Shadow Organisation

Ning'Er's purpose for visiting the Abyss Prison Realm was two-fold. First of all, she wanted to secure a steady source of blood crystals, which would be an invaluable cultivation resource, which would accelerate Glory City's development of strength, even being able to impact the cultivation of Legend Rank experts!

Secondly, and more importantly, she remembered her friend Duan Jian, who was imprisoned there and who would likely been killed by the brutal Silver Winged Family if Nie Li had not rescued him in the previous timeline. Even if Duan Jian did not eventually join their cause against the Sage Emperor, she could not abandon such a precious comrade to such a fate.

The Abyss Prison Realm was a separate dimension such as the Sacred Heavenly Border. In the past, thirteen families had escaped into this realm in order to escape the devastating demon beast horde that began the Age of Darkness. Since then, no one had figured out how to access it, or escape from it, because the portal to enter into this dimension was protected by an origin barrier with a powerful array controlling it called the Ten Millennium Spatial Array.

This meant that the families living in this realm had been completely cut off from the realm of the Divine Continent for many generations, living separately and surviving in the considerably harsher environment there. It was time to form a bridge between the two realms again.

Ning'Er spent the next few days stocking up on the things she would need to enter this realm and considering who she would bring along. The realm had its obvious dangers, with extremely powerful demon beasts, and savage families with strengths up to Legend Rank. If any mistakes were made, deaths could occur, but at the same time, if she protected her friends too much, they would not grow as much as they could.

She recalled that when Nie Li had brought them in the past, they had only been at advanced Silver Rank but all of them were already at Gold Rank at this time round, while she had somehow reached the peak of Black Gold Rank already. With that in mind, she decided to bring all of them to the Abyss Prison Realm in order to temper them with the experiences there.

The night before she had decided to leave on the expedition, there was a tentative knock on her room door, where she was staying at the City Lord's Mansion.

She opened it to find Director Yang Xin standing there. In the month that had passed since the incident with the Dark Guild, Ning'Er had visited the director several times but in all those times, Yang Xin had not been ready to talk or open up. In all those sessions, Ning'Er had just sat there in silence, holding her hands and not imposing on her. During all this time, Yang Xin had not shown any tears and had displayed a numb expression, answering any questions with a blank and direct tone.

This was why it was so surprising, as Ning'Er's eyes adjusted to the dark outside, to see Yang Xin's form trembling as silent sobs shook her entire body. She immediately pulled her friend into the room, closed the room and wrapped her arms around her in a warm hug.

Many long minutes passed as Ning'Er felt her friend's body shaking in her arms and the hot, wet tears drench her shoulder. Finally, the stuttering gasps slowed down as the tears began to stop, and Yang Xin was able to sit down at the table with a moist handkerchief to wipe her face.

"Tha...thank you, Ning'Er." Yang Xin began. "It's been so long since I felt I could feel again and it all suddenly came out tonight. I ran to the first person I could think of...the one who had sat with me in silence over and over this month."

She started to share what had been going on in her heart. "I was orphaned at a young age and had grown up in the orphanage without having a family to call my own. I had to work hard for everything that I have today. Everyone kept talking about my beauty and how I used it to succeed...but I proved them wrong. I was not only beautiful, but talented as a cultivator and an alchemist. I navigated the male-dominated politics of the Alchemist Association to become director and I helped to build it up to a level unseen since the Age of Darkness began!"

Tears began to slowly fall from her eyes again. "I worked so hard to be where I'm at, and in the end, it didn't even matter. I didn't have enough strength to prevent...the unspeakable thing that happened to me. And, the only thing I could think of as I saw...Gui Sha approaching me, was that I wished I were ugly and not beautiful!"

She spat out his name with complete revulsion as more silent sobs began to shake her frame. Ning'Er kept quiet, with her eyes intently focused on Yang Xin to let her know that she was hearing every word that came out from her heart.

When she managed to rein in her emotions again, Yang Xin looked up at Ning'Er with a cold determination and simmering fury in her eyes. "As of this morning, I have resigned as Director of the Alchemist Association!"

