Chapter 42: The City Lord’s Calculation

Morning had arrived at Azure Cloud City when the City Lord returned to his home.

He dismissed his attendants at the entrance, and entered his study alone.

The study was relatively quiet. A solitary incense burner stood by the window, giving off a pleasant scent. The city lord took no notice.

Ao Kuiba.

The young man’s face appeared in the City Lord’s mind as often as it wanted.

The City Lord took a seat at the desk and stretched out in his chair.

"Core Formation...."

He muttered to himself.

That was what Ao Kuiba appeared to be - or at least, that was what everyone else thought.

But a Core Formation cultivator had killed the Ironwood Clan Head. A Nascent Soul cultivator.

The City Lord slowly tapped his fingers on the wooden surface of the desk.

The Ironwood Clan Head was no pushover. The City Lord had dueled against him before. The two of them had stood in the same realm of cultivation, though the City Lord’s foundation was slightly superior. There was no telling who would have won the fight if the two of them had fought seriously.

But Ao Kuiba had killed him.

The City Lord narrowed his eyes.

"The artifact played a part."

The City Lord remembered the aftermath of the battle. He had seen what Ao Kuiba had done, and he knew that the young man had used an artifact to kill the Ironwood Clan Head. But it wasn’t simply an artifact that had done the job.

Ao Kuiba’s physical strength had been abnormal, unnatural even. The way he moved was strange - and the fact that Ao Kuiba even had the appearance of a dragon was difficult to explain.

The City Lord had seen the young man’s horns, his scales, and the way his eyes changed color.

None of it matched up with what Ao Kuiba was supposedly. None of it matched up with a Core Formation cultivator.

The City Lord leaned forward.

"Who exactly are you?"

The City Lord had already had people investigate Ao Kuiba. He had gathered as much information as he could about the young man’s background.

But the information he had received was essentially worthless. There was no important clan that was publicly known to be connected to Ao Kuiba. No prestigious sect had come out to claim Ao Kuiba as their disciple. No elder had stepped forward to take responsibility for the young man’s actions. No organization had sent anyone to follow Ao Kuiba or watch over him.

That was strange. Unnaturally so.

A cultivator with the ability to fight across realms should have had a background. Even wandering cultivators tended to leave some sort of trail behind them. Ao kuiba’s trail was nearly nonexistant.

The City Lord’s expression became unreadable.

Perhaps Ao Kuiba was hiding his background. Perhaps he was a member of an ancient clan that had refused to involve themselves with the outside world. Perhaps he was a disciple of some powerful sect.

There was an even more likely possibility.

The young man was deliberately hiding everything from them.

The City Lord frowned.

That was even more troublesome than the other possibilities. A young cultivator without any apparent backing was one matter. A young cultivator with powerful backing, deliberately hiding it, was quite another matter.

The City Lord knew well enough that few people kept their strength hidden, save for those willing to give up their lives in an instant.

He leaned back.

"I need to be careful."

The City Lord was not afraid of Ao Kuiba. Not directly. He was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and his cultivation was stronger than the Ironwood Clan Head’s. Ao Kuiba was strong, there was no denying that fact.

But strength was not the only thing that mattered.

Ao had already demonstrated that he had methods to kill opponents who could cultivate in the same major realm. A man like that undoubtedly had more than one trick up his sleeve.

The City Lord didn’t know how many. That was what troubled him.

But it also made the young man more valuable.

The City Lord changed the subject in his mind.

The Fallen Star Ruins.

The ancient ruin would open in a few months. The City Lord had nearly decided not to go. That decision had been made before Ao Kuiba had even appeared in Azure Cloud City.

The reason for the decision was simple enough.

He knew that the people who would come to the ruin would not be limited to Azure Cloud City. There would be cultivators strong enough to enter the Fallen Star Ruins, and they would come from all parts of the Azure Heaven Realm.

The cultivation realm of the stronger cultivators would be too great to ignore. The advantage the City Lord had in Azure Cloud City would no longer exist inside the ruin. It was not worth the risk to enter the ruin, not when there were cultivators who could kill him with a single strike.

That was the reason he had decided not to go. It was also the reason he regretted that decision.

The City Lord closed his eyes. Then, Ao Kuiba appeared in his mind. The young man, standing amidst the ruins of the Ironwood Estate. Blood staining his clothes, his body broken, yet he still struggled to fight on.

