Mana 6 Chapter 28 (Patreon)

“If you don’t stop moving, I’m going to stitch this onto your shoulder,” Kat scolded me as I tried to hold still.

And I was trying. But after finding the tainted mana crystal in the market, I was unable to find the woman who wore a sheer, pink dress around town.

Asking around, I’d begun to get the impression that the family thought I was being greedy, wanting to add another to my harem when I hadn’t even chosen from the numerous women offering themselves to me. And I didn’t want to alarm everybody by telling them the truth.

I’d only found a few people who had seen her, but nobody knew who she was or where I could find her. They gave the impression they’d dismissed her as a whore from the city.

“There. I’ve finished altering this.” Kat brushed off my shoulders and inspected the robe again.

I turned to check her work in the mirror.

It was a pristine, white robe with pearlescent beads woven into it, making a Pixiu crawl over my back. And the gold thread created another winding down my chest.

According to my mother, the robe was a family heirloom used for the elder ceremony. The beads were made from a Pixiu’s horn, and the gold thread was made from hairs off one’s tail. I wasn’t entirely buying it, but I knew it was important to her and would be meaningful to others at the ceremony.

For a day, I could manage it.

“You look handsome. A little gaudy, but handsome nonetheless.” Kat pecked me on the cheek. “Now, get out there.” She slapped my ass.

I’d make her pay for that later, but I marched out of my home and into my courtyard. As I moved, I noticed that both were suspiciously empty.

But as I moved outside the walls of my courtyard, the family estate was alive with celebration. A group of women danced with wide skirt dresses that furled up as they twirled, moving their way down the street.

Rachel was among them, leading the dance and grinning at me as I watched.

There were a few Yunpi women from my courtyard mixed in among them, and some that had no relation to me.

I waited until they finished, and pulled Rachel out of the mix, kissing her and holding her a moment before moving onto the Yunpi girls that patiently waited for their turn.

I moved on, but the music continued, and they all began dancing once more. Others sang or played instruments, and most of the family gathered in the wide-open yard before the Elders’ building.

The Elders’ building would feel different now. I’d always been on the other side of the screen. Now, I would be one of them. I stood, taking in the building and finally starting to feel the weight of the moment.

The elder from my West branch of the family came up behind me and put an arm over my shoulder. “The celebration is for you, but we should go to meet the families that will be coming to pay their respects.”

“The other ancient families are coming here? What about the Leon family?” I asked, curious if they would even play polite.

The elder barked a laugh. “No, the Leon family would rather drink piss than share a drink with us. The rest of Cloud City will come, though.”

She led me over to a table before the Elders’ building and motioned to the guards.

A stream of visitors, young and old, came, escorted by guards.

“I’m from the Tushi family.” The first pair, a man and woman, bowed to me. “Congratulations on becoming an elder at such a young age.”

They placed a gift-wrapped box slowly on a side table, giving me the chance to commit it to memory before bowing again and moving back.

“A little formal,” I murmured.

“You are an elder of one of the greatest ancient families. You deserve that sort of respect. And your time is precious—it should not be wasted,” the elder coached me. “Now for the others.”

She motioned, and another family was brought forward.

***

The greetings continued for what felt like forever as the guards brought more guests, each with a present. The table bearing them all was straining from the combined weight.

As my mind was starting to wander, a commotion broke out back in the crowd and drew my attention. The sounds were different from the celebratory ones occurring all around; something was off.

A group of powerful cultivators wearing green and tan pushed through the crowd.

I recognized Fengu and Edmond immediately. And their clothes clearly gave away their affiliation. Each of the eight cultivators in their group was in the seventh rank.

The mountainous elder came up behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder as they approached. “Do not fret. Their goal is simply to intimidate you in front of the other families. They wouldn’t dare start a fight. Cowards.”

I wasn’t worried about their entire group; I was concerned about Edmond. He was a coward enough to try to get in a sneak attack and take out his competition.

“Greetings.” I took control of the situation. “I hadn’t expected to get the honor of your gifts and your submission so soon.”

Edmond looked like he’d just choked on a chicken bone. He jerked forward, but another elder caught his shoulder and rooted him to the ground.

“I see your youthful humor hasn’t left you yet. Still a little wet behind the ears?” Fengu stepped in front of Edmond, blocking my view of him.

