Blue Phoenix

by Tinalynge

  At the time the man made it to Hui Yue, a red mist had already appeared within his eyes and an ice cold, merciless, expression could be seen.

  “What a nice aura you have there.” The bearded man said, his voice was not hoarse like Hui Yue expected, but rather deep and as soft as a black velvet curtain. Hearing this voice, Hui Yue narrowed his eyes and with one final push of the blue cloud he finally managed to get the red mist under control once more.

  Chapter 77 - Silent Raven

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  Chapter 77: Silent Raven

  Having suppressed the red mist once more, Hui Yue looked at the man in front of him and within his eyes was a hint of the mercilessness which Hui Yue had experience before, yet this time it was suppressed and instead a mischievousness dominated.

  “You’re quite tough brat.” The bearded man said with a low voice. “I got you good, yet you seemed to be just fine the very next day. You ought to share your secrets with me.”

  Hearing this, Hui Yue could not help but chuckle lightly. “Even if I were to tell you would you stop trying to kill me, or even give me the reason why I am being targeted?”

  “Heh.” The bearded man humphed slightly with a smile on his face. “That I can’t do.” He said, his appearance not looking even slightly sorry for refusing to answer, “but I will give you a present.” He continued and handed over a memory stone which contained a message.

  “Have fun finding information about me.” The bearded man said, before he slipped into the crowd and exited Hui Yue’s line of sight, leaving behind a thoughtful white-haired young man.

  A few more families arrived, each bringing gifts, before Hui Yue finally was done greeting his guests. Although it was now expected of him to slowly go from group to group and converse with all the guests, Hui Yue used this opportunity to slip away for a moment, looking at the memory stone he had been gifted.

  Placing the memory stone to his forehead a few sentences floated in his mind. ‘I am killing you for money. As a reward for escaping last time, and as a present for purchasing this new house, I will give you ten days of rest. After that be prepared.’

  Receiving the message, Hui Yue frowned but there was nothing he could do to change the bearded man’s opinion. At least he managed to get ten days of rest. Hui Yue was slightly annoyed and could not help but swear, yet he quickly regained his composition and started talking to the different groups of guests.

  Hui Yue had only appeared in the city a few years back, yet here he was with enough money to buy the most expensive mansion within the city, causing the nobles to debate whether or not this young man was truly just someone who was very lucky and had managed to reap some fame years ago.

  One thing was certain, these nobles knew that a fifteen-year old boy had no way of producing such a large amount of spirit coins unless he had someone backing him. As to whether it was his family which had been hidden from the public, or maybe the mysterious esteemed expert, no one knew, but everyone present had vivid imaginations, coming up with one theory after another.

  Although Hui Yue walked around and chatted with all his guests, his thoughts were constantly stuck on the message he had received from the bearded man. His eyes were alert and constantly looking for the assassin among the different groups of people present so that he could locate him and maybe learn something useful.

  The majority of the evening passed without even a trace of the man to be found, it was as if he had vanished, and Hui Yue was giving up as he decided to head outside. He needed to get some fresh air and catch his breath, as he had been constantly chatting with the nobles of Riluo City.

  Every one of the nobles had now decided to try to forge a good relationship with Hui Yue. Some wanted to become friendly for the sake of money and the others wished to befriend Hui Yue to get closer to whomever was behind this young man.

  Seeking refuge in the stone garden, Hui Yue squatted down behind one of the large stone figurines and he slowly exhaled, feeling how his energy was depleted. Then he made Lan Feng completely hide his aura before he leaned against the cool stone figurine, heaving a heavy sigh of relief.

  As soon as the sigh left his lips, Hui Yue’s eyes widened in alert, and he held his breath as he felt a familiar presence appear within the stone garden.

  Holding his breath, Hui Yue moved slightly and looked towards the mansion entrance only to see the bearded man. A large smile was on his face as he had his side turned to Hui Yue, seemingly not noticing that the young man was present.

  Next to the bearded man was a figure whom Hui Yue knew all too well. This strong figure and stern expression, Hui Yue instantly recognized as Lord Rong Liang. A small hint of excitement grew within Hui Yue’s heart, as he guessed that there might be a chance that the Rong twins could give him some much needed information.

  Hui Yue regretted that he was not closer to the two men, as he wished to hear what was being said. Swearing internally, Hui Yue moved quietly so that he could at least see the two, yet no matter how much he strained his ears, murmurs were the only thing he could make out.

  ‘You are so helpless without me.’ Lan Feng suddenly said from within the dantian cave. He then stood up making his way to the Qi spiral where he lifted his hands and untwined a few strands of Qi which he then guided through Hui Yue’s meridians until they converged on his right ear, allowing Hui Yue to listen in on the conversation between the two middle aged men.

  “No.” The assassin said. “We will end this when our target is dead.” Hearing this Hui Yue stiffened. Could it perhaps be that Rong Liang was in on this? However his fear was quickly abated as Rong Liang gave a harrumph before asking “Who is your target then?”

