Tainted Blood

by Tinalynge

  “The Diviners entered the territory right as I was leaving it after the previous week’s cage battles and it seemed like they had a purpose. I think they are here for the Primordial Beasts in the black market territory, so we cannot afford to go too wild.”

  “You don’t have to worry so much,” Bai Tianyi said, smiling casually. His usually unruffled expression displayed an insouciance and carefreeness that came naturally to him. “Although the Diviners are there to capture Primordial Beasts, it is likely that they cannot enter the cave. I am sure that, even if the Diviners are very strong, there is someone protecting the black market underground.”

  “That’s true.” Xue Wei had to acknowledge that there was some reason in what Bai Tianyi said. “It is said that the strongest expert within Cloudsoar City is a Sky Knight from the black market territory. As to whether or not it is the Intelligencer, I do not know, but it is highly likely.”

  The three wore their masks. Bai Tianyi grew taller all of a sudden as well. He no longer had the body of a child, his physique now making him look like a grown man.

  Grinning, Bai Tianyi stretched slightly, before he turned and got ready to leave. “Let us go.”

  Hei Gou and Xue Wei followed behind Bai Tianyi. When leaving, they noticed that none of the people waiting for them began tailing them. They had never expected that this trio of adults were the targets they had been waiting for.

  Xue Wei snickered. It would appear that they could leave the city whenever they wished.

  But right now was not the time. They had to stay until they had gotten all the information they needed from the intelligencer, so they were in the mood to let go of all their frustrations in the underground cage battles.

  Letting go of your inhibitions was an enjoyable feeling. Ever since he had been in the last battle, Xue Wei’s mood had improved. His heart had been completely calm and a smile had hung on his face all the time.

  It was only a week, but it also felt as if the process of cultivation was going much smoother. The absorption was rapid and the Azure Dragon Spirit’s refinement of the heaven-and-earth essence was buttery smooth.

  Xue Wei also felt as though the bad emotions from having lost Wang Xiaoyun had subsided. Although he still missed her terribly, he had come to terms with her departure and was certain that they would reunite someday. Until that day, he had to stay alive, and to stay alive he had to hone his skills.

  They made jokes and discussed random things with each other as Xue Wei led them to the lawless area, where the beggars could be either cripples or wolves in sheep clothes.

  “Don’t talk with anyone. Don’t disturb anyone either.” Since they could never know who they could end up meeting, Xue Wei continuously cautioned both Hei Gou and Bai Tianyi.

  Where Bai Tianyi completely ignored him, Hei Gou seriously nodded his head and looked solemn. Bai Tianyi was immortal. Even if someone seriously injured him, he would not die. Even if his spirit was destroyed, he would just need time to restore it. The consequences of being careless were not as significant to him considering his unliving state.

  Knowing this, Xue Wei was very curious. What was it like to be a sword spirit? He had clearly not severed his emotions. Nor had he lost the ability to eat and drink. His body, although a soul body, functioned in the same way a living being’s would.

  He could not cultivate Qi, nor could he absorb the heaven-and-earth essence, but he could absorb the soul power in the air and cultivate this way. He could even consume pills and other resources to strengthen his cultivation base.

  In fact, Xue Wei never really remembered that he was not a living being. He acted like any other individual and they had gotten so close that Xue Wei would consider him his brother.

  “Hey, Tianyi,” Xue Wei finally called out. Bai Tianyi turned to look at him curiously, guessing at what the other wanted. “I was wondering, since I went to the Intelligencer for information on the Sovereign Beasts,” he started.

  “I know that you lived when they were in their golden age, so perhaps you can tell me a bit about the past of the Sovereign Beasts? I know that anything that is current would be impossible for you to know about, but what about the time when you were unrivaled?”

  Bai Tainyi was silent for a bit and slowed his pace. The trio spoke with compressed voice communication, which only they could hear, so they did not fear eavesdroppers.

  “Sovereign Beasts, huh?” Bai Tianyi was not surprised by this question. Xue Wei had already found out that he was not a human some time ago, so it was only natural for him to be curious about his origin.

  Touching his chin, Bai Tianyi considered for some time what he should say. “They are quite noble,” he finally sighed. “I met quite a few Sovereign Beasts when I was traveling across the entire world. They did not care for worldly possessions, nor did they care about ruling the world. The ones I knew cared about improving their strength and about protecting their families.”

  “They were innately gifted with an outstanding talent for cultivation, an innate ability to grow stronger and stronger at an inordinate rate.”

  Bai Tianyi looked at Xue Wei with a bit of a pondering expression. “They were also beautiful,” he suddenly said. “As beautiful as otherworldly fairies. But looking at you, you are perhaps the most plain-looking Sovereign Beast I’ve ever seen.”

  “In this world, there are four races of Sovereign Beasts,” Bai Tianyi continued. “There is the Azure Dragon Clan, the White Tiger Clan, the Black Turtle Clan, and the Vermilion Bird Clan. Throughout the world, there are only those four clans.