I tried not to laugh at him being treated like a dog that just needed their vision blocked. But it told me that they understood Edmond’s impulsiveness.

“Thankfully, I’m not yet a dry, old wind bag. Women still enjoy my presence, though I hear the Leon family has to chain women up to get them to stay,” I continued to prod them.

The Yunpi elders behind me snorted, trying to keep their grand demeanor but starting to fail.

They all thought that the Leon family was just posturing, but I had a feeling that there was more to come. Given that I’d found that tainted mana crystal among the market, they were at least starting to make moves.

Fengu just stared at me, smiling. “Maybe we have to chain up our women or they get stolen; they are just too desirable.”

His eyes flicked behind me, and I knew Lanhua was there. Turning, I held out a hand for her to join me.

She followed my direction, walking over and molding her body up against me in a possessive show. “Oh, the Leon family. Were you talking about me?”

“Get over here right now, you slut.” Edmond was practically frothing at the mouth.

Lanhua gave me a cute frown before turning it on Edmond. “Who are you again? Sorry, my mind has been a little scrambled. You wouldn’t believe how much time I’ve spent dual cultivating with my husband. Can really wear you out.”

I thought a blood vessel was about to burst in Edmond’s forehead.

The elder’s hand on his shoulder bulged as it strained to keep him in place.

“You. Bitch,” Edmond spat. “I will break you when all of this is over.”

The fact that he was having to be held back seemed to kick the Yunpi elders into gear.

Tianwu stepped forward heavily, making the ground rumble. “Aren’t the youth so full of vigor? It would be a shame if their rash actions were to harm their family.” He chuckled good-naturedly, but there was a sharp glint of warning in his eyes.

The other families were only keeping up pretexts of continuing their conversations. I could tell that they were all listening and paying attention to what was happening between our families.

And more than a few were regarding Edmond with distaste. He was doing a great job of leaving an unfavorable impression on the other families.

“Ah. Funny hearing you speak of youthfulness, you little pup,” a boisterous voice boomed from further back. A short man who was wide enough that he’d have to turn sideways to get through a door stepped forward.

I reached out but found that I couldn’t sense his cultivation.

For a moment, I thought he might be a mana beast walking on two legs. He was certainly hairy enough to be one. But under his body hair, which could seriously pass for fur, I knew he was nothing but one solid block of muscle.

“Grand elder.” Fengu smiled at us before turning to bow at the newcomer.

Grand Elder? I wondered if that would be a similar rank to Xiexie’s father.

As if summoning him with my thoughts, Xiexie’s father arrived dressed in furs. “Oh. Duncan. You should announce yourself. For a moment, I thought you were a new, prized cat that I could make a new fur throw from.”

Duncan scowled at the retired elder. “I’m surprised you still know how to tan a hide since all you do is lay in bed all day.”

The elders on both sides were stiff with nerves as the two most powerful cultivators I’d ever seen clashed verbally. We all knew that Duncan’s presence meant that there was going to be an altercation.

“Now it makes sense,” I said suddenly, gaining everyone’s attention. “It’s not even your fault you look that way, Edmond. You are all so ugly because this is your ancestor.”

“Watch it, kid.” Duncan turned his gaze to me, and it felt like someone had strapped a mountain to my back.

“Kid? You must be this tall to be an adult.” I hung my hand precariously above his head. It felt like I was putting it above a lion’s cage, just begging for it to strike.

“That’s it!” Edmond came stomping over to me. Someone had let him off the leash. “I want a rematch. Winner takes her.”

His finger offended me by pointing at Lanhua.

I smacked it away. “Careful, I might have thought that was an attack and cut your arm off.”

Edmond fumed. “There will be no one coming to your aid this time.” He ground his teeth.

There were more than a few people looking at me questioningly at his words. So I clarified.

“You being punished for using the strength of a seventh rank in this world is not what I’d call me receiving aid. I’d call it falling on your face in your own hubris,” I snapped back.

“Don’t twist words. I demand a challenge.” Edmond’s eyes were red with bloodlust; the man looked unhinged.

He didn’t seem practiced at losing. Lanhua’s loss had somehow set him into an intense range.

“Now, grandson. A fight is a great way to reinvigorate oneself. Don’t you think, Rutu?” Duncan clapped a hand on Edmond and stared at Xiexie’s father.

“Oh, last time I remember you running away. Think you can last a little longer this time?” The Yunpi retired elder cracked his neck as he rolled his shoulders.

