Meanwhile, in the VIP room with Purple Night and Sifir. Jaz Vixen had left the room to take care of other matters in the pavilion. Jaz Vixen didn't have a lot of free time to idle with a guest that might not return. Even if Sifir agreed to her request.
"Fall Night, let's get back to business. And that business about the Midnight Clan."
"Purple Night, are you going to ask me for any high-level information? I probably don't have the privilege of that kind of information."
"You are really petty man, even if you're still considered a boy by our standards." Purple Night continued to dine at the table without any interruptions.
"That is not my fault here, Purple Night." Sifir just shrugged.
"It is. You see Fall Night. I get what I want. It's only a matter of when". Purple Night took out a map that had the big three clans' territory.
There were three large territories. A total of four prefectures. Which of those four prefectures had many small sections or regions? However, there was only one prefecture that was grayed out. That was the old capital of the old empire.
"What can you tell me about this area that is grayed out on this map, Fall Night?"
"That is the old capital of the old empire before the 2nd Great War."
Sifir had a growing idea that Purple Night was not from the resident of any of the three big clans. Just by some simple facts, like the old capital is always grayed out on every map. That also means the probability is that Death Sword and Jagged Blac are not from this country as well.
"So why is it grayed out?"
"It is a death zone for everyone who doesn't have enough power. The area has a lot of muddy waters, and a lot of the big clans have their hands deep in there. Obviously, they are still well-known clans outside of Midnight, Sunchaser, and Night Clan."
"Really? Sounds like a good time. Perhaps once your skills improve, we can explore the location. We can travel there and check the place out, Fall Night." A sly smirk was on Purple Night's lips.
"I will pass on that, even if I did raise my cultivation level. Those muddy waters are troublesome. And I dislike troublesome matters the most."
Sifir narrowed his eyes toward Purple Night.
"If you dislike troublesome matters the most, why did you agree to help that pavilion master of the Banner of the Crest Palace? Please share your reasons for agreeing to assist the pavilion master of the Banner of the Crest Palace."
"That? I don't have a time limit on that request. So, by the time I raise my cultivation level. The request should be in the bag."
"Are you scheming one there, Fall Night?"
"That is not a scheme. That is being called prudent and cautious, Purple Night."
'Since talking about the Midnight clan is getting me nowhere.' Purple Night said this to herself.
"What are other large clans besides the Midnight, Sunchaser, and Night clans?"
"There is Órisis, Kanyé, Sadé, and Syaya. In each of these clans, they are part of certain groups or factions. For example, the Osiris clan of the Golden Tiger is one example. Unlike the Midnight, Night, and Sunchaser clans that would subjugate factions, clans, or sects. They are willing to join an outside force to keep the power balance in check."
"You are saying that other large clans subjugate themselves to other factions or sects?"
"Yes."
"Is that the only reason why they can be on equal power to Midnight, Sunchaser, and Night Clan, or is there more?"
"To a certain degree, yes." A cold aura surrounds Sifir quietly.
Purple Night felt that same aura when Sifir was cultivating at the pond. However, Purple Night did not see Sifir take out anything. Her heart shook at remembering the seal on Sifir's back. Just when Purple Night was going to say something, that eerie aura vanished without a sound.
'I better keep a better eye on Fall Night. That aura was creepy, and it gave me chills thinking about it'.
Purple Night thought to herself.
"Why would they submit to someone else's rule and not their own?"
"With the power of the three big clans, you can conquer any clan, faction, or sect."
"Let me pose you a question. Would you allow them to eat you alive, Purple Night? And even if you didn't allow it, could you stop it? Like you always like to say, It is not a matter of if but when."
Sifir's statements prompted Purple Night to stop drinking wine, which she had been doing. In addition to having a strong will of her own, Purple Night had her notions about how she would manage her existence. Considering her predicament at the moment, it was then that a scowl appeared on those lips of hers, which were so luscious and delectable.
"Are three big clans that greedy?"
"What is greed when you are empowered to do so?"
