Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 426: Chapter 426. The True Clan Master

On their way to the exit, Huang San asked Amon, ”Why provoke him? He is an asshole, but we need him. If you didn’t touch his woman, perhaps we could have been negotiating with him right now.”

”He never intended to negotiate with us. He was only toying with us,” Amon answered. ”Also, the guy annoyed me. He mentioned that all those slaves were ants. I have the same thought, and precisely because of that, why should I waste my time killing or toying with them? If I see ants crossing my feet, I don’t deem it worthwhile to pay them any attention. I don’t have to go out of my way to torture or murder those ants just to prove that I’m better than ants. Such a way of thinking is pathetic. Only pathetic people do that!”

”Hm... Okay. So, our trip here is one big waste of time?” Huang San asked.

”Not necessarily,” Amon said. He looked around. They were on their way to the exit, but Xei Wujia didn’t send someone to usher them out.

Seeing no Xei Clan people were around, he told Huang San, ”You wait outside with Xu Bao. I will join you later.”

”Huh...? What are you trying to do? Don’t tell me you want to steal the Zillium from the Xei Clan’s treasury?” Huang San asked in disbelief.

”If the Zillium can be easily stolen, I doubt the Xei Clan survives all this time. No, I want to meet someone.”

”Who?” Huang San asked.

”The true clan master of this clan,” Amon answered.

”What do you mean? Are you implying that Xei Gongzo is not the true clan master?”

”I have my suspicion. After doing some investigation these few days, I dare say I am almost certain about it.”

”I see... That’s why you are always not around at night. You are out investigating,” Huang San said.

”You noticed?” Amon asked. He always waited for everyone to go to sleep before leaving.

”I’m the type that regularly wakes up in the middle of the night,” Huang San said. ”So, why do you say Xei Gongzo is not the clan master?”

”I will explain later,” Amon replied. He didn’t want to waste time explaining. Someone might come over. He moved away without waiting for Huang San’s approval.

After Amon left, Xu Bao asked Huang San, ”Your Highness, I don’t mean to cross the line, but do you think it is wise to trust him that much? He doesn’t seem like someone who gives Your Highness his loyalty or respect.”

Huang San glanced at Xu Bao with a mixed expression. He sighed and said, ”I know. Since I first associated with him, I’ve known he is not someone I can fully control. He was even frank with me about the nature of our relationship when we started working together. The truth is, I don’t have a lot of choice. He might be a double-edged sword for me, but he is also a very sharp sword. I only need to be careful handling him. For now, our interests are aligned, so I don’t believe he will be a problem.”

”For now...,” Xu Bao said.

”For now,” Huang repeated.

*

Amon used the Concealed Ghost Body and his stealth technique to sneak around Xei Clan’s castle. Thanks to their penchant for courtyards, there were plenty of trees and bushes to hide around when he encountered a patrol. With his Mystic Stage’s sense and his remarkable spatial awareness, he could detect if anyone was nearby.

He already knew where to go because he had studied this place’s layout for several nights. The place where he was heading was the quarter where the master bedroom of the clan master was located.

Zong Hua’s intel on the Xei Clan might contain mostly general information, but some of this information included their history. Throughout their existence, there was always a Lord Stage cultivator in the clan. However, in the past three hundred years, there was none. Xei Clan’s clan master, Xei Gongzo, was a Peak Spirit Stage cultivator.

Considering the fact, Amon thought this was odd. The three countries surrounding the Xandar Region might let the Xei Clan oversee the Zillium mining operation because they weren’t interested in the hassle. However, the Xei Clan still needed at least one Lord Stage cultivator to qualify for their position.

Take the situation with Aetheria’s six major countries for comparison. Those countries always had at least one Lord Stage cultivator. This could be said the baseline for being an independent force in this world. Otherwise, other countries would lose respect and might even think about conquering the country without one.

