Yin Hu knew that Dong ZhenKang was speaking in a long stream of consciousness. A ton of platitudes. Buttering him up to eventually lay his hustle down without anyone noticing. But, he could not hear him. Rather his eyes were completely focused on the man.

Standing next to the Greedy Demonic Tree.

The guy's mouth was moving, whispering something to it. Speaking to a tree. Yin Hu couldn't help but stare in confused silence at what he was doing. Unable to figure out why he was doing it. Anyone with even a bit of Qi should recognize how greedy it was. Staying clear.

But this guy stumbled and mumbled at it instead of what a sane person would do.

"H-Hu Ancestor?" Dong ZhenKang said, moving his head slightly to cover Yin Hu's vision of the man.

Yin Hu's eyes sharpened back into clarity. Focusing on Dong ZhenKang and the rest of the people in the courtyard with them. Everyone turned silent at some point. Waiting on him. No one dared to continue the discussion until he moved it along with either a non-verbal sign of recognition or by his words. Both of which they did not receive.

He took a few moments more just to reset himself. Shifting into a sitting position and giving himself a better angle to see the man and speak with Dong ZhenKang at the same time. He wanted to make sure the idiot either didn't die or didn't break anything.

Jun would be unconsolable if her little tree was broken or destroyed by someone under his watch. She was already taking heavy hits. Dong ZhenKang doing a number on her mentals ever since he showed up.

"Continue." Yin Hu said, waving Dong ZhenKang to speak.

"Well," Dong ZhenKang kept making a show of his reactions. This time scratching his neck. "The scroll was not something kind or peaceful. Rather it promised gruesome death."

Yin Hu could get the gist of what the man was saying. But refused to fall for the clear bait.

He was not about to play Dong ZhenKang's games.

Dong ZhenKang took the hint. "News travels fast. Somehow they were the first to figure who you were and informed me. They'll be marching here for you. The Hu girls. Finishing what they started so many years ago. Eliminate the last vestiges of the Hu Clan they eradicated almost to the last. If it wasn't for your arrival—"

The Gang Boss stopped for a second. Genuine fear crossed his face unlike all emotions before this. It was real. Yin Hu noticed it. Whatever the Dark Gate Palace would turn out to be, it wasn't a push over. It was the tier above Dong ZhenKang.

Above the gang here and everyone that he had fought so far.

"—I would not have the courage to warn them of their coming demise. The calamity that is rumbling here with an army and a monster at its head. All within the next three days…"

Yin Hu zoned him out. Dong ZhenKang continued to speak but he could not hear him. His mind instantly churning to life. His plans and everything he wanted to happen relied on this sole moment. The decision he was going to make. It would affect them for the long term.

Should I move my plans ahead by a few weeks? Even months? I wanted the girls to finish D.E.Y.M.P. before we made our way out to the fake righteous groups. But now everything is made worse! Three days?! That's it? Not even enough time to finish the next set of Tai Chi Katas!

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Being stuck in these preparatory stages meant they weren't able to fight or even consider the thought with serious cultivators. The girls were getting good at smacking low level thugs and bounty hunters. But that was still a low tier compared to what was supposedly an entire army coming their way. Even if they were stronger it wouldn't matter. Not when armies were involved.

Aren't arrays a thing in cultivation stories?

He could remember vaguely of what that might entail. But not quite exactly. Not that he intended to find out in any case.

They would escape this area before they were trapped by hundreds of Demonic Cultivators and their elders. Disappear in the night. He was sure there were capes and weapons within his spacial rice bag that would aid them. He'd be surprised if there wasn't.

Yin Hu paused. Eyes blinking as he watched a stray root slowly crawl around the stones of the Greedy Demonic Tree. Attempting to get behind the strange man petting it. He could see it glisten in the sunlight, sharp, almost like it was made out of metal. Inching ever so closer to the man's legs.

He watched with morbid curiosity as it wound up the man's leg and up his body, slowly wrapping around his neck.

"—the elder has been known to target righteous cultivators specifically. His hatred beyond the standard demonic versus righteous blood and wars. Something much deeper. More primal—"

Dong ZhenKang continued to talk. No one seemed to notice what was happening other than him. As though they were blind. Unable to see what was screaming at them the moment someone separated from the initial group. He couldn't understand why.

Especially Jun and Shui. Even affected as they were by Dong ZhenKang's words, they still needed to be aware of their surroundings.

All his teachings hinged on this aspect.

If you weren't aware of an enemy approaching from behind, you were doomed to be assassinated without recourse. He couldn't have his nukes get picked off by some assassin group. Waste all of his resources. Hard work and time. Everything thrown away into the trash.

And, not that he would state it out loud, but he was kind of becoming fond of the two little girls. Them and their antics—

Yin Hu nearly jumped in his seat.

The tree erupted into action. Glistening root wrapped around the man's neck. Tightening. The man screamed and shouted. Fought against the smaller roots restraining his limbs. It picked him up into the air. Squeezing the life out of him.

Dong ZhenKang jumped from where he stood and directly to the side of Yin Hu. All his men rushed and scattered in different directions. Shui shouted in fear. Jun shouting in utter shock as she saw her little innocent tree as it truly was.

Greedy tree couldn't help itself!

Yin Hu stood up, mostly to make distance from Dong ZhenKang. He pulled the girls away from him. Watching without much emotions. He would need to either burn the tree down or figure out how it reacted to him. His commands. Another nuke tied to the girls was never a bad thing.

"Hu Ancestor! Please save him!" Dong ZhenKang shouted over the man's struggles and screams. "I do not wish to disrespect your authority within this abode."

"Enough." Yin Hu said. Making sure to study the greedy little thing.

It froze in its spot. No long squeezing and suffocating the man. He still struggled to breathe, but it was much better than the python constriction it had him in a moment earlier. Now he could even attempt to break free without panic. Even if it didn't help him.

"Put the man down."

It did as it was told, but did not remove its roots from his body.

Yin Hu smiled. Enjoying how it reacted to him and his words. "Now let go of him. He isn't your meal today. Only enemies of the Hu are your sustenance."

Jun gasped.

It unwrapped the man. He fell to the ground unconscious. Alive but asleep.

"When did the family's great tree awaken?" Shui asked.

"As soon as I arrived on this plane of existence," Yin Hu played his role perfectly. This was the most he had ever leaned into the persona. "How could it not, when I am its master."

The Greedy Demonic Tree's roots tried to reach for him. Attempting to suck his Qi. Yin Hu ignored it as he turned back towards Dong ZhenKang. He wasn't about to let it touch him. Not now after it attempted to literally eat a man in front of them.

Greedy thing wasn't satisfied with just Qi! Imma need to fix it too.

Dong ZhenKang bowed low. "Forgiveness. Hu Ancestor. We have shown a terrible face. I am ashamed."

"You need to go. Now. You understand that, right?"

The Gang Boss nodded. He waved his hands and all his men filtered out the courtyard. Picking up the unconscious body with them. Dong ZhenKang paused at the gate. He turned back bowing one last time before he too ran with his tail between his legs.

Now we have to leave. I don't even know where to point towards! What the hell does the map even look like? Where do we go? How do we go?

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