  “I cannot tell you.” The assassin said, “but I will be paid an immense amount of money if I can bring his head to my employer.”

  “Is it the royal family?” Rong Liang asked, clearly not shocked to hear about the man being an assassin.

  “No.” The bearded man said once more. “It is not from the Royal Family, it is from

  him

  .”

  Having said that, both the bearded man and Rong Liang were quiet for a long while, before Rong Liang finally opened his mouth again, “I hope it’s worth it. So far everyone who has encountered him perished, I would not be able to explain to his highness why you died in my city just because you took a private job. Don’t forget that you belong to the Silent Ravens.”

  Having said that, Rong Liang turned around and moved back into the hall, leaving the assassin and Hui Yue alone. Fortunately, Hui Yue’s aura was completely hidden by Lan Feng, and neither the assassin nor Rong Liang noticed the young man who was seated behind the stone statue.

  The party lasted the whole night and Hui Yue was the perfect host together with the Rong twins, greeting and chatting, but Hui Yue’s mind was elsewhere. He had been given a name and this was what Hui Yue planned to investigating as soon as his guests were gone.

  The first rays of sunshine shone into the beautiful courtyard by the time the final guests were leaving the house, and Hui Yue slumped onto the bed, feeling even more exhausted now than he had after nights where he had to fight against a horde of assassins.

  Sha Yun looked as energized as she had looked before the party began, and Hui Yue had a theory that she gained energy by flirting with different guys.

  Wang Ju Long had her usual expression on, not even looking tired in the slightest, and Hui Yue envied the ones who had been guests.

  The Rong twins were as exhausted as Hui Yue, as they had helped him in hosting the party and neither of them allowed even the slightest error to occur, causing them to have been running around tending to matters about the party for more than ten hours straight.

  Gao Yan was also exhausted, but he had quite the strong endurance. It was his job to be the one to keep all the servants in place and ensure that there was a steady stream of drinks and snacks at the tables.

  The vast majority of the guests had ended up drunk, or at least tipsy, as they enjoyed t
he constant supply of wine and beer. These drunk guests had in turn ended up telling a lot of secrets to each other, and the servants stationed by Gao Yan managed to write down everything they heard, because as everyone knows knowledge is power. And to Gao Yan, knowledge was power and money. Selling information was Gao Yan’s best business, and today the dirt he had on everyone grew tremendously.

  “Does anyone of you know what the Silent Ravens are?” Hui Yue suddenly asked as he leaned back in his chair, but no one present seemed to know what he was talking about. A sigh escaped Hui Yue. He had expected that no one would know about it, but it never hurt to ask.

  Although his friends did not know, Hui Yue was far from giving up just because of that and he decided to pay Lord Rong Liang a visit. It was obvious that this man was aware of what the Silent Raven was, yet the big question was whether or not he was willing to tell Hui Yue.

  Not only was it a question of if he wished to tell Hui Yue, it was also a question as to whether or not the white-haired young man would be allowed to survive, if he were to poke into something which was considered confidential by the upper class within the country.

  Although it was risky, Hui Yue knew that it was important for him to know about the Silent Ravens. Hui Yue knew that currently he would be unable to defeat the bearded assassin, unless he could gathered more information. This in turn made it necessary for him to go to the City Lord’s mansion and get information about this mysterious group.

  Should Lord Rong Liang turn into an enemy, then Hui Yue was prepared to leave the city. Although he did not wish to leave so soon, there was actually nothing holding him back, as Lan Feng promised to take him travelling as soon as he reached the Master rank. To leave a few months earlier would not change much, although Hui Yue was certain that he would miss his friends.

  Looking out the window, Hui Yue sincerely hoped that he could stay within Riluo City for awhile longer. He had just purchased an amazing estate with three gardens perfect to cultivate in. But the house was not the only thing which made Hui Yue feel reluctant to leave. He wanted to stay with his friends as well.

  The sisterly care from Rong Xing and the brotherly feel of Rong Ming. The annoying, but still funny teasing of Deng Wu along with his narcissistic remarks. Ma Kong and his silent approach, and how he would always be there and say the right things at the right time. Gao Yan was the loudest person whom Hui Yue had ever met before, yet the guy was also the most loyal. He would go to any length to support his friends.

  Looking at the now almost empty mansion, a smile appeared on Hui Yue’s face as he thought about his friends, and the smile widened as Sha Yun appeared in front of him, smiling and holding a tray of food in her hands.

  At the sight, Hui Yue froze and worried greatly as he saw the tray, but instead of Sha Yun’s doubtful cooking, it was instead leftovers from the party.

  Showing Sha Yun a gratified smile, Hui Yue accepted the tray and Sha Yun sat down next to him, an excited expression on her face as she kept looking at the different rooms.

  “This is a home.” She said in awe as her glistening silver eyes kept sweeping over the different rooms within the mansion, happiness evident within her face.

