Fates Parallel Chapter 335 - Warning

Qin Yongliang—the first prince and prime minister of the Qin Empire. He was Qin Zhao’s uncle—whatever that meant to a family thousands of members strong. Yoshika tried to recall everything of relevance, but quickly gave up—she was too burnt out to bother, and there was only one question on her mind.

“How are you doing that? I can’t sense you at all.”

Qin Yongliang raised an eyebrow.

“Certainly by now you’ve learned not to ask even your peers for cultivation secrets, much less your elders.”

Yoshika shrugged carelessly—she knew she shouldn’t offend someone so powerful, but he wasn’t even present and she was feeling crabby about being ambushed at such an inopportune moment.

“Yeah, pretty much every time I do it. But sometimes people answer anyway, and anyone who’d actually get offended by it probably isn’t worth bothering with.”

“I see. You’re quite candid for a foreign diplomat.”

“Can we just get on with it? I’ve had a long day, and I’m sure your time is too valuable to waste on someone like me.”

He scoffed, smirking slightly.

“I suppose I can work with that. It might even be refreshing.”

Yoshika just glared at the man, waiting for him to proceed. Qin Yongliang sighed.

“As a show of good faith—while I can’t answer your question, I can tell you that it’s a technique known only to me and my father. In my position, one quickly learns the value of clandestine meetings. It’s not unlike what you are doing now, only infinitely more sophisticated.”

So he was showing off. Demonstrating just how much power he had over her—that he could observe her whenever he wanted and there was nothing she could do about it. She shuddered.

“Yeah, you’re Elder Qin’s relative alright...”

To her surprise, Qin Yongliang laughed.

“And you are undoubtedly his student. He always did have a soft spot for problem children.”

“You didn’t come here to reminisce.”

He inclined his head.

“In point of fact, I didn’t come here at all. Not just physically, mind you—this meeting is not taking place. Should you make any claims to the contrary, I will deny it, accuse you of slander, and most likely have you executed. Please don’t test me on that—it would be extremely tedious.”

Yoshika blinked, surprised by the candor.

“O...kay. Just so you know, we are dual cultivators—we’ve shared our entire minds with people before and we will probably do so again. We’re not just bad at keeping secrets, we’re physically incapable of it.”

“Just as well, then, that I’m not here to observe your confession of demonism, and that anyone who learns your secret will likewise be aware of its gravity.”

Qin Yongliang was impossible for Yoshika to read. Not just because she couldn’t sense his emotions—not that she would trust herself to interpret the aura of a cultivator so far above her—but because his demeanor kept shifting each time she started to grow comfortable.

Every time he spoke, it was just a hair off of what she expected from him. Setting her constantly off balance.

“Right. Um...what did you want, again?”

“There are three matters to address. First, the matter of my nephew Qin Zhao, your master. He is alive and has taken great pains to communicate a message—you are still his disciples.”

Yoshika wasn’t certain what that message was supposed to mean, but the way he said it made it sound significant.

“Second, I would like you to tell me everything you know of Sovereign Shen Yu.”

“I—”

Yoshika cut herself off, narrowing her eyes.

“Hold on, what’s in it for me? Why should I tell you anything?”

“Tsk, how shrewd. Very well, make a demand, but take care not to overplay your hand.”

That wasn’t how she thought that would go. Again, he managed to put her off balance.

“Why don’t you tell us what you know about him in exchange?”

“Agreed. Please begin—you were right that I don’t have time to waste.”

Yoshika shrugged.

“Honestly, you probably know more than I do. He’s the leader of a faction of human deities and one of the ones responsible for the seal that cuts our world off from the divine realm. He has one of the keys to the Bloody Sovereign’s Tomb, and doesn’t want anyone to get their hands on his legacy—aside from himself. He also seems to have some sway over your God-Emperor, who I can only guess ran face-first into the seal when he attempted to ascend however many millennia ago.”

Qin Yongliang grimaced.

“Watch your tongue when speaking of my father. Were there any witnesses to this conversation, I would not order your execution—I would be forced to carry it out myself before the words had even left your lips.”

He sighed.

“You’ve barely arrived and I can already see Lin Xiulan’s influence on you. As for what you say of Sovereign Shen, it rings true. He appeared as a friend and confidant of my father, but the way he uses his influence makes me suspicious. He largely keeps to himself, so I know less than you might expect, but he claims that the seal was the work of a demonic deity.

“Supposedly, the artifact is the key to this ancient demon lord’s revival, and it was sealed in a mortal realm—ours—to prevent the immortal deities from destroying or recovering it. The demons Jianmo and Longyan are his lieutenants, seeking to recover the artifact and revive their master—but, in the way of demons, they struggle against each other for supremacy, each hoping to be the one to gain their resurrected master’s favor.

“Shen Yu was able to enter our realm after Longyan’s invasion with help from my father, and now seeks to recover the artifact before the demons can revive the Bloody Sovereign so that he may return it to the divine realm where he can use his full power to destroy it once and for all.”

Yoshika blinked.

“That...was a surprisingly comprehensive answer.”

“I am a man of my word.”

Now she felt bad—she’d left parts out that weren’t technically about Sovereign Shen, but were probably still valuable information. How much did she trust Qin Yongliang? Not at all, really. He was too good at getting her caught up in his pace—a true manipulator.

“And the last thing?”

Yoshika noticed a tiny shift in Qin Yongliang’s posture. She didn’t know what it meant, but she hoped that she’d managed to subvert his expectations at least a little bit.

