Dual Cultivation God Returns - Chapter 1057 - 1057: What else...?

Hong Yue sat on the railings of a suspended wooden bridge in the Dream Realm Main Mansion, her gaze looking over the beautiful scenery.

The wooden bridge was connected to a small beautifully carved stone platform on a standalone thin and high mountain peak which served as the regular entry point that Wu Long used to enter the mansion when returning from outside the Dream Realm.

Thus there were usually one or two beauties waiting for him on this bridge if they knew his approximate time of arrival, like Song Lingfei did not long ago.

Although he could appear anywhere around the mansion, and for some time did so, Wu Long decided that perhaps a small number of things in their daily lives should be more stable and predictable, to feel more grounded. Thus creating a self-imposed restriction to enter the mansion from certain points.

It was the same reason why they adopted a few mortal-like behaviors when around the mansion.

They simply slept at night despite being able to meditate instead of sleep, they ate together when it was possible, despite not requiring food for sustenance – although they did get mild benefits from Spiritual Food that Wei Lan made but it wasn’t the point.

They mostly walked instead of flying unless going to the places inaccessible by walking – which was the reason Gong Cui forgot she could simply fly up to get that peach. They also preferred using normal speed of travel in daily life.

They even didn’t spread their Spiritual Senses far, preferring to talk to someone nearby to figure out where someone of them was if it was not an emergency – in which case they could simply rely on Fen Baihu.

Hong Yue didn’t really understand why they did these things, but living among them, gradually began mimicking their behavior and seeing that there was some kind of subtle effect in this style of life that she didn’t fully understand yet.

She saw Wei Lan, who was with Wu Long outside, arrive not long ago to start preparing for dinner, most of the beauties gathering around their dining place to either help her or simply gather to wait, so Hong Yue knew that Wu Long would be also arriving soon.

And she knew he would be passing here.

She came to ask him for advice.

That night at the Crow King’s Nest, Wu Long was amused by her rather impulsive move to show off Bahshi Assassin masks in a place that would recognize them, and unlike her bravado that she learned to make bold decisions from him, he was right, she made that decision a bit impulsively when she heard he was going to the Crow King’s Nest.

Part of it was her desire to help him with what he described as not enough chaos on the continent.

But part of it definitely was to try gathering attention of some of the Bahshi Assassins.

The remaining question, that was yet to be answered by her, was – to do what?

As she gradually came out of the shellshocked state that she and Hong Ye were in after what happened in their branch of Bahshi Assassins Group – after which neither of them understandably wanted anything to do with the people who almost sacrificed one of them for some kind of ritual, Hong Yue began thinking about the future – about what she would be doing, about what she could do.

She knew that there were Bahshi Assassins in a wider world now. And those were not the same breakaway branch stranded and isolated in a Fractured World, that broke the taboo in trying to conduct the ritual, but proper orthodox Bahshi Assassins of the wider organization – although damaged and scattered in hiding due to unforeseen events in a higher Boundless World.

She also knew that Wu Long had plans to gradually begin collecting and reuniting the remnants of those forces, and since he gave the twins the technique that would allow them to control lower ranks of the Bahshi Assassins, she knew that he was counting on the legitimacy of the twins as Prime Demons of a branch to do it – thus she willingly embraced that plan of action.

After all, it gave her means to be helpful to him – to the person who not only saved them but was sheltering her, providing a peaceful life without any wants or needs – and be helpful not just as an individual but as someone who can aid him in controlling a formidable force.

And yet, the recent realizations she had about life, made her question if she was fit to lead such a force alongside her twin, since she wasn’t sure that she could return to the world of contract killing now that Wu Long had awakened a broader vision of the world in her.

With his help, she also found resolve to be able to exert her own will on the world, using her dagger to take lives again… but it was slightly different. It wasn’t the dagger of a cold emotionless assassin who did not care about the target of that dagger, but a dagger of someone who had their own conscience and empathy. A dagger that needed a reason to take a life – proper reasoning instead of simply following an order, and a pouch of gold given to the organization.

‘Then again, I don’t know how Daoist Wu… is going to lead that organization and in what manner…’, she sighed, for a minute his usual “Call me Wu Long” with a handsome smile came to her mind, but she shook her head along with shaking that vision out of herself.

‘But then again, if I become useless even as an assassin… what else am I even good for?’, her crimson eyes became even more conflicted, ‘It’s not like Bahshi Assassins are good at straightforward combat… so my skills are useless for anything else…’

‘And there is also Ye’er’, she thought as a bit of warmth appeared in her eyes, ‘I can’t leave the whole burden of assassination to her while washing my hands clean because I suddenly have a conscience now, right?’

She then suddenly thought it was silly of her to come here with such questions, and that she should go.

But just as that thought went through her mind, the stone platform that the suspended wooden bridge connected to was enveloped by mist and two figures came out of it, Wu Long and Butler Bang following at a respectful one step behind.