“Why don’t we all go into the void? Our elders’ fight would be something we could all learn from,” Fengu said as casually as possible.

But we knew it wouldn’t remain one on one. It would become a fight of the Leon family against the Yunpi family.

“Oh, we are almost even. There’s a new seventh rank among our family.” Fengu smiled as he pulled a man forward.

He wore Leon family robes, but the scar on his neck told me exactly where in the family tree he landed.

“Oh no. Well, someone will have to double up,” Fengu sneered.

“Good for you. It just so happens that the Yunpi family has another seventh rank immortal.” I smiled even though the rest of the elders had paused, trying to figure out what I was saying.

Turning to the crowd, I found my mother shaking her head, resigned to step forward. But I knew she would for me.

“Outed by my own son,” Lilly said, stepping forward. As she moved, she released her cultivation.

Her seventh rank blossomed among the elders from both families.

I grinned back at Fengu. “It seems that we are still even. Unless you have another seventh rank that you can pull out of a jungle somewhere.”

“You”—Fengu glared at me before turning and slashing a tear in the fabric of reality in the center of the part—“will regret this.”

Xiexie’s father followed into the void.The Leon family moved through it without a care in the world, but the rest of the Yunpi elders held back for a moment.

A heavy hand fell on my shoulder. “Are you sure that you are ready for this?” Tianwu asked me.

“Edmond? No problem. Everyone else? I have no idea.”

“Let us handle our matches.” Tianwu turned to my mother. “Can you handle that assassin?”

Lilly snorted. “Even if he has his poisons, he has no bloodline. My Yunpi blood will carry the fight.”

“Confidence is good, but don’t let it lead you astray,” Tianwu reminded my mother much like he would a child. “Let us go.” He marched forward into the tear.

Lanhua held my hand for a moment longer before kissing the back of it. “We’ll be ready to help. Please come back. If it gets too bad…” She trailed off.

“If it gets too bad, then I always have my escape method. Stay safe and be ready to celebrate my return.” I kissed Lanhua and made eye contact with my wives in the crowd before joining the rest of the Yunpi elders.

Once again, I found myself amid the empty void. Light speckled in the distance. Some of the flickers of light were enough to cast shadows around those who were prepared to fight.

“Duncan, you can still back out,” Rutu said casually. “Here, there are no bystanders to see you fold and run. You can go talk about how you nearly beat me.”

Duncan roared as his bloodline came to life, clearly not looking to take the out. Only a moment later, he moved instantly, attacking Rutu.

Rutu’s fist met his, and I thought two stars had collided.

Tianwu blocked the shockwave and used it to push the rest of the Yunpi family clear of the fight that had just broken out.

A frail old lady on the Leon family side had done the same before she squared off with Tianwu. It didn’t look like a fair fight, but her appearance was deceiving. Her cultivation was vast.

Another collision between the two grand elders shook the void, and many of us flew further away while squaring off with our own opponents.

Edmond followed me, licking his lips as if savoring a meal. “I don’t know what trickery is going on with your cultivation, but you aren’t at the seventh rank. That gap is far too vast for you to bridge.”

I drew my sword as we split off from the rest of the elders. It rang out in the void as I focused on Edmond. All the elders’ fights faded into the background because I had my own fight to win.

“I’m going to crush you and then bring your corpse back to Lanhua. I will make her know that there is no escaping me.” Edmond summoned his power into his hand.

A black vortex formed that crackled with dangerous mana.

“You know, you could really use a therapist after this,” I laughed in his face.

Edmond couldn’t hold back screaming as he threw raw power at me. It was like a giant, black curtain as it tried to envelop me. I cut forward with my sword, slashing through the black curtain and parting it around me.

In response, Edmond broke through the attack on my left side, and I jerked, using my domain to move my body and block his punch with my sword. Four swords made of sword intent rose off my body, cutting down on him. I couldn’t help but smile. My father would be proud.

But Edmond broke off, blowing away the mana from his previous attack as his eye twitched, but he smiled as he glanced off at the other fights. “You will cause the downfall of the Yunpi family. Did you know that?”

I turned to see what made him so sure of that, but the other elders were still fighting. No one was giving up.

“Too bad you won’t be alive to see it, even if the Leon family does win.” I grinned as my sword glowed blindingly bright in the void.