  Hui Yue felt a tinge of guilt as he looked at the excited expression. Although the two of them finally had a place they could call home, it was still possible that they would have to leave it soon as Hui Yue met Lord Rong Liang.

  Chapter 78 - To Trade Information

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  Chapter 78: To Trade Information

  Hui Yue stood outside a heavy wooden door, waiting patiently as his guide had just went into the room to announce his presence. The room belonged to Lord Rong Liang, and it was his office where he dealt with everything to do with running the city.

  Hui Yue spent three days of his ten days of rest to settle into his new mansion, although the majority of his time was spent within the back garden where he trained his skills and refined essence into Qi.

  The refining process was important as Hui Yue needed to rush into the Master rank as soon as possible, yet he knew that if he stopped refining his Qi as purely as he always had to quicken his breakthrough, then his entire cultivation base would have been a waste up until now.

  Although Hui Yue had absorbed immense amounts of essence and he could now refine Qi much faster than ever before, he still knew that he was not going to break into the Master rank in ten days. This resulted in him seeking out the City Lord, hoping that the man could give him some useful information.

  Looking at the situation, Hui Yue had gone so far as to hire guards to look after his home. All of these guards were Master ranked and this decision took much consideration. Hui Yue hated to admit that he was too weak to deal with his own situation, yet there was nothing he could do as rushing his refinement was a no go.

  Hui Yue’s only option right now was to get information about the Silent Raven and act on it. He had previously asked Gao Yan to see whether or not his network had ever heard about such a group, yet no matter how many people they talked to, no one knew anything, not even when a reward of one spirit coin was offered.

  Looking at the heavy wooden door in front of Hui Yue, he could not help but sigh, as he knew this was his only chance to solve the problem on his own. He could allow Lan Feng to come out and deal with the man, yet that decision was just as risky.

  If Lan Feng were to deal with this problem, he would obviously leave traces behind, and by analyzing those traces people would be capable of determining that they came from a Saint ranked expert. What Hui Yue could not currently afford was to have people believing these big events were happening because of him.

  It was not only because of the risks that Hui Yue so far had refused Lan Feng’s help. Hui Yue was a proud person, and he wished to progress on his own, to evolve through the hardships he faced. It was, however, true that last time he was almost done for, but Hui Yue knew that currently only one assassin was after him, and using Velocity Flow it would be possible for him to escape.

  Unfortunately, the bearded assassin was obviously very clever, and it was likely that he would set up some traps for Hui Yue in the future.

  While Hui Yue was in deep thought the heavy wooden door opened and the guide appeared, bowing slightly to Hui Yue and gestured for the white-haired boy to enter.

  Hui Yue dragged himself back from his thoughts and he quickly gave a polite nod to the person who had guided him all this way before he entered the room.

  Looking around, Hui Yue was gobsmacked to see that everything was tidy. No documents were placed randomly on the desk and everything was placed neatly in boxes. There was not a speck of dust anywhere and even the floors were sparkling clean.

  Lord Rong Liang had a scroll in his hands which he gently wrapped up with the greatest care and precision before he placed it next to the other documents in a straight line.

  “This is quite the surprise.” Rong Liang said, as he gestured for Hui Yue to take a seat. The two of them had not had much interaction with one another and Hui Yue would usually avoid Rong Liang whenever he had the chance to do so. Yet both of them were considered friends, or allies, and Hui Yue had no one else to turn to so he was ready to gamble.

  “I am sorry for intruding like this.” Hui Yue started, as he instantly knew what he could do to convince the City Lord. “I need some information, but I don’t expect for you to part with it for free.” Hui Yue had a theatrical pause before he continued, “I’ll give you the tools to clean the city. This is a way to avoid having a foul smell even in the poor areas. I’ll even toss in a way to make your roads much more stable and you will be able to avoid them turning muddy during the rainy season.”

  Hearing all those promises, Lord Rong Liang’s eyes narrowed, as though he felt that a trap was being set for him. “What information do you need?” He asked hesitantly. Although he was on guard, the promised information truly was tempting.

  “What is Silent Raven?” Hui Yue had no intention of beating around the bush. He had alrea
dy thrown out his bait for Lord Rong Liang, and the longer it took for him to get to the subject, the harder it would be for the middle-aged man to agree.

  As soon as the words escaped Hui Yue’s lips, Lord Rong Liang stiffened and his eyes were filled with shock, yet after only a few moments he calmed both his body and his soul, appearing as if he had never been shocked in the first place.

  “How do you know about them?” Lord Rong Liang asked, this time he was following every expression on Hui Yue’s face trying to determine if he was lying.

  “I don’t know much.” Hui Yue said while shrugging his shoulders, “I overheard you at the housewarming party when you spoke with a bearded man, and I got curious.”

  Looking at Hui Yue, Rong Liang was able to tell that the boy was indeed not lying, causing him to grumble slightly. If this was true, then telling the boy about the Silent Raven should not be too troublesome, but somehow the older man felt that although Hui Yue was not lying, he was not telling the entire story either.