“And?”, Wu Long asked with a smile while walking forward, seemingly continuing a conversation they had on the outside.

“As Young Master predicted, they’re aiming for the biggest fish in the pond, the Quiet Lake Hall”, Butler Bang smiled as well.

“Haha”, Wu Long chuckled, “Old Yen’s going to have some hard time…”

His gaze then caught Hong Yue’s figure who froze in a pose of half-standing up from the railing to leave, but knew she wouldn’t be able to hide from Wu Long, so she simply stayed still.

“Fairy Hong Yue? Were you waiting for me?”, Wu Long asked with a pleasantly surprised tone causing the beauty to slightly awkwardly land on the wooden flooring of the bridge.

Butler Bang stopped his movements, respectfully giving some space.

“Ah… no… I-… ehm, actually yes but…”, Hong Yue suddenly didn’t know if she should proceed with asking for advice, and then decided to go ahead as it was awkward to just leave now that he already saw her waiting for him, but then also turned a slightly awkward look toward Butler Bang since it seemed that there were still things that Wu Long and him had to discuss so she didn’t want to interrupt.

Wu Long smiled, “Please walk with us for a bit if it’s not uncomfortable or inconvenient. We are almost done with things for the day and then I would be happy to talk”

“Not uncomfortable or inconvenient at all but… aren’t you discussing…”, Hong Yue shook her head but didn’t finish her words.

“Nothing that would be problematic for you to hear, in fact I don’t think there’s any topic like that left at all”, Wu Long chuckled since Hong Yue was already privy to most of the Wu Family’s and Eternal Duality Valley secrets, there wasn’t much she didn’t know about.

She slightly awkwardly nodded, as she walked alongside Wu Long with eyes that were full of slightly frantic thinking, and Butler Bang once again slightly closed the distance to finish up their conversation.

“Can we take over cleanly?”, Wu Long then asked.

“It might be possible with the Quiet Lake Hall itself – the on in charge is possibly quite a reasonable man, although we have to find out more”, Butler Bang replied, “But the problem lies in the organization that holds the Quiet Lake Hall – a larger underworld structure most of which we don’t need or would actively reject even if they wanted to join us. That organization also seems to be connected to a noble house at the top levels…”

“Heh, which is why Guanting was the right choice to lead this one. He won’t beat around the bush too much and will clash with the bigger organization right away – since we don’t need it he can crush it without caring much about accidentally breaking something we might need. Old Yen and Kwon Qianhong will cover where he’s lacking in planning, and will likely negotiate with the Quiet Lake Hall’s leader about a peaceful transfer conditional on the downfall of their current employers”, Wu Long nodded.

“Yes, I believe that as long as the leader of the Quiet Lake Hall believes we have what it takes to remove his current employers, he would prefer our terms of employment”, Butler Bang nodded.

“Is that it for today then?”, Wu Long asked.

“Only one more thing, Young Master. The day of the Main Auction is 2 days from now, so Mr. Qian Ying was wondering which of the 3 nights preceding it he should target”, Butler Bang added.

“Not tonight”, Wu Long shook his head, “And, perhaps not even tomorrow night – although I will listen if he insists due to practical reasons or feasibility issues. Silverleaf Trade Hall are aiming for maximum damage as we suspected, so they plan to announce it on the morning of the auction day since there is just enough time of an entire day until evening for everyone here to run to the Iron Claw City. So, while it might be cutting it a bit too close, if we want to reciprocate maximum damage as well, we should aim for the night before they announce”

“Wouldn’t they be far more cautious and alert on that night?”, Butler Bang expressed some worry.

“That’s certainly true, but that is precisely the moment our Famed Thief would target himself – he likely just wanted to ask for my opinion since it’s not his personal job. I suspect that our ‘Grandmaster of the Great Theft Dao’ as he calls himself belongs in the category of thieves who believe that the greatest manifestation of the Theft Dao is when you steal something at its most protected moment – an impossible feat as they call it”, Wu Long chuckled.

“I see, hahaha, part of this old man’s job in the old Wu Family Manor was to deter thieves so I should’ve known such things… I guess I wasn’t very diligent in my learning”, Butler Bang made a wry smile.

“There were many teachings of many Daos that were lost in that Fractured World, Butler Bang, so you don’t need to blame yourself for not encountering the Theft Dao in all its forms and manifestations – of which there are many and this is just one school”, Wu Long calmly replied, shaking his head, “As I said, Qian Ying may belong to such a faction, but it is not the guiding principle of operation for all practitioners of the Theft Dao, just a certain portion”

As they were talking, Hong Yue’s frantic thoughts about the advice she came to ask Wu Long for froze and then gradually began to fade as she listened more and more closely to their conversation.

Soon, Butler Bang lowered his head and left in the opposite direction to relay Wu Long’s instructions, while Wu Long continued to walk with Hong Yue who seemed to sink into thoughts.