Ning'Er's eyes widened in surprise, "Director Yang Xin..."

She was interrupted by her friend. "Just Yang Xin, please."

"...Yang Xin, what are you planning to do?" Ning'Er asked.

"Ning'Er, I'm not blind. I've seen your handprints on every major development in Glory City in recent times. Those men in positions of power only see bits and pieces, and are only able to perceive things in their area of interest and influence. I've had to hone my senses to the subtle waves and flows for how things progress in order to stay in the hot-seat of director for this whole time. Every thread leads back to you!"

Yang Xin spoke out with no hesitation because even with all the control Ning'Er was amassing in the hidden corridors of power, she did not sense any selfish or evil intent in the heart of the girl in front of her. And she had learnt to trust her instincts.

Ning'Er decided not to put on any act of being naive in front of this beautiful, perceptive woman. She looked directly into Yang Xin's eyes and asked, "What are you proposing?"

"Those children that you are growing around you will be strong but are not tempered by sufficient life experiences. At the same time, you can only lead them as a friend they respect. While they develop, you're going to need a specialised force around you who know what it takes and will do what it takes to accomplish your goals."

Yang Xin's voice was filled with a confident, ruthless intent as she cut right to the heart of the matter, putting words to some of Ning'Er's hidden worries.

"Just like how the City Lord has Ye Shuo and his shadow organisation, who are willing to die for the goals of the city, you will need your own people. Those who believe in what you are trying to do and are at a level ready to execute plans, whether it will be collecting intelligence or battle. I've had to operate with networks of intelligence in my entire time as director if not I wouldn't be able to respond properly to situations."

Ning'Er looked at the sharp, intelligent eyes in front of her. It was true that the maturity, strength, abilities and experience of her group of young friends would need time to develop. She needed to stop approaching things in the same way as Nie Li had, and to involve as many trusted people as she could. Her instincts were telling her that Yang Xin was such a person.

"Yang Xin, you have been completely honest and direct with me, not caring about the consequences or how I might respond as an immature fourteen year old girl. In response, I will be as direct back to you. How would you like to head my new shadow organisation, which you will have to build up from scratch? There's someone who's already available to be your subordinate. Growing up in the streets, he has many of the characteristics which fit the role. And the demon spirit he has integrated with will be ideal to support your activities." Ning'Er decided to take a leap of faith and trust the direction that an older person was advising.

"Wei Nan. Shadow Devil." Yang Xin replied immediately. Her sharp intuition and knowledge rarely missed anything.

"You're definitely the right person for to head this new organisation. Also, Yang Xin...you're sacrificing a lot. I need to clarify on one thing, what do you get out of it?" Ning'Er asked.

"You would have suspected my intentions already. I never want to feel that weak ever again. I want to grow more powerful just like everyone around you has grown stronger. I want the opportunity to destroy the Dark Guild and...Gui Sha with my own hands, when you make your move. Even if I die in mission, I want to die knowing that I was fighting for a greater purpose, instead of just managing the pointless politics of the Alchemist Association." She paused and then continued.

"I can sense your destiny is greater than even Glory City. I want to be part of that. I just don't want to ever feel so helpless and purposeless again!" Ning'Er could see her friend's hands closing so tightly at this point that her knuckles turned completely white.

Ning'Er smiled in response. "Hearing your thoughts and intentions, yours is a heart that I can trust with my life. I can only say thank you from the bottom of my heart and pray that the things I fight for in future do not let you down. At the same time, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you grow stronger...strong enough to take your destiny into your own hands!"

"And Yang Xin...anytime you ever need anyone to talk to, know that I'm here for you." Ning'Er looked at her friend in tenderness, knowing that it had taken a lot for her to come to this point.

Yang Xin's eyes glowed with joy even as they threatened to overflow with tears again. She had felt so isolated and lonely all these years, where she had to fend for herself since her days in the orphanage. And even with her relationship with President Gu Yan which was the closest thing she had felt to a family member in recent years, there was still a professional element to it.

With Ning'Er, she felt a close sisterly bond she had never experienced before. Somehow, she felt like she wouldn't need to feel alone anymore.