Xiao Hongye shook his head, his tone firm as he leaned in slightly. “Sect Master, there’s much you do not yet understand. The Xu Family and the Shangyang Family are both immensely powerful and stand on equal footing. But if we speak only of Xu Feihong and Shangyang Jiuli, their personal abilities alone reveal the difference—no matter how long she trains, Young Miss Xu Feihong will never reach even half of Shangyang Jiuli’s cultivation.” His voice softened as if he were baring his heart.
“This old brother can see that beneath your cold exterior lies a kind heart, much like my departed younger brother’s. So allow me to offer you another piece of advice. In the days to come, maintain a good relationship with Young Miss Jiuli. She is the Shangyang Family’s Number Two genius, and she more than earns that title. It may not be long before she breaks through the Bind level. If you can enter her good graces, Younger Brother, your future will be far smoother.”
By the side, Taoist Bai Feng stiffened in shock. “Oh? Could it be that Young Miss Jiuli is already close to breaking through the Seven-Vein Level!?”
Xiao Hongye let out a faint sigh. “I cannot say for certain. But ten years ago, Young Miss Jiuli had already reached the Five-Vein Level, and at that time she was considered the greatest prodigy in the Shangyang Family. Unless someone surpassed her—which I doubt—then her ascent to Seven-Vein shouldn’t be far from reach now…”
Lu Sheng’s heart gave a discreet thump. “This ‘Seven-Vein’ and ‘Five-Vein’… what exactly do they refer to?” For the first time, he sensed he was brushing against a systematic hierarchy of power among the Noblemen.
Xiao Hongye blinked in disbelief. “Hasn’t Sect Master Lu already stepped into the Three-Vein Level? How could you not know of this?”
“I… happened to reach it by chance,” Lu Sheng replied with a shake of his head.
Taoist Bai Feng stared at him, amazement written across his face. “You stepped into the Three-Vein Level by chance!? Sect Master Lu’s background is… truly extraordinary!”
“Haha, Chief Bai Feng, you flatter me.” Lu Sheng realized they had mistaken him for the heir of some powerful Noble Family, yet he made no attempt to correct them. After all, the strength he had shown—managing to draw against the umbrella girl—was far beyond that of an ordinary mortal. Their misunderstanding was only natural.
Xiao Hongye leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Brother Lu, you may not know this, but the number of Veins is precisely how the realm of Bind is divided.”
He continued patiently, “What is Bind? It is the power of restraint—an innate talent that appears in Noblemen when they inherit the light of Divine Weapons. Its strength varies according to how compatible the individual is with that divine inheritance.”
Taoist Bai Feng nodded vigorously. “Squire Xiao speaks the truth. A prodigy like Shangyang Jiuli is a once-in-a-century talent. Though Noblemen are born with Bind, cultivation allows them to raise their Vein levels and absorb more of the ancestral blood. Generally, it is already quite admirable if they reach Double-Vein Level by adulthood. Most Noblemen remain at the basic Single-Vein Level.”
Lu Sheng considered this, then asked, “So the realm of Bind is divided into seven Vein levels—and Three-Vein and above are considered experts?”
“Naturally,” Taoist Bai Feng replied. “Take the umbrella girl as an example—the Deputy District Mistress of the Scarlet District. At first, I assumed she would at most be at the Double-Vein Level, since she is merely a ghost evolved from an ordinary Anomaly. Who would have expected… If Sect Master Lu had not clashed with her today, we might have suffered greatly the next time we faced her.”
“Indeed,” Xiao Hongye echoed.
As the two continued their discussion, they spoke to Lu Sheng as though he were a born Nobleman, divulging insider knowledge of the great families and granting him deeper insight into their world.
Bind, he learned, was separated into seven distinct Vein levels—each marked by black vein patterns that surfaced across the body upon reaching that stage.
Compared to the Zhen Family of the Northern Lands—whose entire lineage barely exceeded ten members—the nine great Noble Families of the Central Plains stood like towering giants. Their power was vast, rooted in prosperity and ancient heritage, allowing them to dominate the flourishing lands they ruled.
Even without considering the others, the might publicly displayed by the Shangyang Family alone was staggering: more than fifty direct members, with at least eight renowned for reaching the formidable Three-Vein Level and beyond. The strength of the other eight great houses was said to be on par, forming an unshakable colossus across the Central Plains.
