Mana 4 Chapter 32 - END (Patreon)

It had been two days since the destruction of the Ying family. Everyone who had lived there had cast aside the name and their embroidered shirts, leaving them in a large pile and burning them on site.

I was surprised how easily they all abandoned the Ying family after the death of the patriarch. Although the family had been in decline for a while. No doubt they had already considered leaving, and the patriarch dying was the final nail in the coffin.

With their bloodline largely gone, the family was no more, and those working for them didn’t seem to cling to any illusion otherwise. Their bloodline may live on in a distant relative that escaped, but it would take a long time to build back up.

After the death of the patriarch, Kat, Wenxi, Rachel, and I had spent the past few days on a new task. The rest of my wives were coming through to the immortal world today.

Between the four of us, we had scared off any slavers lingering in the Jungle of a Thousand Paths, making sure that they would have a different experience.

All we had to do was wait for them to appear.

“Nervous?” Rachel asked, watching me as I shifted my weight from foot to foot. “The man who just killed an ancient family being nervous waiting for his wives is something all of Murdock would pay to see.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. I’m nervous. What if something goes wrong? What if they end up somewhere else?” My anxiety was high at the thought of something hurting them.

“My family has used this jungle for years to wander between several worlds. If they depart the world like you have, they will end up here somewhere.” Wenxi reassured me with a pat on the back. “Or if they don’t show, you can use that marvelous soul technique of yours to communicate with them and track them down.”

That last bit honestly helped, and I was thankful to Kat for setting it up. I’d be able to find them, regardless.

“Ah!” A feminine scream echoed in the jungle, and I was off in a flash. The green of the jungle exploded before me and I reached the source of the scream.

Michelle lay writhing on the ground in much the same condition that Kat had arrived.

“I got you.” I dove into the ground next to Michelle, lifting her to cradle her in my arms and hugging her.

“Hurts like a bitch.” She grunted, biting my shoulder. “Others coming through.”

Just then, another scream sounded in the jungle. I was off once more, this time carrying Michelle on my shoulder. I found Celina, curled up and rolling on the ground. She was cursing and letting off enough poison to wilt the surrounding plant life.

Blowing away the poison with a palm strike, I scooped her up before two more shouts sounded.

My hands full, I looked back towards Kat and the other two girls. They simply stood there with smirks on their faces. I dropped off Michelle and Celina next to them, darting back through the jungle, grabbing the Hua sisters and finally Thea.

What surprised me is that more shouts sounded from the jungle, and not all of them were female.

The shouts picked up in number and volume until there had to be hundreds and hundreds. The number shocked me.

“Michelle, who all came?”

“All of them, Husband. Eight sects in total decided to join us. And they all know and trust you, at least as much as any cultivator can trust another. They agreed to come here under your command. All of their fourth ring immortals and many their third ring elders wanted to come, in hopes of breaking through their long plateaus.”

“How many?” I paused, the shouts continuing to echo around the forest.

“Two thousand in total.” She said, and I let out a low whistle.

“I don’t have that many arms.” I joked. “Wenxi, can we hire some help from town?”

“That’s not a bad idea. But where are they going to stay?” Wenxi clearly looked distraught at the idea of a thousand people descending on her estate.

I let out a sigh, knowing the correct answer and not liking it. “I’m going to have to cancel construction on the estate and let them camp on the land.”

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. “Fuck. I’m never going to get them to leave, am I?” I’d wanted the land for my family and a bit of solitude, but it looked like that wouldn’t be an option anytime soon.

Kat patted me on the shoulder. “You weren’t going to be staying there for long, anyway.”

I knew that she was right, although I didn’t want to think about it too much. Now that we’d handled things in Murdock, we’d stay a short while to get everyone on their feet. And we’d likely use Murdock as a base of operations for now. But I had more to do. I wanted to explore Blueheaven with Wenxi and Rachel to make headway into the Su family, and hopefully get a step closer to knowing where my mother might be.

