"Yes... wait, huh?" Xiao Chan opened her eyes in confusion. "What does Young Hero Zhao mean?"
"Exactly what I said," Zhao Yunxiao turned around and walked back to the bed. "Feel free to sleep at the table as well if you want. I won't mind it."
"But, this..." Xiao Chan blinked blankly as she watched Zhao Yunxiao enter meditation.
After standing there for a good few seconds, she found herself letting out a deep sigh of relief.
She thought that she had already made the necessary mental preparations and would be able to accept whatever happened next. However, it was only when such things did not actually materialise that she suddenly realised just how much she had feared it.
Xiao Chan bowed towards the meditating Zhao Yunxiao, then went to sit by the table, resting her head on her hands.
Though Zhao Yunxiao had his eyes closed, he continued to keep an eye on Xiao Chan with his spiritual sense.
To be honest, he was rather sympathetic towards her plight.
By saying that she was still untainted, it meant that she understood just as well that this would not last for long.
Indeed, not to mention someone with appearances as extraordinary as hers; just about any female servant would likely be subjected to a similar fate sooner or later, especially in a household like the Hei Clan.
Today was the best example. In order to please Zhao Yunxiao, Hei Lao had sent her here for him to do whatever he wanted.
If this could happen for Zhao Yunxiao, it could definitely happen for other important guests as well. Zhao Yunxiao might have decided not to do anything strange to her, but it would be naive to think that other guests would show the same amount of restraint.
Zhao Yunxiao did not know what Xiao Chan's life was like before becoming a slave. Perhaps it was better, perhaps it was worse. Regardless, having her fate completely at the mercy of others was never a fun way to live.
This was why strength was important.
Only with strength could one truly achieve freedom – to hold one's fate in their own hands. This was the case not only for ordinary mortals like Xiao Chan, but for cultivators like Zhao Yunxiao as well.
His fate was similarly at the mercy of his sect. If the sect wanted him to die, there was hardly anything he could do to resist.
It was just fortunate that he had found a good home in the Black Tortoise Sect, all thanks to Elder Ying Qingmu. Had he joined another faction, who knew if the clueless kid from back then would have remained alive to this day?
When he put it into perspective like that, perhaps all individuals under the heavens were similar in the grand scheme of things.
Rather than stubbornly trying to struggle against their fates, it would be far more productive to just embrace it while trying to make the most out of the cards that had been placed in one's hands.
Of course, some people had more cards to play than others. But at the very least, Xiao Chan had ended up in the influential Hei Clan, which could provide her with some form of stability in exchange for her freedom.
With that thought in mind, Zhao Yunxiao slowly drifted deeper into his meditation.
Hours passed in a flash, and the knock on their door came shortly.
"Young Hero Zhao, the banquet is ready. Young Master Hei invites you to grace the banquet with your presence."
"Got it," Xiao Chan answered as she quickly got to her feet.
The servant outside was not surprised to hear her voice instead.
Xiao Chan carefully walked over to Zhao Yunxiao, who promptly opened his eyes before she could say anything.
"Let's go," Zhao Yunxiao said.
The duo followed the servant to the front hall, where they were welcomed by a tableful of luxurious dishes. Hei Lao, Gang Yeshan, and Old Ping were all present and waiting as well.
"You are here, Young Hero Zhao! I hope you had a good rest!" Hei Lao smiled while shooting a sly glance towards Xiao Chan.
"Yes, I did. Thanks to Young Master Hei," Zhao Yunxiao understood Hei Lao's insinuation, but did not see the need to clear the air.
In a sense, perhaps this could also serve to help Xiao Chan a little. If the Hei Clan believed that she had already lost her innocence, they might no longer consider her when serving the next important guest.
"Hahaha! My pleasure!" Hei Lao laughed while shooting a triumphant glance at Gang Yeshan. "Here, have a seat!"
"Please, Young Hero," Gang Yeshan ignored Hei Lao and simply gestured towards the table.
Zhao Yunxiao took his seat, and the other two followed suit. As for Old Ping, she might be the head servant, but she was technically still a servant. Therefore, she was naturally not allowed to join the table. Even so, she was at least allowed to remain in the chamber, unlike Xiao Chan, who had to take her leave after performing a curtsy.
That left Zhao Yunxiao, Hei Lao, and Gang Yeshan, who began to enjoy the lavish spread that had been laid out before them.
As for the dishes, Zhao Yunxiao had to admit that they were of surprisingly good quality. Even though the Hei Clan was not a cultivation faction, some of the dishes actually included rare ingredients like spirit beast meat and spiritual herbs.
The preparation method might not be the best, which in turn translated to a significant loss of the corresponding nutrients. However, this could already be considered far better than the food served at most establishments that were ran by ordinary mortals.
Hei Lao did not stop talking throughout the dinner, repeatedly emphasising his connections to various factions both within Thousand Autumn City and even in other cities, trying to sell Zhao Yunxiao the idea that associating with his Hei Clan had its benefits.
On the other hand, Gang Yeshan remained relatively quiet, only commenting when Hei Lao asked for her verification, which was few and far between.
Zhao Yunxiao did not comment much, taking on a more indifferent stance in order to maintain his distance from Hei Lao. However, the latter was not discouraged by that, stubbornly continuing with his persuasion attempt without pause.
One had to admit that it was rather fascinating, watching the usually arrogant Hei Lao speak with such humble fervour. Of course, that was not too surprising either, considering just how influential the Black Tortoise Sect was, especially here in the northern regions of the Duyuan Empire.
