"The business' above ground, in Sea Spring are going well. We have established the duel arena as you suggested, with the betting stations up, we are earning a high amount however, with the sudden influx of clansmen, we are low on funds and will go red within a week." Yui Luo then took out a scroll, "I suggest we lower the allowance of the clansmen, and create a system wherein those with higher merits will be given a higher allowance, to incentivise growth. We can also delay bankruptcy for a few weeks."
"Our Shou Sword Band can take on more requests, as well." Liu Gang said calmly, "I have trained them around the Intermediate Practitioner Stage."
"Does this include the income from the business we've seized?"
"It does not. The estimates are still premature for those and so we did not include them, however, going by what we would make at half capacity, we could at most continue the current operation after my suggested changes for a few months. It is a money sink." Yui Luo shook her head, "We need to get the staff for those stores quickly, or else we will not survive with only half the income, as we are, we are a ship with tens of tiny holes in an ocean full of high waters."
Shou Xin calmly nodded, and flicked his wrist, several chests appearing out on the floor.
It had been two days since the destruction of the syndicates and the loot from their respective manors had arrived, the collective wealth of their's being a few thousand gold serpents.
However that was his whole fortune.
He chose to invest it all on his clan, leaving no way out.
"This-, Master, we cannot." Yui Luo naturally knew what this was, "We will manage. If we continue being bailed out by Master, then, the clan will grow rust!"
"She is correct, Lord. We must be able to sustain ourselves as well." Liu Gang bowed, "Please, have faith in us."
Shou Xin calmly looked over them, his ashen eyes piercing them.
"Fine then." Shou Xin casually said, "I trust you two, my aides."
The two looked up strongly before cupping their fists and saying their goodbyes.
"Is that fine?" A familiar figure peeled itself from the wall, "They might not succeed and then my temple will fall to ruin, you know?"
"I thought I said to never step foot in here again." Shou Xin replied coldly, his ashen eyes clearing to reveal a starry sky within, "Get out."
"Come now!" Vienna circled him with his arms wide as his grin, "Don't you need me? Your troubled about how to break through, right? Get those new fellows to worship me, and I will help you!"
"If they seek your guidance, no one will stop them." Shou Xin stood up, Fukkatsu let out a howling ring alongside a blast of Sanguine Sword Qi!,"I've done enough, letting you keep the title of Grandmaster in their eyes."
Vienna smiled and released only a tiny amount of his Sword Will, such a mild strand floating almost randomly, and Shou Xin was nearly directly crushed to death, his feet sinking into the center of the room.
"I could slaughter everyone and take over your body, you know?" Vienna smiled happily, "Perhaps that's a good move?"
"No one is stopping you." Despite the immense, bone crunching pressure, Shou Xin did not flinch, his pride burning up as he would rather die than bend.
"Che," Vienna's Sword Will vanished, "You're not fun anymore. Go and fight your little flood dragon without my help, see what happens."
He vanished from the room, his eyes somewhat… amused.
Though only for an instant, like a mirage.
Shou Xin, who was no longer under that immense pressure felt a resonance with his Sword Aura, as though something in his mind were pulling him up after having felt such pure Sword Will like Vienna's.
"I refuse." Shou Xin raised a hand, and slammed the palm in his head, shattering the inspiration!
His Sword Aura which was rising steadily, suddenly plummeted back! However, his instincts remembered it!
Immediately as he began to move the Sword Aura, he felt how sluggish it was, and slowly began to temper it.
Fukkatsu drifted through the open air like a brush held by an experienced painter gliding over the sky as though it were a painting.
The found sound of a dragon's call echoed from within, hidden by Fukkatsu's rumbling ring.
This time, as his Sword Aura rose, it was steady and not fast.
Shou Xin could not stop it.
"Damn it." His irritation peaked.
Receiving a gift from Vienna was like receiving a dagger from an enemy, it never meant anything well.
However, Shou Xin was determined to make it his own.
As his Sword Aura rose, his Sanguine Sword Qi which was infused by a dense killing intent began to mix and collide with the Sword Aura, his instincts screaming that it was a bad idea.
But he continued.
