novelraw Chapter 1293 - 1292 - Whispers from the Shadows
Chapter 1293 - 1292 - Whispers from the Shadows
"So, the gnats have backed off for now? How long will that last?" Lind was currently sitting behind a large wooden desk. It was inlaid with several sigils and stone panels that made it look a bit primitive but a closer eye would see the shimmering of Qi now and again across it.
It was made of peak grade 7 materials from the 4th layer and had several functions aside from being a desk. It allowed Lind to monitor the defensive weavings as well as contact any location in the Frey Clan city.
The sunlight coming in from a window showed it was late afternoon as the room was lined with shelves of jade slips, scrolls, and books. There were even a few crystal balls that shimmered with elemental Qi.
There was a warm fire burning in a hearth but it was no normal fire. It was emerald! The harmonic flame made the room an ideal place to be refreshed and even comprehension seemed easier inside the wards.
The only other figure was lounging in front of it on a leather couch with dark padding and dark wooden arm rests. The low table in front of her had several maps laid out with markers but they were all of the lower layers and realms.
Evie nodded solemnly at his words before tossing a jade slip at him.
It paused in midair as he sighed and took it in his hands.
"A simple few words would have been sufficient." She smirked at his seriousness but he sunk his senses into the slip.
It outlined what plots they knew of against his clan. Ever since he restored her body to normal, Evie had sworn to pay him back in the service she knew best. Information!
He had tried to fervently talk her out of it but he knew she was far more stubborn about her debts than most. Demons were a tough bunch when it came to their honor, even the wicked ones could be strangely focused on paying back debts if they felt the need to do so.
She had pledged to serve for the next 10,000 years to the Frey Clan. It was the one aspect he would not bend on. He might leave as he ascended and also there was the fact he might die.
She acknowledged such a chance and thus swore to the Clan. There was one condition that if they ever betrayed her own values, she would be freed from the remaining time on the pledge. The current Elders swore to uphold their end and thus they had far better insight to their contemporary enemies than ever before.
The 1st layer was a bit of a mess due to how the void left by ascending Immortals was filled by those trying to get their own faction more prestige or power than others. He wanted to quash it but there were limits to what he could do as a Radiant Tier.
Heaven and Earth prevented him from going that low and his own desires were not as strong throughout the clan as they once were. Even if he had not distanced himself, the constant need to grow stronger made cultivation sessions in isolation longer.
It would not be unusual for Immortals to be secluded for centuries. If anything, his immediate family were all monsters for their speed and ability to progress.
Of course, they were not the only ones. It seemed like all the 6 elementals from his mortal realm were monstrous in their progress as well. The Moebius Sect branches were producing a continuous flow of them at a quality few could match.
Even after thousands of years, it seemed like his old sect was blessed.
Still, even his old sect now suffered the attention of those that wanted to bring it down. The knowledge he had spread could not be stopped but those that saw the progress and power of his old homes seemed to want to steal it away despite not understanding how futile that would be.
The great secret they were after was far simpler than they imagined!
The greater issue was the enemies that simply wanted them gone. Resources were not unlimited so eliminating a resource hog like his Frey Clan and the Moebius Sect was not something he could totally dismiss.
Raising 6 elementals alone was massively resource intensive as they progressed to the point it could bankrupt most powers if they had excessive numbers. Only the Moebius Sect with its foundation of domination of a third of the mortal realm could supply its main branch in the Floating Isles the way it did.
Once they reached the Heaven Realm, things became easier but no less resource heavy.
The end result was many rivals vying for the same resources and it was easy to pin them as the villains given the intensive history behind the sect, his former Empire, and the Frey Clan as a whole.
If not for the Fiends, it might have come to a head sooner.
"You really like to get lost in thought, don't you?" Evie's voice broke his thoughts apart. He sighed as he put the jade slip down.
"I have good reason to remind myself of the path before in context of current events. It keeps my perspective clear and reminds me to be humble too." The lesson his descendants seemed to miss was they were not above anyone.