Not to mention the Hei Clan, but even smaller cultivation factions would also act in a similar fashion.
As the trio neared the end of their meal, a servant walked up to whisper some words in Hei Lao's ears, but Hei Lao stopped him after listening to just a few words.
"Haha, why whisper? It's not like they can't hear you anyway!" Hei Lao laughed, clearly aware of cultivators' enhanced sense of hearing. "Anyway, it would appear that we have just heard back from our informant at the city hall. Since we are all gathered here, let's listen to the report together!"
"Yes, Young Master," the servant nodded before raising his voice. "According to eyewitness accounts, the Scarlet Leaf Sect has set up a strange ritual at the foot of Blueflag Mountain. From initial observations, this appears to be a summoning ritual that feeds on lives as sacrifice. To prevent further loss of innocent lives, the city hall has announced the formation of a Righteous Coalition during the private conference earlier, and it would leave early tomorrow morning to strike at the Scarlet Leaf Sect's ritual site. All righteous cultivators who wish to contribute to the safety of this world are called upon to join in the extermination of the unorthodox Scarlet Leaf Sect."
Zhao Yunxiao furrowed his brows.
Summoning ritual? And one that fed on lives as sacrifice?
That sounded dangerous. It was a good thing that he had chosen not to get involved.
Even then, it was fine if they wanted to set up their ritual, but why did they have to choose the foot of Blueflag Mountain?
What a pain.
As long as the ritual was there, it would be too risky for him to visit the mountain. This was not just in terms of his own physical safety, but also included the risk of his actions being discovered by others.
Regardless of whether the Untethered Sage's inheritance was really there at the mountain, someone like Zhao Yunxiao would have just about zero chance of leaving with anything the moment news about the matter spread.
There was no other choice. He would have to put his own plans on hold for now, while hoping that this Righteous Coalition organised by the city lord would be able to resolve the issue.
"Would General Tie be joining the coalition as well?" Gang Yeshan asked.
"I can answer that in his stead – General Tie is not joining," Hei Lao said. "Am I right?"
"Young Master is wise," the servant nodded. "The city hall would only take on a facilitating role this time, assisting with the planning of the strike. Because of that, General Tie would not be leaving with the coalition tomorrow morning."
"Hmm? Is that the norm around here?" Zhao Yunxiao asked. "Isn't it usually the responsibility of the city hall to maintain safety in the region?"
"Hahaha, that might be the case in most places, but not here," Hei Lao said. "City Lord Qiu is a smart man, so how could he possibly commit his forces to a mission just because of some one-sided information? Since there are so many people fighting to do the work, I wouldn't want to get my hands dirty either if I were him!"
"We have allowed you to see the embarrassing side of Thousand Autumn City," Gang Yeshan sighed. "Unfortunately, that is indeed a common practice of the current city lord."
"I see," Zhao Yunxiao nodded.
More verbal accounts on the city lord's personality. And from the sound of it, Zhao Yunxiao would not be surprised if Hei Lao had a good relationship with the city lord or, at the very least, with the city lord's men.
"What's so unfortunate about that, Granny Gang?" Hei Lao shook his head. "This is called being smart. If the city lord is not smart like that, then citizens like us would just end up suffering instead! Don't you agree, Young Hero Zhao?"
"The orthodox path strives to benefit the masses," Zhao Yunxiao replied curtly.
Personally, he only believed in that to a certain extent. But speaking as a representative of the Black Tortoise Sect, he definitely had to be politically correct.
"Ahha, thank you for the reminder, Young Hero Zhao. I have learnt well," Hei Lao let out an awkward laugh. "But I hope Young Hero Zhao is not intending to join the coalition tomorrow?"
"I am on the sect's orders to tend to the Hei Clan's request, so that is what I will focus on," Zhao Yunxiao answered.
"Haha! That's good to hear!" Hei Lao beamed, relief clearly showing on his face. "Let's just leave the matter to them for now, and focus on working together here in the city. We can always hear from them once they are back!"
"I believe we are done with the meal here," Gang Yeshan slowly stood up, wanting to end the dinner before the conversation could take a turn for the worse. "Let's not keep the young hero here any longer than necessary."
"Of course, of course," Hei Lao agreed. "It's been a pleasure, and I really enjoyed our chat tonight. Let's speak further tomorrow!"
"Let's see how it goes," Zhao Yunxiao deliberately gave a noncommittal answer. "Thank you for the meal. I shall take my leave now."
"Farewell."
"Farewell."
Zhao Yunxiao returned to his inn after the dinner, his mind lingering on the Righteous Coalition that would be departing tomorrow.
He knew for sure that he would not be joining, but would it be worth sending a clone to check things out?
This way, he would not be in any mortal danger even if the coalition somehow failed in their campaign. But on the flip side, doing so could also allow others to trace his involvement in the matter.
No, there were far too many unknowns to warrant him taking such a risk.
All he could gain from sending a clone was information – information that he might not even need. On the other hand, being traced to the matter could make things extremely troublesome, and this would be true no matter if his involvement was traced by the Righteous Coalition or the Scarlet Leaf Sect.
Instead of that, he would just be contented with checking out the people who would be joining the coalition.
After deciding to send an earthen clone to watch the rendezvous point of the coalition early the next morning, Zhao Yunxiao popped a Winterwarth Pill and retired for the night.