No matter what, he would not follow in the footsteps of that being he once called Master so helplessly.
The more his Sanguine Sword Qi mixed with the Sword Aura, the greater the burden his body began to sustain!
Shiiiing!
The Sword Qi built up within Fukkatsu released and charged forward like a starry sky falling everywhere within his Inner Sea!
Countless stars appeared and morphed into blades!
His Sword Mound, upon which the Sanguine Sword Law was built, trembled!
Above the Sanguine Sword Law, a small, infant sword spirit began to form from the countless colliding energies!
However, just as fast as it had appeared, it vanished! Only a dense Sword Aura left in it's place like a cloud above the Sanguine Sword Law!
It continued sucking away at everything it could as though a child devouring he countless nutrients all around it!
Shou Xin felt his Sword Aura sky rocket in strength! However, it was growing too large!
His Primeval Body Art which was already in trouble due ot the strength of his Sanguine Sword Law increasing too far, and his Fukkatsu which had pure Sword Qi, now the Sword Aura was also taking up space, his body felt as though it would burst!
In an instant, he manipulated his Sanguine Sword Qi, surrounding the Sword Aura and forcing it to become more dense!
His organs shook and blood fell from his lips!
Creating the Sanguine Sword Field, Shou Xin summoned the three blood swords and surrounded the three direction around the Sword Aura, forcing it back even further!
Though his Sword Aura began to rampage as it didn't wish to be crushed in this way, it had no choice!
If it would not obey, then it had to be disciplined!
As it became more and more compact, Shou Xin felt his control over it increase more and more, his soul unable to control power which was too spread out.
Only once his Sword Aura had reached a ball-like state, did he stop.
It no longer expanded either, stopping at the Peak Second Stage Sword Aura.
Slowly opening his eyes, Shou Xin felt as though the world around him felt slightly different.
He picked up Fukkatsu, and flicked his wrist, countless useless movements and impurities in his technique revealed themselves under the scrutiny of his eyes which held two dazzling skies filled with small blades of light!
He wished to rectify them immediately, however, his mind changed elsewhere.
His body ached.
He was somehow keeping those dense powers in his body under control despite his small soul, however, that was mostly due to the strength his body provided and in this he could clearly sense a ceiling fast approaching.
In the instant a wind blew through the room, he was gone.
—
"Liu Gang."
"Yui Luo."
The two faced each other.
"The betting is just getting underway, and we are generating a steady income from the contestants passing through, but once the time passes for the Cloud Spiral Examination, things will calm down and that income will be significantly reduced, perhaps thirty golden serpents after the flood leaves."
"The Shou Sword Band racks in a steady income of a hundred gold serpents a month off the port, as well as an inconsistent ten to fifteen gold serpents from hunting."
"So we have… a hundred and forty gold serpents as the total income of the clan, every month. Even if we gave these seven hundred clansmen a single silver for their expenses each week, we would go dry in exactly two weeks."
(Author's Note - 1GS = 10 SS = 100 IS. GS is Gold Serpents, SS is Silver Serpents and IS is Iron Serpents. An average meal for one person, for one day, is about one IS.)
"...My Shou Sword Band can take on requests from the Exiled Courts External Affairs Office." Liu Gang's face was solemn.
"No." Yui Luo shot him down, "If we lose the Shou Sword Band, let alone two weeks, we won't last two days. We need something more concrete."
The two sat throwing ideas around for an unknown amount of time, within the room where only they two could hear.
—
"Lord Sea Spring." Within the manor at the center of the town, a voice reached out.
"What does the External Affairs branch want now?" Lord Sea Spring turned to them, his face ragged and aged though no discernable wounds.
"The Shou Clan, which you destroyed prior. Their descendant who was acquitted of all crimes, has created a new Shou Clan, which had vowed to destroy the other clans and claim Sea Spring." The External Affairs Agent said calmly, "We politely ask you to step down."
"You dare!" Young Sea who was much older now shot forward with an intense killing intent, "After everything, even now, you!"
"We should report this." Little Sea said coldly at the side, radiating an eerie calm.
The External Affairs Agent looked unfazed as she slowly took out several scrolls with various titles and words on them.