They had grown up in power and he could not help that but to ignore how they rose made them blind to someone bringing them back down far more easily than they imagined.
"Ah, well given how you first were when you came up here, I can understand that. You did have a rather large stick up–" He tossed her jade stone back at her that she deftly caught while laughing.
Shoti was rubbing off on her, he just knew it!
The 2 were thick as thieves when exchanging intelligence reports. He had caught them more than once getting up to mischief!
Still, Shoti had been instrumental in Evie's mental recovery.
"What will you do if they try to go after Lady Lysanna or the others that have stepped back from you?" It was a valid question and after viewing her reports he could see why.
Annabelle had effectively gathered an impenetrable shield thanks to her Dao title. So many eyes were on her that only a total fool would try anything untoward towards her for the next few thousand years.
It was plenty of time for her to establish her own foundation and organization if she wished. Further, people would be happy to help her do so.
His heart ached a bit but if he truly believed in her, he had to accept things would evolve as they would. If she ever came back into his life, it may not be as his wife, but only as a friend.
The others were not so easy. Sally seemed inclined to be his daughter once more which made him smile a bit. Tal, however, had refused to see him outside of ensuring she was healthy.
Chu had spoken to him and actually smiled at him warmly when she awoke. She told him it had been an enjoyable battle of all things!
Lysanna had simply looked at him coldly until she turned away.
He sighed as he considered what he would do but there was only one answer.
"I will help them. I will always help them. Not out of guilt but because they are in my heart always." Evie made a gagging noise but she smiled at him while doing it.
"I prefer the old you. Much more pragmatic and unpredictable. This current you is like a child walking into a sweets trap set by old monsters!" He looked at her harshly but could not deny the fact he had become predictable in that particular aspect.
"If you want to keep picking on me, would you care to explain the list of suitors knocking on our doors lately? How did they know you were here?" Evie blanched at his words as it was very true.
Her recovery had brought an unwelcome amount of attention from the demonic powers. Kal was spoken for and attached already but they still sent invitations to him as well.
The Akashic Physique Bloodline was something all demons worshiped without equal. Now 2 of them have come to the 3rd layer!
It was going to cause a stir but the fact both were currently tied to the Frey Clan complicated things. Kal was hiding completely as he was in seclusion but Evie was far more well known.
Now that she was healed, Lind had also faced some serious demands for others afflicted by their horrific sacrifices to survive the physique.
"If anything, you should thank me. The demonic factions want you nice and safe so the Frey Clan is being actively protected by them! Stop being petty!" She yelled at him but he smirked as he had hit his mark.
"Enough about that then, but not all demons are happy with me, right?" She nodded as that was true. The demons truly were a chaotic bunch when it came down to it but some were like the humans and planning the downfall of the Frey Clan.
"You are spooky when you say things like that. Not more so than when you made this place. You can't seriously tell me you did not anticipate the wolves circling when you made your home here in the Icy Path?" He looked up at her but did not confirm or deny her accusation.
He made no comment but could not deny he had thought of future dangers when he chose the Icy Path as their home. Its inhospitable atmosphere became a natural defense but he had added to it with the dimensional space he had created.
He got up and looked out the window onto the Icy Plains. It was the empty expanse of ice between peaks but it was also not the real thing. He was looking out from a dimension he had layered on top of the area for the Frey Clan to inhabit.
In other words, while they had a physical place to live, it was not in the Icy Peaks as many thought!
He had not been naïve nor careless in choosing the location to set up their new branch. Frey Clan Haven was a poor name for it but it served that purpose.
The entrance was heavily guarded but it was also nearly impossible to breach their defenses. Tearing through space would not get any Immortal close to them!
The knives and whispers in the dark were still a concern but he had made a safe place in the 3rd layer for his Clan. He sighed as he knew it would soon be time to face the next threat.
The Sovereign Tiers had closed off one avenue of danger but the Radiant Tiers and below were moving. The next assault would be soon if he was not mistaken and he had to be ready.