There were more answers I needed, and I wouldn’t find them in Murdock.

“Fine. Tell Jonny and Steve they owe me rent. Let’s get these four back home and send back Wenxi’s staff.” I slung the Hua sisters over my shoulder while the other three each took one of my wives, and we set off for the Su family manor.

In the two days, the place had gone through an amazing transformation. With the fall of the Ying family, anyone looking to attach themselves to an ancient family only had one option.

“Hello Master Hughes.” A petite lady stopped cutting the hedges and bowed at the waist. “Welcome home.”

“Welcome home.” Echoed up and down the garden and into the home as a number of young female cultivators that now worked in and around the manor took the time to greet me.

They were always so friendly. “Would you like us to help with… those two?” One got brave enough to ask.

“No. These are my wives. They’ve just joined us here in the immortal world. Please take good care of them in the future.”

Her eyes went wide and a flurry of gossip seemed to spring up and spread through the manor faster than I could travel.

I shook my head; these workers were all gossips, but Wenxi was the one who hired them. I left, managing them to her.

Taking the Hua sisters into the bedroom, I laid them down, and the others piled in next to them.

“I’m going to need a bigger bed.” Wenxi commented, seeing my five wives take up most of the bed. She had yet to see how much of a bed hog Aurora could be.

Kat laughed, seeming to have the same thought. “Wait till you see his mana beasts join him. I hope you don’t mind touching others while you sleep.”

I smacked her ass. “Not now. Get whatever bed size you think will be enough, Wenxi. This is your home. But can you get some of the servants to grab carts and help us haul people from the jungle to the estate?” Wenxi nodded, already moving to go talk to one of the servants.

Turning, I faced Kat. “Kat, stay here with them. I want someone I trust here.”

“You got it, love.” Kat gave a serious salute, but her smile ruined it.

“What about me?” Rachel asked.

“Stick with me and help out with hauling people from the jungle. I need to pick out the leaders and have a conversation with them to make sure we have an understanding.”

***

The actual effort of moving two thousand people adjusting to the new gravity and mana turned into a behemoth task. It took almost an entire day, even with a dozen carts and three dozen hands helping out. And it was grueling work. The poor men pulling the carts were covered in sweat and dirt.

The estate was still a mess, and now, with two thousand drunk looking cultivators, it looked like a city slum. Hopefully, they would get back on their feet in a day or so; only those who had formed their immortal body had been able to come, so they should recover similar to Kat.

Although I knew that those who progressed that far in their cultivation weren’t likely to be satisfied with the life of a vagrant. I hoped we could find the right places for all of them as they integrated into the town and the new world.

Jonny and Steve sat on some rubble from the wall with me. Rachel had wandered off as we reconnected the way that old, true friends do. I’d enjoyed catching up on each other's lives, although my stories were definitely more grand. Each of them had hit a similar plateau in the mortal world as I had.

“So, fifth rank already?” Jonny rubbed his bare chin. He never had been able to grow a beard. “And a fifth rank mana beast. How does that work, since they are all human form? Do you just find and fight one in town? Asking for a friend, of course.” Jonny gave me a shit-eating grin, and I hadn’t missed how his harem of belly dancers had joined him in the immortal world.

I smiled. “I don’t know if you’ll have time to search for them. I feel like you and your women may love the Orchid Pavilion. But here the mana beasts are still in the wild, because for some reason they don’t normally take on human form here, even when they have progressed their cultivation.”

Jonny’s jaw fell open. “What? Why not.” I could already see him lamenting the loss of whatever beast girl he had hoped to find. For now, I wanted to keep Lumi’s transformation to myself.

Steve, however, was overjoyed. “They don’t? Really? Seen anything interesting?” Steve had always loved animals. His father and him had bred mana beasts back in the mortal world while we were growing up, and he’d continued to work to care for them.

“I thought you and Bessy were doing great, Steve.”