"You are not making any sense, Fall Night."
"I am merely exposing the truth. There was never a time when the major three clans were unable to own whatever they desired. They understood the importance of diversifying their resources. Because of this, they didn't stop the other major clans from doing what they needed to do to compete."
To emphasize the notion that the big three are not to be taken lightly, Sifir speaks somewhat slowly.
"If that is the case. Who is the most aggressive of the three, Fall Night?"
"That would be the Night Clan with ease."
"And why would that be?
"They followed your model."
"Who is my model? What you are referring to." Because of that suave comment made by Sifir, Purple Night is experiencing a little bit of irritation.
"Might makes right. If you are weak. You deserve to be subjugated by the strong." Sifir looks at Purple Night intensely.
"Oh? I see. That would make sense. Maybe that's why that little punk thought I was a part of the Night Clan."
"That is the Night Clan ethos. They will fight and push themselves to their last breath".
"The Midnight clan seems like it would be the strongest instead of Night or Sunchaser."
"Yes. They would be. They suffer great losses during both Great Wars. The Midnight clan endures the heaviest of the losses following the 2nd Great War. Followed by the Night Clan." Out of the three big clans, the Sunchasers suffer the fewest losses."
This bombshell shook Purple Night's mind. There is a secret that was there. She could read between the lines that Midnight and the Night Clan are linked in one way or another.
"It's time for us to leave and find an inn to rest for the night."
"Are you taking the wine with you, Purple Night?"
"Why?"
Sifir just look at the amount of food and drink Purple Night eaten.
"Aren't you paying for the food?"
"No! You are Fall Night."
"Damn! I thought you would pay for it."
Sifir kicks the air. Purple Night giggled and placed the lower part of her mask back on her face.
'This is definitely more enjoyable than being around that old fatty Jagged.' Purple Night thought to herself.
"You are a thousand years too young to play me, Fall Night. Now, let's go and meet that pavilion master of the Banner of the Crest Palace. We don't want to miss that little girlfriend of yours."
"You play too much, Purple Night."
"I know." Not even looking back to Sifir after responding.
When they walked out of the VIP room. Sifir, paid for the food and drinks. Purple Night took three bottles of high-quality wine. The total amount that cost Sifir was ten thousand purple coins. Which was cheaper compared to the damage Sifir had to pay for earlier.
They went down the stairs to the first floor.
"There is your little girlfriend coming over."
Sifir felt defeated by Purple Night's teasing.
"Hello, Purple. Hi, Little Fall."
"I am not that casual with you, Jaz Vixen."
"Hello, Vixen."
"I definitely like it when you called me Vixen, Little Fall."
"Can we get this over with or are we going to be here all night?"
"Well, Little Fall can stay here all night. You can't, Purple."
"Stop that!"
"Sigh."
"Well, I would love to play with you, Little Fall. However, money waits for no one. The place I need you to look for me is the ruin of the Ninetails Purple Pupil Eyes Vixens. There should be some information there. If you can bring that back to me, I have something good for you."
Sifir took out his map and passed it to Jaz Vixen. Jaz Vixen looks at Sifir strangely.
"I need to know the location or the general area, to look for this ruin. So, can you circle the area on my map, and I will look for it when I have the time?"
Jaz Vixen didn't say anything and circled the area on the map. And then cut the tip off her finger and drip blood on the location as well. Sifir didn't know why Jaz Vixen dripped her blood on the map.
Jaz Vixen gazed intently at Sifir, eager to catch any hint of a reaction to her bloodline aura. Sifir was on the verge of asking why she was dripping blood. Upon noticing her bloodline aura, a sense of intrigue sparked within him, suggesting that it might offer some remarkable advantages.
Purple Night lightly stomps on the ground. Snapping Sifir out of the bloodline trace. This is common for a cultivator that is not used to little parlor tricks. Jaz Vixen was not happy with the result because of Purple Night.