“A warning, as a courtesy to Qin Zhao. Yan De will be arriving shortly with his disciple Yan Hao in tow. The Bai clan representatives—including their heiress—will follow soon behind. They have already begun forming a coalition bloc against you and your allies. I will be attending the summit as an arbiter, and while I am a neutral party in theory, I am meant to speak on my father’s behalf. In practice, this means I speak on Sovereign Shen’s behalf, and he is already on Yan De’s side.”

“So you’re telling us we’re completely fucked.”

“I am warning you that your fight has already begun, and that you are several moves behind. This advice is the absolute limit of my ability to help you, and I am taking considerable risk in giving it. Yan De’s goal is not the acquisition of the Spiritual Flowing Purewater Sect or its territory, nor is it to prevent an alliance between our nations. I suspect that he has set his sights much higher—towards the artifact itself. The rest is a distraction, and he will make every sacrifice to attain his true goals.”

Again, Yoshika didn’t know what to think. Where was this coming from?

“How can we trust what you’re saying, and how do we even know you’re right? You just admitted you’re guessing.”

“You are young, and I have been doing this for a long, long time. Take this old man’s experience as you will. I do not care whether you trust me or not—I have just cleared a debt thousands of years old. Pray that you are half as valuable as Qin Zhao treats you.”

With that, Qin Yongliang turned on his heel and vanished. Yoshika all but collapsed as she sat on the ground and buried her face in her hands.

“Fuck!”

She lay back and stared up at the clear sky, the starry night twinkling down at her impassively.

“I hate cultivators so much!”

Yoshika knew less now than she did before Qin Yongliang showed up with his cryptic warnings and his dubious allegiances. Worse—he hadn’t even given up any hints about that projection technique he was using!

After all the stress that she’d accumulated over the day, Yoshika had enough. It was too much for her to deal with at once. It wasn’t as if she could do anything about Qin Yongliang’s warnings, as dire and urgent as they were. Without being able to actually tell anyone, she was stuck waiting until the summit.

She needed to take a break anyway—some time to relax for a little bit and then tackle her problems one at a time.

Turning her head to the side, she eyed the unnaturally placid pool of the Purewater Spring—it had been a real pain to repair that, even though she hadn’t damaged the shrine directly. There was only one thing for her to do.

“I need a bath.”

—-

Jia hadn’t even realized that she’d managed to accumulate so much stress, but at Eui’s suggestion she threw herself as wholeheartedly into relieving it as any training she’d ever done. If the upcoming summit was half as troublesome as it sounded, she was going to need it.

Instead, they took advantage of the break to spend more time with Jung, helping her recover and easing her into life as a cultivator.

In typical fashion for the Lee Clan, Jung began her new life by stunning everybody with an unexpected decision.

“No thank you, Grandmistress Lin Xiulan. While I am honored by your offer, I do not believe that I’m suited to become your disciple.”

Xiulan blinked.

“If it’s a matter of talent, you need not worry about that—I have more than enough talented students. I was simply impressed by your strength of will. You won’t find anyone else with techniques so suitable to your physique.”

Jung bowed, smiling apologetically.

“Be that as it may, I do not think that is the life for me. I am satisfied with what I have, and must respectfully decline your offer.”

The grandmistress sighed and shook her head.

“Very well, I won’t force the issue. It is an open offer, should you change your mind. That’s not a courtesy I extend to just anyone, especially after losing face like this.”

“I understand—you are too generous.”

Lin Xiulan left in disappointment, leaving Jung and Yoshika alone in their favorite sitting room. Yoshika eyed her sister nervously.

“Are you sure about this? That was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Jung giggled as she poured fresh cups of tea for each of them and relaxed back into her seat next to Yoshika.

“You know I never wanted to be a mage or a cultivator. I can’t dedicate my life to it the way you and Yumi do, and I wouldn’t be any good at it if I did. Awakening was an eye-opening experience, but if anything it showed me what I truly value in life.”

“What was it like? I’ve never seen an awakening like yours before—it looked painful.”

“It was, yes. To be honest, it’s hard for me to think about. It was like a dream, and the memories are difficult to grasp. The corruption...I think it was part of me. Something I had been rejecting my entire life. Until now, I’d mistaken the absence of sadness and suffering for happiness. As though I could be fulfilled by simply pretending not to be hurt.”

She stared down at her teacup sadly, her eyes watering.

“But it wasn’t. I was never truly happy, and the pain didn’t go away just because I ignored it. The only true joy I’ve ever had is in seeing you and Narae thrive, but I’ve never had my own happiness—never even tried to find it.”

Jung wiped her eyes and smiled at Yoshika.

“That changes now. I have twenty years of happiness to catch up on, and—thanks to you—the opportunity to pursue it. I’m very glad that you’ve found fulfillment in your cultivation—and I hope that Narae can do the same. I’ll be cheering for your happiness while I search for my own.”

Just like that, Lee Jung’s cultivation journey ended as swiftly as it had begun. She had chosen a different path entirely, and Yoshika respected it. Her sister’s words struck a chord in Yoshika’s heart—it wasn’t enough to not be unhappy. She needed fulfillment in her life beyond just cultivation.

Ancestors, no wonder she was so stressed out—and no wonder Meili struggled so much.

Yoshika leaned over and wrapped Jung up in a one-armed hug.

“Thanks, mom. I’ll be cheering you on too. I don’t deserve someone as good as you in my life, but I’m so glad to have you.”

Jung returned the hug and chuckled.

“Oh stop, you’re going to make me cry! I should be saying the same to you, honey.”

The two of them stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other’s company while Yoshika thought about all the important things in her life.