After the three men conversed for a while in the pavilion, their discussion slowly shifted toward the topic of mortal martial arts.
Taoist Bai Feng shook his head with a weary sigh. “What’s the point of us practicing mortal martial arts? We shed blood and sweat for decades—maybe even a lifetime—yet we can’t even pierce the black membrane of Bind at the Single-Vein Level. In the end, it’s the life-force techniques that matter most, the ones that can prolong our years.”
Xiao Hongye raised a counterargument immediately. “That’s not entirely correct. Beyond life-force skills, the mortal world has many combat techniques worth learning. For instance—didn’t Sect Master Lu rely mostly on mortal combat skills when he fought the umbrella girl?”
He had mistaken Lu Sheng’s layered defenses—tempered by inner force and countless hard-body techniques—for the protective black membrane of Bind. Likewise, Lu Sheng’s dense Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies inner Qi and terrifying explosive strength were misunderstood as ordinary techniques from the mortal realm.
Lu Sheng did not expose the misunderstanding. He only let out a thoughtful sigh. “Combat skills do have their uses. But they’re nothing compared to the innate power of Noblemen,” he said, this time speaking truly from the heart. Facing even the lowest level of Bind had wrung every ounce of strength and pain from him. Any other mortal would have been torn apart by the umbrella girl in the blink of an eye—unless they possessed two hundred years of cultivation.
Without sufficient cultivation, one could not even pierce the power of Bind.
Xiao Hongye nodded thoughtfully, then let out a low sigh. “That’s true… speaking of innate power, if the Zhen Family manages to keep hold of the Scarlet Dragon Tribulation this time, their strength will surge tremendously. With two Divine Weapons in their grasp… heheh… their Noblemen would be born with Double-Vein power from the start. Terrifying, isn’t it?”
Taoist Bai Feng chuckled darkly. “If the Zhen Family turns the tables this time, they’ll certainly avenge their exile from back then. Heheheh… when that day comes, we’ll witness quite the spectacle.”
“Indeed. With the Zhen Family’s reputation for ruthlessness, it’ll be a grand show,” Xiao Hongye replied with a grin.
Lu Sheng’s heart gave a sudden jolt. Could the strength of the Noble Families truly originate from their Divine Weapons? By claiming more of them, could they enhance the innate power their descendants were born with?
His gaze fell upon Xiao Hongye. Whether by intention or coincidence, the plump man had been steering the conversation toward the very subject Lu Sheng needed to understand. A familiar, harmless smile rested on Xiao Hongye’s fair, rounded face—an expression that made him appear sincerely friendly.
Lu Sheng finally voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind. “Oh yes… I’ve been wondering, Squire Xiao—what exactly is your background?”
From the start, Taoist Bai Feng had never introduced him properly. Yet from the depth of his knowledge about the Noble Families, he was clearly no ordinary figure.
Xiao Hongye burst into laughter, hiding his mouth behind his folding fan. “Brother Lu, it seems you’ve finally run out of patience, eh?”
He waved lightly, still smiling. “Your brother here is just a small supervisor from Ashoka Manor. I’m nowhere near the level of these two, who are the pride of their respective Noble Families.”
“Ashoka Manor?” Lu Sheng froze.
A name flashed through his mind—Duke Ashoka.
The Liu Family sisters… Li Shunxi… both had ties to that same Duke. The sisters were hunted, Li Shunxi’s family massacred—both tragedies traced back to Duke Ashoka’s hand.
And now, that same Duke Ashoka was connected to the Noble Families themselves. In that moment, Lu Sheng understood the kind of circles the Duke truly moved within.
Lu Sheng continued chatting and dining with the two men. By the time he led his subordinates out of the Prefectural Commandant’s Manor, the night had already deepened into the Hai hour, between ten and eleven o’clock.
The Prefectural Commandant’s men prepared an ox carriage to escort Lu Sheng and his subordinates back to the Crimson Whale.
Without a word exchanged along the way, the carriage rumbled to a halt before the great vessel, where Hong Mingzi awaited them. Half of the sect’s upper echelon had perished in the recent disaster, yet the charred remnants on the Crimson Whale had already been mostly cleared. Disciples moved about with weary determination, hauling newly purchased supplies up the ship’s tower to replace what had been lost.