  “It pains me to say this,” Bai Tianyi continued, his face turning dark, “but the only creatures who have managed to break through the border of immortality are said to have been the experts of the four Sovereign Beast clans.”

  “Legend has it that once upon a time, way before my time, there were four good friends. They were one White Tiger, one Azure Dragon, one Black Turtle, and one Vermilion Bird. They dreamt about something else than what they could get in this world and they wished to create their own world. They would call it the Divine Beast World. As to whether or not they succeeded, no one knows,” Bai Tianyi sighed. “It is, however, certain that they managed to leave this world.”

  “I thought you said immortality was impossible and that is why you became a sword spirit?” Xue Wei asked, perplexed.

  “As to whether or not they gained true immortality, I do not know,” Bai Tianyi said honestly, “but they managed to break through the borders of this world and exit the barrier around it. This requires a strength unlike any I have ever seen before.”

  “When I was at my peak, I tried to break through the world, but there was no one who had succeeded in thousands of years and no one who could guide me in how to do it. Everything I did relied on my trials and errors. I never knew exactly what to do before I tried; no one could tell me, as no one had reached the same strength as me.”

  Xue Wei pondered on the information he had just gotten. “Were the Sovereign Beasts very prominent before?” he asked further. Bai Tianyi shrugged his shoulders.

  “They did not hide, but they never arrogantly flaunted their power either,” he answered after careful consideration. “I cannot imagine what might have happened to make the Sovereign Beasts completely hide away from the world.”

  “Hopefully we will get more answers from the Intelligencer,” Xue Wei said with a sigh after a bit of time. He hoped that he could get all the answers he wanted. Heavens forbid the exorbitant price he had to pay for that information, so it would only make sense that he had high expectations for the results.

  While talking, the trio had reached the run-down house that led into the passageway leading to the underground arenas. Xue Wei frowned when he looked around the area. The Diviners that he had seen after last week’s underground cage battles were there, and it seemed that they were coming towards them.

  “Watch out,” Xue Wei warned Hei Gou, who lifted his head and looked in the same direction as Xue Wei. His face t
urned slightly serious when he saw them.

  Xue Wei and the other two rushed into the passageway and made their way to the cage area, seeking to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

  As they reached the cave, Hei Gou looked around with big eyes that were filled with wonder, like a child at a festival. He smiled uncontrollably, his eyes glistened, and his cheeks were slightly flushed red.

  Bai Tianyi, who had spent some time in the shape of an adult, went to a dark corner. Moments after, he returned as a small child with an adult’s face. It looked strange in every way one could imagine.

  Seeing Bai Tianyi’s bizarre appearance, Xue Wei grimaced. Xue Wei knew that everyone present could tell that Bai Tianyi was wearing a face mask, and it was obvious the person in question did not care, but the sight was truly confusing.

  Not long after, the three Diviners walked into the cave, causing the otherwise rather bustling atmosphere to die down. A few experts, including Hei Gou, retreated slightly without making it too obvious.

  “Do not worry,” one of the Diviners spoke towards the crowd as he removed the hood that had previously covered his face. The one speaking seemed to be around thirty years old. He had a friendly face, but there was also a dangerous gleam in his eyes that put Xue Wei on high alert.

  “We are not here to cause trouble,” the Diviner calmly continued. “We are not here to hunt the Primordial Beasts in this cave, nor do we care about who is a beast and who is a human in this place. All we are looking for is a little brother of our order. It is our mission to make him return with us.”

  Xue Wei suddenly remembered the conversation he had heard earlier when they passed him. Back then, they had been looking for someone as well, someone who they considered a genius, but this genius had allegedly deserted or even betrayed them. He had not listened too intently at the time as he never thought it had anything to do with him, but now he was relieved.

  Although he was slightly relieved, he did not dare to let down his guard. He glanced at Hei Gou, who was also looking at him, and shook his head in an attempt to convey his thoughts.

  Although they claimed that they were not here to capture Primordial Beasts, it was likely that they would jump them as soon as they exited the cave so it was best not to invite trouble. It would be best if Hei Gou did not participate in the battles this evening and night.

  Chapter 17 - Hei Gou’s Debut

  Hei Gou, understanding the decision that Xue Wei made, grumbled all night. He was displeased with the fact that he could not battle, but he was not the only one feeling annoyed. Xue Wei had also decided to not participate in the cage battles this time either, so their feelings were mutual. Why had these Diviners appeared now of all times?

  Although none of the Primordial Beasts, including Xue Wei, participated in the battles that day, it was not like there was an absence of bloody battles that played out.

  Bai Tianyi decided to participate in a battle, where he ended up quickly executing his opponent as though he was chopping down weeds.

  Although Xue Wei had expected it, he was still stunned when he saw the bloodthirsty smile on Bai Tianyi’s face as he sliced his opponent in half with a gust of spiritual energy shaped like an incredible sword.

