“Come now,” he said as their body faded from this space. “You know the old saying. Good things oft happen in pairs, my dear Bi successor.”

****

“Gah!”

A startled gasp came from within a courtyard as someone was suddenly awakened. A figure that was seated in the lotus position looked all around in confusion not knowing where they were.

The confused figure first inspected their body and was surprised to see it absent of any injuries.

Relief overcame this person in an instant, followed by shock. This was because they found that their body was countless times stronger than before. The cultivation didn’t necessarily increase, but the power and tenacity of their body surely did.

“What happened?” they mumbled to themself. As soon as this question was asked, a wave of wariness took hold when recollections of what happened not long ago came flooding in.

“You’re awake!”

A shout from the entrance to the courtyard drew the figure’s attention compelling them to jump back in shock!

D-D-D-Dum!

Two cauldrons exploded in being. One was orange, making itself known as a supreme-grade cauldron, whilst the other was white, marking it as a much less impressive medial grade.

When the new arrival saw the cauldrons of this person, they dropped the tray of food they were carrying.

When the figure saw this, their guard dropped slightly, but they still remained in a fighting stance.

“M-Master Jia Yan please do not be alarmed,” the new arrival stated with their hands held up to indicate they meant no harm.

“Master?”

That’s right, the figure who was in the courtyard was none other than Jia Yan who was travelling with Long Di and the others a few days ago.

“Y-Yes, you’re the new master of the Blood Crypt Se… I mean… of this place,” the person advised.

“Who are you?” Jia Yan asked.

“I was the advisor of the Blood Crypt Sect. But everyone calls me Old Bai.” the old demon advised.

Old Bai was the old demon who the Grand Preceptor had spoken with before. He was the only survivor of the Blood Crypt Sect and the one living in its shell at the moment.

“Jia Yan!? You’re awake!”

Another shout drew Jia Yan’s attention, and he looked over to see a beautiful blue-skinned girl staring at him in surprise.

She had a single horn protruding from her forehead that flashed with mysterious runes every now and again. Her raven-black hair waved gently in the wind that adopted the role of a silent passerby, setting off her beauty even more.

Even the reticent Jia Yan was a little dazed, but that’s all it was.

“Zi Yu? You’re here…” Jia Yan stated, a little more at ease now that he saw someone who he could consider as familiar.

In truth, they hadn’t talked that much and could only be considered acquaintances at best, but all things considered, this was good enough.

“Well, that’s quite the lacklustre response, considering that the only reason I’m here is because of you.” Zi Yu replied.

“Me?” Jia Yan asked. “Wait… what’s going on? Where’s Long Di, or Shen Ling for that matter? Where is everyone!?”

Zi Yu sighed, she then shot a tired look at Old Bai who got the signal and left with a bow to her and Jia Yan.

She then entered the courtyard and surveyed the surroundings with a perusing gaze. The courtyard was rather sizeable and though not as extravagant as her own; it was quite good for a normal sect.

It was large, covering a radius of a few hundred feet easily. The residences here were composed of pearls and other precious stones… well, precious by mortal standards at the very least. In any case, it was quite serene here and was good enough for anyone who wanted to live a quiet life.

“You know, whenever someone visits you’ll need to be sure to offer at least a cup of tea as a form of etiquette,” Zi Yu stated once she arrived in front of Jia Yan.

“I’ll get right on that once I know where the tea and my friends are.” This was Jia Yan’s attempt at a joke… it sucked. He knew it, Zi Yu knew it, and they both chuckled at it.

“So what happened?” Jia Yan asked once he was a bit more comfortable.

“A lot!” Zi Yu started off. “So you know that Long Di was bound to leave the Demon Region, right?”

Jia Yan could feel a sour feeling in his nose when he heard this, and he nodded to indicate he did.

“Well… it happened,” Zi Yu told him. “Thing is… it happened under less than amicable terms.”

“How less than amicable are we talking?” Jia Yan didn’t like where this was going. With Long Di, things were either ‘eh,’ or ‘I’m sorry for nuking your homeland and causing a creature known as the Calamity Dragon to take up residence in your airspace.’ There was no middle ground with the guy.

With this, Zi Yu went on to explain everything that took place while he was out of it after the heavenly execution.

“So they wanted to kill apprentice sister Shen Ling.” Jia Yan finally understood how serious the situation was.

Zi Yu nodded, “Long Di had to leave in an emergency and I don’t know when, but he arranged a couple of things for you that Yaomu Shou was able to enact through the Yaomu family.”

“Me being the master of this place.” Jia Yan could now see how this was all coming full circle.

“Long Di wants you to grow as strong as possible. This place will serve as your stronghold for now. It is to be a bastion for mixed bloods and those who are willing to support that cause,” stated Zi Yu with a grave expression.

“A bastion… for mixed-bloods?” Jia Yan was nearly left speechless by this goal. Long Di and Yaomu Shou wanted him to achieve something like this? How!?

“How can I possibly grow with such an ambition? I’ll be stomped out!”

Jia Yan wasn’t wrong to think this. First of all, Mixed-blood demons were seen as inferior from the get-go.

Most, if not all, of the powerful sects and great powers in the Demon Region were composed of the so-called pure-blood demons. Even if mixed bloods were present in some of these powers, they were the bottom rung. Some of them were no better off than slaves.

