarded Yu Yuan with a serene gaze. "She's merely a maid. Yu Yuan, in my eyes, we are cut from the same cloth. Don't disappoint me."

"Old Master?" Yu Lili called out softly, sensing the tension that threatened to erupt into conflict.

Yu Yuan's decision could potentially unravel the delicate situation, endangering the maid Ann Ziqing and souring relations with both the Yuan and Zhao families.

Seeking guidance, she turned to Yu Cann.

Yu Cann straightened himself in his wheelchair, addressing the room. "Why should the City Lord and Zhao Dongsheng be concerned with Yu Yuan's stance? They could easily disregard him, even our entire Yu family, and simply eliminate Ann Ziqing."

He gave a wry smile, "Hasn't it always been this way? Have the Yuan and Zhao families ever sought our consent before acting in Yu Yuan's presence?"

"What are you suggesting?" Yu Lili was still puzzled.

"Xiao Yuan has earned their respect for a reason," Yu Cann stated firmly. "How many years has it been since our Yu family commanded such regard from the Yuan and Zhao families? Since Xiao Yuan has won this respect, we should let him lead. Let's not hold him back or meddle in his affairs as his elders."

After a moment's thought, Yu Lili nodded in agreement. "Alright."

"Lord of the City, whether you respect me or not is of no concern to me," Yu Yuan stated firmly, locking eyes with Yuan Lianyao as his expression grew somber. "The responsibility for the array hubs outside the city falls on you. If they were properly managed, the blood sacrifice array wouldn't be operational. His Yin God wouldn't even dare to venture out of the cave!"

"You're the one with a lapse in your duties!"

Yu Yuan let out a cold snort.

"Perhaps," Yuan Lianyao admitted, her voice lacking conviction.

She had entrusted the array hubs to her father, Yuan Qiufang, and several elders of the Yuan family.

Yet, there had been no word from any of them.

"The issue lies with your side, leading to this series of unfortunate events," Yu Yuan deduced, then turned his attention to Zhao Dongsheng. "Uncle Zhao, I will address the promise I made after this matter is resolved. However, if the Zhao family interferes with my plans, our agreement will become null and void!"

"And as for the Black Dragon Scissors, I will return them to the Zhao family afterward."

Upon hearing this, both Zhao Zhenghao and Zhao Dongsheng's faces fell.

The Zhao family's grand scheme, the 'Swallow the Dragon' plan, had been fraught with difficulties. They had finally glimpsed hope because of him; how could they possibly give up now?

"That heartless scoundrel, I esteemed him so!" Zhao Yafu fumed, stamping her foot in frustration. "To think he would discard me for a mere maidservant! The nerve!"

"What are you talking about?" Zhao Xi asked, bewildered.

"Never mind, never mind," Zhao Yafu said, her anger subsiding as a new realization dawned on her. She then raised her voice, exclaiming, "Yu, I support you!"

Yu Yuan turned back, taken aback by her outburst.

"I support you!" Zhao Yafu waved energetically, trying to catch his attention, while internally she mused, "Doesn't his indifference towards me only prove that he harbors affection for that young girl?"

"Young Master, why... why would you go to such lengths for me?" Ann Ziqing gazed at Yu Yuan, her eyes filled with confusion and adoration. "I am but a humble servant; you shouldn't have to provoke so many on my account."

In that moment, her emotional turmoil seemed to diminish significantly.

Yu Yuan looked into her eyes and spoke gently, "Upon awakening, the first person I saw was you. You were the one who cared for me. Regardless of your status or your desires, I hope..." He trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

He left the rest of his words unsaid. Having lived through two lifetimes, he found favor with only a select few from the Yu family—Yu Cann and Ann Ziqing being among them. Later on, others like Yu Wei and Yu Lili joined that shortlist.

In his past life, when he had reached the pinnacle of alchemy, he regarded Yuan Lianyao and Zhao Dongsheng with the same indifference as he did Ann Ziqing. The only thing that mattered to him was how people treated him.

Ann Ziqing's eyes suddenly took on an odd expression.

"Young Master," she whispered, then bowed her head once more.

With a whoosh, the Blood Color Ribbon transformed into a rainbow and shot forward, wrapping around her slender waist like a sash. The visible blood-colored luminescence from the ribbon spiraled out, infusing into her waist and vanishing within her.

The blood sacrifice array that shrouded the heavens, a tumultuous sea of crimson, seemed to truly come alive at that moment.

"Come out!" Ann Ziqing commanded in a tone that brooked no argument, her head still bowed.

"Oh," came the uneasy response from the Blood God Cult's messenger concealed within her. Without delay, the entity flew out in compliance.

The 'Appearing Divine Dust' hovering over Ann Ziqing's head manifested the severely wounded Yin God once again. The Yin God, draped in what appeared to be a gray robe, hovered above Ann Ziqing, twisting and cowering as if intimidated.

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