He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what you are talking about. But yes, Bessy is fine and in great health. But I still have rings to fill.”

Jonny coughed into his hand. “And holes to fill.”

“What was that?” Steve narrowed his eyes. “I don’t want to hear shit from the man with a harem of dancers.”

“Quit it you two.” I smacked the ground for emphasis and ended up shattering a hunk of stone, making a far louder noise than I had intended. “Whoops.”

They both eyed the pulverized stone, Jonny’s eyebrow going up as he smirked at me.

I cleared my throat, working to steer the conversation away from the current topic. “We need to talk about the future. What are your plans?”

“Mana beasts.” They both answered.

Jonny clarified. “Obtaining stronger mana beasts for ourselves and our sects. And then learning any techniques, if there are any here, that would help and set up a foundation for our sects.”

Steve eyed me. “You have that look like you are setting off for another adventure.”

He knew me well. “Not just yet. I want to settle The Ferrymen as well. Plus, my wives are likely going to stay here and progress their own cultivation, and we only just reunited. I want to spend some time with them and see if we can get another cultivator to break through their fifth ring. It would make me feel better about leaving the town.”

“You make it sound like we could pluck what we need from the nearby trees.” Jonny laughed.

I held out the scroll Wenxi had given to me. “Well, I do at least have a starting point. But this is only for you two.”

Jonny snatched the scroll out of my hands. “Thanks!” He was already opening it up and reading.

“Really. Thank you Isaac.” Steve nodded. “We appreciate the opportunities you are sharing with us.”

“I wouldn’t share them if you two didn’t deserve them. We’ve been through too much over the years.”

Steve snatched the scroll from Jonny, who let out a grunt, trying to snatch it back. “Best I hold on to this to make sure you don’t try to sell it for more women.” Steve laughed, tucking away the scroll before Jonny could grab it back.

“Mr. Hughes, come quick.” One aid from the Su manor came running up to us.

“What is it?” I frowned. Who would cause me trouble here in Murdock?

“You’re needed in the market. Something’s happened to Rachel.”

That was all I needed. Giving my old friends a quick nod, I was off, flitting along the rooftops towards the market.

The statement surprised me. I hadn’t expected anybody to attack so soon after the large display of power.

But it was easy to stop the problem from the rooftops. A clear crowd gathered and circled in an area of the market. With one last push off the roof, I landed amid the crowd.

The first thing I saw was Rachel covered in blood. My heart leapt into my throat before I realized that the blood wasn’t hers.

Kneeling before her was Tracey, who had several injuries, including her thigh torn open, a gut wound, and a sword pinning her leg to the ground.

Tracey turned to me. “You. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please tell her not to kill me.”

I ignored her and turned to Rachel for an explanation. “What happened here?”

“She needed to know what she did. I undid Kat’s adjustments to her memory, and I’m showing her the pain that she caused you.”

I realized Tracye’s injuries mirrored the ones given to me by Guo Ying.

“Look around us.” I told Rachel. “What do you see?”

Tracey interjected. “Please. I know I was wrong.”

“Shut up. This isn’t about you.” I snapped at her before I turned back to Rachel.

Rachel looked up from Tracey to me and then around at the crowd. They were all staring with fear.

None of them knew our history. They only saw that Rachel, a once sweet dancer, had joined me and was now carving up a woman on the street. There was fear in their eyes that they could become the next Tracey.

Each of them was imagining with horror what would happen if they bumped into Rachel or me in the street. Would they be tortured and killed?

“They fear me.”

“No, they fear me, and everyone, by association. When I was the underdog and I killed Guo Ying, followed by his father, I was a hero. It was a liberation of sorts. But now that I’m in a position of power, it’s different.”

I paused, making sure she was following before I continued. “We can’t slaughter Tracey in the streets without a clear reason. The people need to understand that it’s justice and not pure malice or cruelty. Do you understand?”

Rachel deflated. “But…” Her complaint died on her lips, and she just nodded. “I understand the difference.”