  The people in the audience who had witnessed that battle were astounded and admired the strength that Bai Tianyi had displayed.

  Xue Wei looked around, but no matter how much he looked, he did not see Lu Yuping anywhere. It was clear that he had already been informed of the news about the Diviners making an appearance; and even though he was a strong fighter, he was not dumb enough to fight against Diviners as a Primordial Beast himself.

  Xue Wei would not have gone had he known in advance that the Diviners were present. He was not going to risk Hei Gou’s safety for some mere illegal fights.

  The Diviners kept inspecting every nook and cranny of the cave’s inside, observing everything and everyone that entered the underground world. Even Xue Wei was given a long glance, but in the end, the Diviners did not find what they were looking for. So when the night ended, all of them left the cave with dark faces and sour moods.

  “They are gone,” Hei Gou said as he leaned against the cave wall, looking incredibly casual, but he was in truth keeping constant vigil of his surroundings.

  “Wait an hour,” Xue Wei cautioned, because he could read Hei Gou’s mind. “If they have not returned within an hour, then you can fight as you please.”

  Hei Gou’s handsome face lit up with a great smile when he heard this. His eyes brightened and he nodded his head excitedly. Despite wearing a face mask, he seemed much more handsome than the average person. It was impossible to hide his beauty even with a facemask.

  The hour went by fast, and the Diviners did not return. They had clearly left for good, as their target was not within the cave. Although they usually wouldn’t pass on the opportunity to catch a Primordial Beast, their attitude showed that the person they were looking for dwarfed even the allure of Primordial Beasts in importance. Including even the opportunity to catch multiple of them at once.

  Xue Wei appeared to be pensive; he furrowed his eyebrows when this fact reached his mind, and he could not help but wonder: what exactly was the identity of a person who warranted being chased so diligently by such a group of Diviners?

  Sighing, he quickly gave up his thoughts and went to one of the cages. It was time for Hei Gou’s battle.

  “A fat sheep has appeared! He has never fought here before—he is a complete rookie!” someone yelled out. Due to these few words, the majority of the cave’s guests made their way towards the cage where Hei Gou was supposed to have his battle.

  Xue Wei looked at the opponent. He was not too skinny or too burly. He actually looked very ordinary. When Hei Gou stepped into the cage, everyone’s attention turned to him. Some of the women in the cave even gasped and stared wide-eyed at him. The man he was up against also looked rather uncomfortable.

  Hei Gou was smiling gracefully. He was not as handsome as he was normally, but he was still out of the ordinary. Sighing, Xue Wei shook his head with a chuckle.

  “I’m going,” Hei Gou said seriously with a look over his shoulder at Xue Wei, who nodded in return. “Show them what you got,” he answered with a snicker.

  Because of their conversation, Xue Wei suddenly became the center of attention, and soon that included Bai Tianyi, who conveniently stood beside him.

  “Hey, that’s the guy from earlier who we also considered a fat sheep but who completely trampled over his opponent. And the other guy fought last week, where he was so bloodthirsty that he killed one of the Tiger Triplets!” someone suddenly called out.

  The gazes directed at Xue Wei were suddenly filled with shock and disbelief. It was clear that the three had a close relationship, and two out of the three had already managed to make a small name for themselves.

  “So it was you, huh?” The voice of a man suddenly emerged next to Xue Wei. When the latter turned around, he saw two figures standing right next to him. Both were stronger than him, both Ordinary Knights; one a two layer and the other a four layer.

  “What was me?” Xue Wei spoke casually as he faced the two experts. Although he was not stronger than them and would be at a disadvantage against them in any other environment, the truth was that he was safe as long as he was inside the cave.

  Furthermore, even if they truly wished to cause problems, he doubted they would be able to keep him back. He had Bai Tianyi by his side, who was also an Ordinary Knight, and he had Hei Gou, whose true shape was a mutated Celestial Dog, alongside his own original shape as an Azure Dragon.

  “You killed our younger brother?” One of the two guys seemed very aggressive. His face was already red from anger and he was surrounded by a murderous air. He was the weakest of the two.

  Though he was the most aggressive of the duo, Xue Wei was not too scared of him. On the other hand, the stronger one of the two seemed much more dangerous. He was standing idly behind the other Tiger, his hand r
ubbing his chin. And although he seemed casual and carefree, a smile was evident on his face and his eyes were incredibly cold.

  “I killed some guy last week, yes.” Xue Wei did not step back. “I never asked him to think of me as a fat sheep, did I?” he continued. This only exacerbated the hatred spewing from the first one’s eyes, whereas the calm and collectedness of the other made Xue Wei feel incredibly uncomfortable.

  “You should have killed yourself!” the angry man said. “You should have killed yourself instead of our brother!”

  “So your brother can kill me, but I cannot kill him?” Xue Wei mocked back with a smile on his face, causing the angry brother to get so furious that he started trembling.

  “Why are you causing trouble with my friend?” Everyone turned to look at the speaker, everyone apart from Xue Wei that is.