Mixed bloods might be greater in number, but they were surely lesser in power.

To establish a sect with its purpose set to be a bastion for mixed-bloods was no different from slapping these prejudiced pure-blood powers across the face. They might go to war with him just for even thinking of starting such a thing!

Don’t misunderstand, there were countless sects and forces, minor as they may be, that were composed of mixed blood demons. However, they were formed due to things like familiar ties, survival tactics or things of the like.

For the reason to be that of a bastion for mixed bloods meant that it was set to allow mixed bloods to secure a higher standing within. You didn’t want to just survive; you wanted to thrive.

To do this means you would need resources and access to knowledge not normally accessible to the chaff. This was a blatant stand against those major powers.

Jia Yan wanted to know if Long Di and Yaomu Shou wanted him to be killed.

“By the way, shouldn’t they want to kill me? I mean, I was obviously a part of that group. Doing this in tandem with that is no different from carving the initials in my tombstone.” Jia Yan argued.

“Anyone that even thinks of bringing up the relations of that day will be killed, no exception, so you’re safe there. In addition, the Yaomu family has declared this place a tributary. So no one will dare to lay a finger on you,” Zi Yu told him with a smile.

“H-How is that possible!?” Jia Yan asked in shock. He wasn’t dumb. Being a tributary was great and all, but only those with great power who pay a tribute to the Yuan family could be called a tributary.

Not even counting him, even if he sold the entire Blood Crypt Sect, he wouldn’t be able to pay one-tenth the cost.

“Don’t worry about it,” Zi Yu smiled.

“Zi Yu!” Jia Yan’s voice raised, startling Zi Yu. He then apologized before repeating himself. “Tell me.”

She then fidgeted with her fingers before closing her eyes and admitting. “I had my family pay the tribute to the Yaomu family on your behalf!”

Jia Yan’s face turned ugly at this. “That was not necessary.”

“But then how could yo-”

“What does it matter?” Jia Yan’s anger was enkindled at this point. “Why does everyone feel it’s fine to foist upon me these responsibilities!?”

The more Jia Yan spoke the angrier he got till he was shouting in the courtyard.

He conditioned, “Do I have no choice!? To become the master of an empty house!? Bastion for mixed-bloods!? Was my choice even considered for these lifelong commitments!? Or was I to be the accommodating side character!?”

“I’m sorry…” was all that Zi Yu could offer since this never occurred to her.

Even though Zi Yu wasn’t the orchestrator of all of this, she was also guilty of running with the idea that Jia Yan would just do this. The idea or the notion of him refusing or rejecting didn’t factor into any of this.

He could at least tolerate this a little bit from Long Di since he knew that the latter didn’t see things through the same glasses everyone else did. As for Yaomu Shou and the others who ran with this… plan of theirs, he expected a little more tact from them on his involvement in all this.

In addition, Zi Yu paying the tribute was something offered to signify her going forward with this and not wasting any time. There were chances this could be done without her involvement, but it could have taken a lot longer.

“Can you please leave?” Jia Yan asked once his anger was extinguished.

“Sure…” Zi Yu didn’t argue and just got up and left. She realised that all of this was moving much too fast.

He needed some time on this and if he didn’t want any part of this, she would honour his wishes and let the Yuan family know this wasn’t a plan to move forward with.

Once Zi Yu left the courtyard and was now walking through the large and now mostly empty sect, a tall and muscular demon that sported many of the same details Zi Yu did appear inexplicably before her.

“Father!” Zi Yu was startled to see her father, the patriarch of one of the ten grand families, appear here all of a sudden.

“This is what you begged me to pay the tribute for? A coward who doesn’t dare to stand up for himself?” The patriarch directed his gaze to where Jia Yan’s courtyard was located and a mien of disdain surfaced.

“Father it’s not like that.” Even though Jia Yan’s words had stung her, it was not for lack of truth. Moreover, she travelled with Jia Yan for quite some time so she didn’t want to hear someone put him down. Even if that person was her own father.

“Hmph!” The patriarch scoffed before stating. “Before this, I had no opinion of the mixed bloods or the views cast upon them by others. However, if this is the most impressive among them, then I am duly unimpressed.”

Before Zi Yu could say anything in Jia Yan’s defence, her father continued. “We can count this as a benefit solely because it brought us closer to the royal family. Let’s go. There is nothing left for us here. Nothing worth mentioning anyway.”

As her father turned to walk her voice came from behind.

“Wait, father!”

The patriarch paused but didn’t turn around, seemingly waiting for her to say what she wanted to say.

Of course, Zi Yu knew this and put forward her request, “Give me some time here, please. At least three days. Jia Yan isn’t a coward but I truly believe he’ll make a choice, even if it’s not what we wanted, that will speak volumes of his character. It’s my responsibility to at least see this through.”

The patriarch remained silent for a long time before responding. “You have three days… at most.”

She was ecstatic to hear this and bowed to her father from behind. After all, she knew just how stubborn he could be to the point where only the elders of the family could handle him.

He then continued walking on his way before a blast of aura from him broke open the void and he walked through silently.

ZI Yu rose from her bow and uttered to no one but herself. “Three days…”