Chapter 27: Purple Cloud Wings

A year is neither long nor short, but it's enough time for many things to change. After recounting his own tale, Chen Guan asked about the world outside his stone prison. He had rushed back in such a hurry that he hadn't had a chance to gather any real information. He'd assumed things would be similar to the original story, but Yao Ye's answer surprised him.

"There's not much else to report," she said, "but there is one thing that might interest you."

"After you disappeared, I took a group of people to the Magical Beast Mountains to search for you. Unfortunately, after nearly a month, we found nothing. I couldn't help but wonder if you'd been eaten by some beast."

"Because the royal family made such a big move, the Misty Cloud Sect and the Mitel Clan couldn't sit still. They thought we'd discovered some hidden opportunity and decided to join in. Later, even the Lion King Yan Shi showed up to see what all the fuss was about. The search party became enormous."

"At the time, I figured I might as well use the free labor, so I went along with it."

"What I never expected," she continued, a laugh bubbling up, "was that after another half a month of searching, we actually did find an opportunity. It seemed to be the remains of a Dou Wang or a Dou Huang. It was such a bizarre coincidence that for a moment, I almost believed we had received some secret information in advance."

Chen Guan was stunned for a heartbeat. He suspected the "opportunity" they'd stumbled upon was the very same cave the Little Fairy Doctor was meant to discover in the original timeline. Considering how many powerful people were combing the mountains, it wasn't surprising they found it. It would have been strange if they hadn't.

"Was it a big harvest?"

"It was decent. The treasures inside were valuable, but because the Mitel Clan and the Misty Cloud Sect were right there, they demanded a piece of the pie. In the end, each of us only made a small profit."

"Right," Chen Guan nodded. "What was inside?" Other treasures were fine, but he didn't want to miss out on the map fragment for the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. He had chosen Magical Beast Town as his training ground for two main reasons: to hone his strength, and to secure that map and the allegiance of the Little Fairy Doctor. The plan had run into a few... complications.

"Some medicinal herbs, gold coins, a volume of the Seven-Colored Poison Book, a Xuan-rank intermediate flying Dou Skill called the Purple Cloud Wings—which is quite rare—and a Xuan-rank advanced Dou Skill, the Raging Lion's Roar. That's about it. Oh, and a useless, incomplete map."

"They assumed we knew about the cave from the start, and I didn't bother to correct them. So, when it came time to divide the spoils, the royal family got to choose first."

"In the end, I chose the rarer Purple Cloud Wings. It's a good thing you came back. If you'd been a few days later, I might have started practicing it myself. It's better to give it to you. With a stronger ability to protect yourself, I'll feel more at ease." Yao Ye had already decided what to do with the skill.

The Purple Cloud Wings was indeed a rare flying Dou Skill, but as Chen Guan had said, a treasure's value lies in its use. She rarely left the Imperial Capital, so the wings were far less practical for her than for him.

Her logic was sound, but Chen Guan no longer had much need for them. If this had been before he received his master's inheritance, he would have accepted without hesitation. But now... it was a bit redundant.

"Sister Yao Ye, you should keep it," he said. "Have you forgotten about my puppets? With them around, the wings won't help me much."

"I forgot to mention, because my master was a bit lazy, these puppets have a small flaw. They can't fly. But they can jump incredibly fast, no slower than an average Dou Wang in flight. If I'm in danger, relying on them is more convenient, and it doesn't even consume Dou Qi."

"It might not look very elegant," he admitted, "but who cares about appearances when your life is on the line? You're different, Sister Yao Ye. If you were to be seen jumping around on a puppet's head... ahem, the scene would be a little too eye-catching."

Chen Guan couldn't help but shudder at the mental image. To sum it up, he really didn't need the Purple Cloud Wings. Aside from satisfying his vanity by letting him fly around and look cool, it was completely useless to him.

After hearing his reasoning, a strange look crossed Yao Ye's face. She must have imagined the same scene, because she didn't insist.

"The royal family took the Purple Cloud Wings," she continued. "The Raging Lion's Roar fell into the hands of the Misty Cloud Sect. The Seven-Colored Poison Book was copied and distributed to everyone as compensation. The useless map was given to the Mitel Clan, and the remaining gold and herbs were divided between them and Yan Shi's group."

This, Chen Guan thought, was the importance of having a powerful backer. Yan Shi was a veteran Dou Wang, yet in this distribution, he only got the leftovers.

The map fragment was with the Mitel Clan. Chen Guan knew he would have to make a trip there. Suddenly, he thought of someone else. He wondered if Hai Bodong had already gone to the Mo Clan in Rock Desert City. Calculating the time, it seemed about right. After all, in another two years, Xiao Yan would be back to shake up the world.

"Not bad. The distribution was reasonable," he said. "Have someone make a copy of the Seven-Colored Poison Book for me later."

"What do you need that for?" Yao Ye asked. "I've read it. It's mostly just methods for preparing various poisons and strange medicines, along with some anecdotes. It might broaden your horizons, but that's about it."

Chen Guan explained simply, "I have a friend who will probably like it very much."

"The Little Fairy Doctor from Magical Beast Town?"

"You know about that?"

"Of course," she said, a proud little smirk on her face. "Though I'm in the capital, I know all your affairs, big and small. I heard that before you disappeared, someone was going to the Ten Thousand Medicine House every single day. When I went to search for you, I took a special look. She is indeed a little beauty. If you have any ideas... how about I bring her back for you?"

Oh, she's proud of herself now.

Chen Guan rolled his eyes at her, thinking, You only see the first layer. I'm already on the fifth.

"Not really," he said aloud. "We're just friends for now. I don't know what will happen in the future. I'll just let things flow naturally."

He and Yao Ye talked for a long time, covering both serious matters and trivialities. It wasn't until more than an hour later that Chen Guan got up to leave. He had appeased the First Princess, but there was still a little princess waiting for him.

Just as he was thinking about how busy his day was turning out to be, he spotted a familiar-looking guard outside the palace gates, pacing back and forth, his behavior deeply suspicious.

Remembering the cause of his own "death" in his master's last words, Chen Guan's smile faded. He stroked the ring on his hand and started walking toward the man.

The Izumo Empire... and their assassins.

***

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All

My Fanfics!!] [www. p@treon.com/meowthtl]

[+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]