Hence, it was not normal for the Xei Clan to remain in power in the Xandar Region. If they lost their Lord Stage a few years ago, maybe it still made sense since other countries might still be considering how to deal with the situation, but three hundred years of vacuum was too long.

With this train of thought, Amon studied the history provided by Zong Hua’s intel. In the intel, it was noted that in every major deal the clan master made, he was never alone. He was always accompanied by his wife, Xei Nuli.

Under normal situations, this was not strange. Everyone would perceive that Xei Gongzo was a loving husband and Xei Nuli was a supportive wife. Yet, Amon thought there was more to it. That’s why on the previous nights, he attempted to sneak toward the main chamber of Xei’s residence, where Xei Gongzo and his wife resided.

Even with his Concealed Ghost Body, Amon didn’t approach the main chamber carelessly. If his suspicion was correct, he could be detected despite his concealment art. So, he kept a certain distance and sneaked forward slowly while focusing on his senses.

He felt it then. His mystic sense ability did not pick up anything, but his danger sense did. It was subtle, but he could feel the hair in his body slightly standing up. He could be aware of this sensation thanks to his repeated exposure to Yuka. The sensation he felt then was similar to what he received from Yuka. He stopped advancing after getting that feeling.

He repeated this advance every night to ensure it was not just his imagination.

Today, he no longer stopped after getting the sensation. He continued forward.

*

In one of the courtyards inside Xei Clan’s castle, a middle-aged woman was pushing a wheelchair. This courtyard was much larger and more beautiful than any of the courtyards Amon and Huang San were brought to. It had a small stream that ended at a small pond filled with colorful fishes. Gardens filled with beautiful flowers adorned the courtyard.

Sitting in the wheelchair was an elderly man. He was silent as the woman wheeled him around the courtyard, enjoying the serene scenery. The elderly man looked old enough to be the woman’s father, or even grandfather.

The woman continued pushing the wheelchair until they arrived at a small pavilion beside the pond. She placed the elderly man facing the pond before sitting down and taking out a lunchbox. She used a spoon to scoop the meal from the lunchbox and spoon-fed the elderly man with tenderness. It was a typical display of devotion from a daughter to her parent.

Without stopping her filial duty, she uttered, ”Are you going to continue to just stand there?”

Hearing the call, Amon entered the courtyard and approached the two.

”Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to intrude. I plan to wait for you to finish your task before announcing myself,” Amon said as he approached.

”You are Echos’ thirteenth prince’s advisor, aren’t you? Amon, if I don’t remember wrongly?” The woman asked.

”That is correct,” Amon confirmed. ”Dare I assume you are this place’s madam, Clan Master Xei Gongzo’s wife, Mistress Xei Nuli?”

”You assume correctly,” Xei Nuli replied. ”Why are you wandering around without supervision? You know that is disrespectful, don’t you? If you were not Echos’ representative, you would have been executed.”

”I come here looking for you, madam. I have something I need to discuss.”

”Doesn’t my son meet with you already? If you are dissatisfied with the discussion, you must wait for my husband’s return, but I can’t say how long he will be absent. He is currently out for an important meeting.”

”Please forgive me if I sound rude, but I don’t believe that,” Amon uttered.

Xei Nuli stopped feeding the old man. She turned to Amon. She stared at him without saying anything.

Amon chuckled. He said, ”If I offended you, I apologize again. However, I know Clan Master Xei Gongzo is not currently attending any important meetings because you do not go with him.”

”He is a grown man. He doesn’t need me to always be by his side,” Xei Nuli said.

”He does if it involves making an important decision that affects the Xei Clan,” Amon returned. ”That is because you are the true clan master of the Xei Clan.”

Xei Nuli frowned at the statement. She then giggled. ”You are a funny man, Mister Amon. Perhaps you are not Prince Huang San’s advisor but his court jester, instead?”

”Let us not waste time on pretense, Mistress Xei. I know you are using concealment art. Others might think you are a Spirit Stage cultivator, but I know your cultivation is at the Lord Stage.”