Jaz Vixen tosses a talisman and explains how to use it in general detail. Then, Jaz Vixen departed swiftly without addressing Purple Night and embraced Sifir warmly. Jaz Vixen whispers in his ear.
"You need to mature a bit. Don't keep this pavilion master waiting for too long." Jaz Vixen spoke with a seductive smile.
Sifir felt more uncomfortable by how both women were after his bloodline or his secrets.
"Your little girlfriend is rude, and if she is too greedy,. She might not have any hands." Purple Night spoke coldly.
Both of them left the Banner of the Crest Palace and continued to walk in the street. Seeing that they had some time left, they did some shopping. Purple Night took the opportunity to gather some material to craft more talismans before they found an inn to rest.
One of the materials that Purple Night was looking for was black qilin ink. A low-grade material that's great for low-level talismans, preferably tier 1 and 2.
"We will be leaving tomorrow. We should be able to make it to the outskirts of the Seven Elements Peak."
"When are we leaving? Early morning? Purple Night?"
"Closer to noon. We will be traveling fast. Death Sword and Jagged are probably here or will be arriving later on tonight."
"Okay. Are we making any more stops before we find an inn?"
"Yes. I need a couple more materials to craft some peak low-level talismans."
"Oh? What are the levels of talismans and inscriptions"?
"I will tell you later, Fall Night. Since we need to keep on moving."
"True."
Purple Night silently studies Sifir's ability to adapt quickly and not ask any more questions or make any more suggestions. Seeing this, Purple Night kept moving, gathering materials like low-quality 2nd-grade sandpaper, low-quality rune patterns, and talisman patterns.
-
"Matriarch Judah, are we really going to the Night Clan?"
"Yes. We are. These preparations need to be completed before Sifir's mission is complete."
"Judah, why do you care so much for Sifir?"
"It is either Young Matriarch or Matriarch to you, Kyri. It is not Sifir that I care about; it is his body itself I care about and what his body holds. There are many secrets. That's what I care about.
"What are those secrets?" Kyri looks seriously at Judah.
"That is not your business. Also, know your place, Kyri. I am the matriarch, not you." Judah's stainless aura started to wrap about Judah.
"Watch your tone! Who do you think you are speaking to?" Kyri said coldly.
"You, Mother. My fault, Kyri. Do you want me to call you the old matriarch?" Judah's tone was haughty.
"I am warning…" Before Kyri could finish her sentence, Judah interrupted her.
"I don't care for your warning. And I really don't care for the counsel either. You are unaware of the broader strategy at play. You think you know! You don't! And if you did know, you would crumble like sand fighting against the sea tide."
Kyri's heart shook. Kyri wanted to rebut those claims. However, the words wouldn't escape her mouth. Judah kept on walking and did not pay attention to Kyri.
"The Night Clan is just as important as the Midnight Clan. We need them both. We need power. Do you believe I should spend my time on activities that don't advance that agenda?"
"Let me answer that for you, Kyri. The answer is no. There is too much to be done, and the time is short. So, if you are going to be part of the problem. We can handle this now?" Judah's voice got colder the more she spoke to Kyri and the rest.
Everyone, look at Kyri. Waiting for Kyri to respond to Judah. However, the pride Kyri had for the Sunchaser clan ran deep like the ocean. One can say that the pride was so deep that it was part of her DNA. Seeing this, Judah wastes no more breath on Kyri.
"Let's go. We need to keep moving to the Night Clan."
As the urgency grew, a palpable shift occurred; everyone began to quicken their pace. Kyri stood still, her face a canvas of uncertainty. Her anger simmered as she reflected on the tone and the manner in which Judah addressed her. Kyri holds a certain respect for Judah, appreciating the mindset of a matriarch that she embodies. The final expression was one of uncertainty.
She found herself engulfed in uncertainty, questioning all that she believed to be true about this world and the ultimate intentions of those in power. Before long, Kyri joined the others in the group. Kyri was resolute in her quest to uncover the reality behind Judah's words, seeking to discern if they were fabrications or genuine truths.