The cloud seemed to drift slowly. Almost with the current of the wind but not quite. It made it stick out. Especially to the rest of the clouds surrounding it in the sky. Each one moving in the same direction as the other. Towards his right.

Jun cleared her throat.

Yin Hu turned back towards Dong ZhenKang as his crew. A bunch of ragtag bandits and brigands with odd pieces of armor on their distinctly setting appropriate clothing. Weathered skin. Scars. Missing teeth and one with patches of hair.

"—thank you. For the consideration and more you've provided us. But, our ancestor," Jun waved at his lounging form. "Does not want any unnecessary attention. Peace and silence. Those are his goals as the pinnacle of the righteous sects and society. Everything else can be quite bothersome. I am sure you understand, Gang Boss."

Dong ZhenKang pulled back slightly. Almost impossible to notice had Yin Hu not locked his focus on the hustler before him. The man tasted the words. Flipping them back and forth in a hundred different ways. Dissecting every letter multiple times until it finally clicked for him.

A knowing look passed Dong ZhenKang's face before it disappeared a moment later. Somehow finding tidbits of information in those innocuous words.

Fucking hustlers. You lose no matter what against them. Even winning comes at a cost.

That only cemented Yin Hu's thoughts about Dong ZhenKang. He fit the profile perfectly. Anything he said or did could be used against him. He needed to make it impossible for Dong ZhenKang to get accurate information.

Yin Hu couldn't be figured out. The dangers were too great. He had no clue about the smallest basics of this world simply because he hadn't been here for long enough. A large part could be attributed to his supposed ascension. But not everything. It was in the cracks that Dong ZhenKang seemed to thrive.

"I… see." Dong ZhenKang said. His eyes surveying the courtyard quickly. Snapping back and forth without moving his head. "It brings me great shame to see your prestigious lineage—"

Jun stiffened like a board next to him. Yin Hu hadn't told them that all the people showing up were bounty hunters turned into sparring partners. All they knew was they were training. Good training at that. Made perfect for their situation and what they needed to accomplish as growing cultivators within the Hu clan.

"—in such shoddy living abode. As soon as I learned of the illustrious Hu Ancestor had arrived. That the Hu heir and a daughter of an elder had been in hiding within my little town. I rushed. Faster than I would for anyone else. Faster than I thought possible. I could never let a, once many years ago, stronghold of the righteous world become leaves in the wind."

Dong ZhenKang's eyes narrowed and smile turned predatory. Wrinkles and crow feet turning prominent. Showing his age. His scared face shaped oddly when he showed so much mirth.

Not that Yin Hu fully understood it.

The man spoke as though this was supposed to be a big reveal. One Jun and Shui immediately reacted like it was exactly that. But Yin Hu didn't care for it. None of the bounty hunters were much. Only thing he needed to worry about was the hustler before him and any other big figure looking for the girls.

But that didn't mean Dong ZhenKang's words didn't have an effect on the current situation.

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Jun was probably out of commission.

The poor girl was paling more with every second. Only matched by Shui. He feared for the older girl's physical health and worried that her mental progress had been pushed back some. He couldn't have this situation continue. He needed to interject.

Yin Hu raised his hand, the world silenced. Dong ZhenKang gulped. "We are comfortable."

Finality. He wasn't going anywhere nor did he need any help or assistance from Dong ZhenKang. His words could not be interpreted. Nor could Dong ZhenKang claim he did not fully understand. The exact opposite considering the topic and direction he had pushed it himself.

"L-Lord Ancestor," Dong ZhenKang laughed nervously. "I never intended to say—"

Yin Hu turned away. Catching a member of Dong ZhenKang entourage walking away from the group. Straying towards the Demonic Greedy Tree. Not with any ill intent, but still strange to see. He was eyeing it, turning his head side to side as though he was seeing something that was not supposed to be there. Mesmerized.

But that did force Dong ZhenKang to stop speaking. Changing the topic.

The silence stretched, everyone except Yin Hu, unaware of the man stumbling towards the tree in the center of the courtyard behind them. Jun and Shui too busy sweating anxiously to look past them. Dong ZhenKang blocked their view as well.

Dong ZhenKang couldn't keep the silence. "I-If that is what the Hu Ancestor wishes. Who is this lowly Dong ZhenKang to question your decisions. But—"

He paused. Giving them a worried look Yin Hu immediately recognized as fake.

There it is. The real reason he is here.

"—Well, you see, I've come to some very important information. Information that led me here with haste. The reason I learned of your existence. It is not something we can take lightly. Rather, the opposite. Hence, my initial offer."

Dong ZhenKang waited for Yin Hu to respond.

He was not about to give the hustler any new information voluntarily. Silence would greet him. There was no way he would take the bait. And Jun would not either. Once he started to take over the conversation, she shifted to sit back with Shui behind him. Unwilling to meet the old hustler's gaze.

Dong ZhenKang stewed in silence for long seconds. He cleared his throat. "I've received a scroll for a certain son of the Spider Cult Valley." He gave them a knowing look.

One that Yin Hu missed completely. Unaware of sect politics in the area or who was a big shot or not. But Jun did. Squeaking and paling further. Yin Hu gave her a quick look to make sure the girl had not fainted.

"Forgive me, Hu Ancestor!" Dong ZhenKang shouted, having gained more information from Jun's reaction. "You must not have been on this plane of existence or maybe even in secluded cultivation for some time. I will explain in understandable terms. The second son of the Spider Cult Valley married an inner disciple and daughter of an Elder. A High Elder from—"

He paused dramatically.

Jun was taking the bit hook line and sinker. Falling prey to his machinations without any defenses at all. Yin Hu made multiple mental notes to fix this. Train her better. Dong ZhenKang was ruining months of hard work within a few minutes of their conversation. Living up to his hustler moniker.

"From the Dark Gate Palace!" Dong ZhenKang swung his hands out theatrically.

Oh Shit!

Yin Hu had no clue what this palace was about. Nor what it was supposed to mean, but it sounded pretty strong. Even Dong ZhenKang's practiced face twitched slightly at just uttering their name. Jun, on the other hand, had to be held up by Shui lest she faint from a lack of blood. Suffering the most.

Was this Gate Palace a sect? Person? An actual palace with a king and an army? Or is it just another big name for a weak group? That seems to happen a lot lately. Wonder what they're like. Not that I want to find out.

Dong ZhenKang cleared his throat. "H-Hu Ancestor? Did you not hear me?"

"Nothing more than children. The lot of them."

Yin Hu's gaze snapped back to the oddly acting member of Dong ZhenKang's crew. He was now in front of the tree. Hand stretching and only inches away. Petting the leaves. Whispering to it like it was something or someone he could converse with.

He missed Dong ZhenKang's shocked face. A brief flash that the Gang Boss struggled to hide and back into a politically neutral one to replace it. He laughed politely. Raising his sleeves to help hide anything he may have missed. Unable to control his emotions and how his face reacted to something like that.

"Indeed." Dong ZhenKang said. "A legend and myth indeed. The stories do you no justice at all, Senior Hu. Rather, only showing the tinies fragments of your prestige and honor."

Yin Hu ignored him. Unable to break his gaze from the strange man and his strange actions.

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