From the deck, the sound of crying drifted through the night—grief from the families of the fallen. Wisps of white smoke rose into the sky as incense paper burned for the deceased, filling the air with a somber stillness.
Hong Mingzi stepped forward the moment Lu Sheng alighted. “How did it go, Junior Apprentice Brother?”
“We chose the Shangyang Family. It’s settled. Their representative, Shangyang Jiuli, has already departed for the Scarlet District. All that remains is to wait for news,” Lu Sheng replied promptly.
Hong Mingzi let out a long breath. “That’s good… that’s truly good!” The tension in his shoulders eased, and the Elders beside him visibly relaxed. They had been tightly wound moments earlier.
But one Elder stepped forth with a troubled expression. “Sect Master, I’m afraid we still cannot relax. Too many disciples died today. We suffered at least a hundred casualties. The condolence money…”
Lu Sheng answered without hesitation. “Give one hundred taels of silver to each family. For those in dire straits, record their names—we’ll take care of them in the future.”
“Understood!” the Elder replied with a firm nod.
Lu Sheng added quietly yet resolutely, “Make sure we do not let down the brothers who gave their lives for the sect.”
Under the current circumstances, his arrangements were generous—far beyond what most sects would ever consider. In many places, a dozen taels was already regarded as a respectful gesture. Few would part with tens of thousands of silver in one stroke as he had just done.
Lu Sheng turned to Hong Mingzi. “Alright, Senior Apprentice Brother. Let’s head back onto the ship to continue our discussion.”
The group nodded and followed him aboard, entering a study on the fourth level of the Crimson Whale.
Lu Sheng quickly relayed the results of his visit to Hong Mingzi.
Hong Mingzi’s brows knitted together. “Right now, we’re in a difficult position. Since we once served another Noble Family, it’s only a matter of time before their people replace us, securing their hold over the sect—even if Shangyang Jiuli has no such intention for now.”
Lu Sheng shook his head lightly. “There’s no need to worry about that yet. I suspect the Shangyang Family came to the Northern Lands simply to establish a foothold. They’re unlikely to send many forces here.”
He had chosen the Shangyang Family largely because Shangyang Jiuli appeared stronger and capable of stabilizing the situation quickly. Without her, he would have had no way to shield the ordinary disciples if Scarlet District launched an immediate retaliatory strike before any formal settlement could be reached. Beyond that, there was little difference between siding with either family.
Hong Mingzi exhaled slowly. “In that case… a power vacuum might emerge in the Northern Lands in the near future?”
“Perhaps. The Zhen Family has fled with the treasure. What comes next depends on the Shangyang Family’s stance. Since we’ve changed sides, we must tread carefully and avoid stepping on any taboos,” Lu Sheng answered calmly.
Hong Mingzi nodded, though worry still lingered in his gaze. A harsh cough wracked his chest. “I’m merely concerned that the Scarlet District won’t let things end so easily.”
Lu Sheng raised the stone medallion of the Shangyang Family. “That’s for the Shangyang Family to deal with.”
The two continued dissecting the situation before making their way to the hall, where they gathered the upper echelon of the sect.
Chen Ying was the first to speak. “So does that mean our feud with the Scarlet District is over? Just like that?”
Lu Sheng settled into his seat, letting out a quiet breath. “After this battle, the Crimson Whale Sect has suffered heavy losses. We need to lay low and rebuild our strength. By dawn, everything should already be resolved.”
He continued, voice steady. “The Shangyang Family can help neutralize the threat of the Scarlet District. But beyond that, we must rely on ourselves. As for their oversight, it will likely be even looser than when the Zhen Family held power.”
Hong Mingzi let out a weary sigh. “Let’s first settle the funeral arrangements for our fallen comrades before discussing anything else.” Though he no longer held the title of Sect Master, he was still Lu Sheng’s senior apprentice brother—a seasoned expert of the Crimson Sun Sect—and his words carried undeniable weight.
Lu Sheng nodded. “Senior Apprentice Brother is right. We should first take stock of the sect’s situation.”
Once he received Shangyang Jiuli’s confirmation regarding the Scarlet District, his next steps would be to fully consolidate control over the Crimson Whale Sect and oversee the funeral rites for the disciples who had given their lives. Being mistaken for a Nobleman had opened doors to classified intelligence—information he now needed time to digest properly.
Most importantly, he had finally confirmed where he stood within the Noblemen’s hierarchy of power.
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