The City Lord opened his eyes.

"Perhaps I was wrong."

The City Lord did not believe he was strong enough to dominate an expedition full of powerful cultivators, but that wasn’t what changed his mind. Ao Kuiba was stronger than most, yes - but more importantly, he was unpredictable. ℴℴ𝘮

The City Lord did not need someone who could fight the expedition’s strongest cultivators. He needed someone who was strong enough that the expedition’s strongest cultivators would not think of him as a threat.

Someone like Ao Kuiba.

The City Lord’s fingers stilled.

"If he enters the ruins...."

The thought was appealing.

But there was another issue.

How was he supposed to contact Ao Kuiba?

The City Lord could not simply summon him. Ao Kuiba was not his subordinate, and he had no intention of commanding him. Wealth and treasure would not be enough to persuade the young man.

Ao Kuiba’s actions had already demonstrated that he was not a man easily persuaded by words or gifts. No matter what the City Lord offered, Ao Kuiba would likely refuse, unless he was given something that he wanted.

The City Lord chuckled.

"Then I need something you actually want."

He leaned back and began thinking.

Information might work. Access might work. Perhaps he could find something pertaining to the Fallen Star Ruins that Ao Kuiba would be interested in.

But before he could think of something, the door to his study opened.

A servant entered and bowed respectfully. "City Lord."

The City Lord turned towards him. "What is it?"

"I have news from the Lin family."

The City Lord’s expression changed slightly. "The Lin family?"

"Yes." The servant continued to bow. "They’ve sent a formal request."

The City Lord sat up. "What request?"

The servant took out a document, and presented it to the City Lord with both hands. "The Lin family wishes to take charge of the Ironwood Clan’s remaining businesses and properties."

The City Lord stared at him.

The City Lord remained silent for several seconds before a small smile formed on his lips. The servant did not notice, but he kept his head bowed respectfully.

The City Lord took the document from the servant. "Continue."

"The Lin family wishes to absorb the Ironwood Clan’s commercial assets into their own operations. They request an official recognition of their claim, and an allowance to assume control of the businesses previously registered to the Ironwood Clan."

The City Lord’s smile grew.

This was far more interesting than he had expected.

It was true that the Ironwood Clan was no longer an issue. But it was also true that it would not remain that way for long. Naturally, the Lin Family wanted to take advantage of the situation before someone else did.

The City Lord looked down at the document, and then he thought about Ao Kuiba.

The young man was currently staying with the Lin family. The Lin Family had sent him a request. The Ironwood Clan was finished. The Fallen Star Ruins would soon be open for business.

For the first time that morning, the pieces seemed to fit together in the City Lord’s mind.

The City Lord put the document down. "How many people accompanied the request?"

"Two representatives from the Lin family."

"Did they say anything else?"

"They asked that you review the request as soon as possible."

The City Lord chuckled. "Of course they did."

He took the document from the table and read it over carefully.

The City Lord could have approved the request easily enough. He could have denied it just as easily. But neither of those options interested him nearly as much as what lay in between.

A smile formed on the City Lord’s lips.

"Prepare a response."

The servant bowed. "Yes, City Lord."

The City Lord looked out the window. Beyond the glass, Azure Cloud City stretched out before him.

Inside the city was a strange young man who had appeared from nowhere, killed a Nascent Soul cultivator, and generally caused a mess.

The City Lord’s smile did not fade.

"I think it’s time I had a proper conversation with Ao Kuiba."

The servant hesitated. "Should I..... arrange a meeting?"

The City Lord shook his head. "Not yet."

He took the Lin family’s document from the table.

"First, we’ll deal with this."

The City Lord narrowed his eyes slightly.

"And then we’ll see what kind of opportunity the Lin family has just handed me."

The servant bowed once more before exiting the room. The door shut behind him, leaving the City Lord alone in the study.

He was not alone for long.

The City Lord looked back down at the document.

For the first time since he had decided to sit this one out, the City Lord was seriously reconsidering that decision.

Ao Kuiba could be the difference between entering the Fallen Star Ruins as just another Nascent Soul cultivator,

and entering the ruin with a chance to claim something valuable.

The City Lord rested his chin in his hand.

"That brat...."

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

"You’ve certainly made things interesting."