Maiden Of The Splitting Moon - Chapter 736: Secret Dealings

Ming Yue furrowed her brows as she looked at Elder Shen.

“Business?” she asked, “You didn’t say anything about this before, why now?”

She found it strange that the Elder decided to separate like this. But he quickly explained his actions.

“You might not know but many of us from Heaven’s Gate had received invitations from various tribes. However, such invitations were declined. Their offers for money and power were largely ignored. But they’re quite determined and have continued to send out invitations.”

Bai Ying circled around his feet, speaking to her.

“Even you had invitations, but of course, they were sent to Heaven’s Gate. It must be made known that Heaven’s Gate is not a force to be trifled with”, said the white cat.

The young cultivator thought about it before glancing over at the Elder.

“I see… Then do be careful.”

Elder Shen chuckled before turning around, and waving his hand.

“I’ll be back soon enough”, he said, disappearing into the night.

Bai Ying followed after him. The white cat turned around and looked at Ming Yue’s group before vanishing as well.

The young cultivator watched them go before turning around and entering the mansion of the Zodiacs.

Walking up to the second floor, she gently and slowly placed Hongyu down on her bed. And her hands moved swiftly, tucking her in and making sure she was still sound asleep.

“Mm, alright then, you watcher her closely.”

The three beasts moved to Hongyu’s side, circling around the bed. Meanwhile, Ming Yue stepped out going back to the first floor.

“Hm, I still find it somewhat strange that Elder Shen would leave like this, maybe I should ask Zhu Xie about those invitations.”

Thinking this, she looked around, checking the courtyard when she could not find him inside.

“Mm, he’s not here, maybe he’s downstairs in his workshop.”

Indeed he was down there.

Descending into the basement, Ming Yue could hear light metal tapping followed by grinding and brushing. The entire level was the workshop, complete with various stations covered in tools and unfinished projects.

She quickly found the large boar-kin, seated and hunched over, focused on the task.

But Zhu Xie soon stopped, hearing Ming Yue’s footsteps. He turned around, greeting her with a smile.

“Ah, you’re back! Please take a seat and tell me, how did you enjoy the Den?” he asked.

The boar-kin pushed his seat to the side before grabbing another one and setting it across from him.

“It was good, I’ve never been to a place that was so diverse.”

She sat down while answering back. Zhu Xie chuckled, looking quite proud in fact.

“That’s good to hear! The past year or two have been quite eventful for us. The growth that we’ve experienced has been explosive. Every day we receive new visitors and those hoping to start anew”, he said.

“Right, I did see construction going on outside. There must be some grand plans in place”, she commented.

“Ahahah, nothing of the sort! We’re all just trying to keep up and work as we go. After all, the Den is under the control of the Zodiacs now. Those tribe chiefs no longer care for this little city.”

“Is that so?”

Ming Yue took a moment to think before asking Zhu Xie something.

“You know, the elder that was with me, he is a figure from Heaven’s Gate. I didn’t find out until now that these tribes have sent out invitations. He told me that he had gone off to personally decline and let it be known that these invitations will not be accepted”, she told him.

Zhu Xie had a thoughtful expression on his face, putting his little project to the side.

“Ah yes, those invitations. You may or may not know but the chiefs and elders of the tribes made up a council. This was when the Savage Beasts were running rampant and things were looking grim on our side. This council had lasted since I can remember. They all resided in the Den, making decisions and orders. But there have been vast developments that changed everything. From reconnecting to the other continents to gaining power from the beast gods, the Savage Beasts slowly became less and less of a problem.”

As he spoke, his face became a bit more serious, especially when he went to the next part.

“Suddenly, our common enemy was no longer the focus, it was about reclaiming lost land. From there, the tribe chiefs and high-standing elders started to look at each other as the enemy. Because of that the council doesn’t hold much power anymore. And while there haven’t been any fights yet, tensions are high. Suddenly, it’s become a race for power. Which tribe will reign at the top and which ones will be beneath them. From there the invitations came to be, currying the favor of others to help join their force. As far as I know, plenty of humans and demons have come over.”

Zhu Xie then sighed, staring at his worktable.

“While there haven’t been any fights yet, it is bound to happen. Everyone is still trying to get used to this new norm.”

The boar-kin then looked at Ming Yue.

“That elder of yours could succeed in declining and stopping the tribes from doing more but they will most likely try to gain his favor as well.”

“I see.”

Having him tell her this, Ming Yue no longer had suspicions about Elder Shen. Even if it did seem a little strange to her.

“Although the tribes are against one another, there’s still us, the Zodiacs. Lao Yang foresaw all of this and when we gained the favor of the public, he proposed that the Zodiacs become their own entity. So we broke away from the council and took control of the Den when they had abandoned it. For many of us, we just wanted a simple life. The politics and secret agendas of these people were not for us”, he continued.

“Mm, that’s good to hear. I’m not a fan of such things either, it’s a world that I am ill-suited for.”

Zhu Xie laughed out loud before talking with Ming Yue for a bit more, answering each other’s questions and telling stories.

And while all of this was underway, Elder Shen appeared at the doorsteps of a giant building, the one that housed the council. Standing there, he looked at it for a moment before entering in secret.

As it had grown late, the halls were quite empty but he didn’t care that there was barely anyone. He wasn’t here to meet anyone but to send a message after all.

“Ah, there we go, this must be where they gather.”

Once he located the main room, the elder gazed at his surroundings while Bai Ying circled around his feet. He then took something out of his spatial ring, a box made of white wood, and placed it at the center of the room.

As he stood back up, the elder suddenly spoke.

“Please come out. Hiding from me will do you no good”, he said.

Despite saying this, it was only him and the white cat, not another sound was made. He sighed, turning around and looking at one of the far corners of the room.

“I’m looking right at you. It does not matter how confident you are in hiding yourself, I will always find you. Please do not force me to make a move, I can promise you that you will come to regret it.”

Moments passed and then, someone appeared. Emerging from the shadows of the seats, there was a figure clad in black and wearing a fox mask. They looked down at Elder Shen, standing there in silence.

Elder Shen raised brow, looking at them with interest.

“You must be someone from the Huxian Tribe. What do they want with me?”