I gave Tracey one last look. My hand twitched. It would be so easy to end her here and now. Just a flick of my hand and I would get revenge for what she did to me. But it wasn’t the right answer. “Know that you have no place here. You are a ghost; anyone affiliated with me won’t acknowledge you.”

“Go. Find a healer before you die of that gut wound.” I collected Rachel and pulled her out of the crowd. I had no doubt this event would ripple out from here and give me a strange reputation. But if anyone publicly pushed me, then I would have an excuse to kill.

“And here I thought I was going to have to intervene.” Lanhua came out of an alley as I passed it with Rachel in tow.

“There you are.” I turned to face The Madam. “Figured you won’t be far. Why didn’t you intervene?”

“I didn’t think you’d kill her.”

“Hah, but you obviously weren’t sure given that you remained nearby.” I pointed out.

Lanhua smiled. “Sometimes it pays to be cautious.” She turned to Rachel. “With power comes responsibility. I hope this was a good lesson for you.”

“Isaac?” a voice called from behind me, and the Hua sisters came out of the market. I smirked. I should have known the first place they would explore would be the market.

“Diana, Nikki, this is Lanhua, the owner of the Orchid Pavilion.” I introduced them.

When I turned back to Lanhua, her pupils had narrowed to pin pricks and her focus seemed entirely latched onto their hair. I was surprised the hair was throwing her so much. Pink was a bit of an odd color, but it wasn’t anything completely extraordinary.

“Pleasure to meet both of you.” She snapped out of whatever had thrown her after just a moment. “Your hair is so pretty. It might be rude, but is it natural?”

“Don’t worry, we get that often.” Nikki combed her hand through her hair to show it was pink all the way to the roots. “Everyone in our family has it.”

“Fascinating.” Lanhua tried to hide her reaction, but I had noticed it. She was very interested in the Hua sisters.

It was then that I remembered the bloodline she was chasing after. I wondered if the two were tied at all.

“You know what? These two have shown aptitude in arts similar to yours, Lanhua. Maybe they would benefit from being allowed to cultivate with Rachel at the pavilion.” I gave her a probing offer.

Lanhua’s head snapped to me. “Yes. I think that’s a great idea. As a business partner, I have no issue helping your wives, any of them.” She tried to hide her interest in just these two with a broader offer, but her eagerness and eyes gave her away.

“Then how about I leave these three in your care for the rest of the day. I’m still getting all the new arrivals settled and on their feet.”

At that point, she’d buried her initial shock, and she was once again a business woman. She turned to the Hua sisters and Rachel. “Come along, you three. I don’t have all day.”

Before she left, she looked back over her shoulder. “I hear you are going to be leaving for Blueheavens soon. So you know, I have a pavilion there as well, and Murdock feels like it is about to get very boring. Maybe I will see you there.” She gave a final wink before turning and sauntering off.

I smiled and waved as they left, talking to myself. “Of course she’s going to follow me to Blueheavens.”

Although I was excited at the prospect that she could help the Hua sisters’ progress and understand their bloodline better. And she’d proven a valuable ally so far. She deserved at least this much trust.

Turning back towards the Su estate, I made my way more slowly, taking in the city. As I walked through the roads, I thought about everything that had happened in the past few weeks since I arrive at the immortal world.

While my plan hadn’t gone exactly as expected, I’d accomplished what I’d needed to in order to bring my family over. And now I had powerful alliances and cultivators surrounding me as I went after bigger goals.

Soon, I’d find my mother and learn more about my family, and I’d do it while making sure to create a better place for those coming from the mortal world. Armed with a new mission and purpose, I sauntered through the streets, trying to decide where to start next.

AN - I will post a few MH chapters here after Mana 4, then in the back half of next week I'll start Dragon's Justice. For the next 1-2 months I plan to post MH chapters on the weekend and DJ2 chapters M-F so I can line things back up with my monthly schedule and push ahead of you guys a little more.