"Hmm... Even though I lost some memories of the future, I hold an advantage by having access to information from the future," thought Ang while meditating at the Pond. He had been in a trans for the entire day, sorting out his memories from the future, which could be a considerable advantage to him. The more he analyzed his memories as Lust King, the more complex his expressions became.
After some time, he opened his eyes and let out a sigh.
"One wrong move, and you are dead. That is the first lesson one learns in the martial world. Even though I can create considerable wealth using the knowledge I possess, without the power to back it up, I might end up in a coffin, depending on the situation." thought Ang, staring at the ripples on the Pond's surface. As he started to stand up and leave the Pond, he observed a leaf floating in his direction with something written on it.
As Ang saw what was written on the Leaf, "That's interesting", he said softly.
In a distant office...
A Man in his thirties was reading many documents with a frustrated look. "This is not good", words slipped out of his mouth.
"Is it that bad, Sir? I think it's just a case of those dark clan people going berserk again," an associate in the same room said, a bit confused.
"This is different. Usually, when a dark clan member is caught, they mess up their Qi to go berserk. When this happens, the one who goes berserk will lose their cultivation significantly, making them strong for some time but weaker afterwards. So, if planned accordingly, it was easy to deal with. But this.." the Man stopped mid-sentence, looking at the reports before him.
"The reports did say that their power increased a lot compared to what they used to achieve when they went berserk. But there is a chance they exaggerated it a bit, as they failed to catch the culprits." The attendant stated casually.
"I hope that was the case. If not, we might have a big problem on our hands." The Man said in a severe tone.
"May I know why you are taking this so seriously? I know the dark clans have some powerful individuals on their side, but they are just rats who hide at the end of the day. Even the Elder's council no longer cares about them at this point; the only reason we even mention them nowadays is to make the people on the continent believe that dark clans are the reason why their lives are pathetic." The Subordinate said disdainfully.
"Even though I do not like the way you said it. I do agree with you. But do not forget that there was a time when they ruled the continent. We had to make a lot of sacrifices to put an end to their rule. Even the great Saura had to make many sacrifices on his path to freedom." The Man said, looking at his Subordinate.
The Subordinate looked away, "Tsk~ don't be so paranoid. You think the dark clans have become as strong as they were during the Saura Age?" He said mockingly.
"Son, one of the reasons Dark clans were so strong during the Saura Age was the presence of the Art Blood Lust, and the reason dark clans are weak now is because of the absence of this Art. It is said that this Art can double their strength without losing cultivation. If the reports are accurate, there is a high chance that the dark clans have reclaimed the lost Art." Said the Man. But after looking at his Son's greedy face, he said, "Son, don't desire it. Nothing in this world can be that good. If it can double your strength, there is a high chance of a massive side effect."
The Man's Son quickly recomposed himself, "Understood!"
Looking at his composed Son, "Now deliver these reports to the Elders council as soon as possible."
The young Man took the reports and left the room. As his Son left, the Man thought, "I hope he can fix his greed. If not for me, he would have died by now for his past actions." He thought.
Outside the room, the young Man hurried to an empty room nearby and started to read the report's details, not letting even a single word slip. "Don't desire my Ass! Who wouldn't want an Art that can make their strength double instantly, that too without losing any cultivation in exchange? It is a steal. However, you think about it. If there are any side effects, I am sure Father will take care of them. After all, we do not lack gold or resources."
In an abandoned Mansion somewhere...
A group wearing masks were seated around a round table in a dark room with only a candle at the centre. "A1, your contributions this time are massive. No matter how much gold you gave away to achieve this, The Blood Lust Art was worth every penny, if not even more," an elderly voice said in praise.
"Thank you! I knew you would understand when I gave away all the funds we had to support the dark clan spy unit in the Capital to obtain this treasure." A1 said with pride in her voice.
"I have to say that losing that many funds so suddenly is a hit to our finances, but the trade-off is not so bad when you think about it", another voice sounded.
As everyone praised A1, there was one voice that was against it. "I accept the loss is a great deal for the clans. But how can you even say it's authentic? Moreover, the amount of money spent is not something small. Do you know how long it takes us to earn that much gold? And who was even this person with the strong background you mentioned?" The Female Voice questioned mockingly.
"Haha! It's that bitch AE1. My old rival, I know you want to spoil this for me. But, unfortunately for you, I came prepared." A1 thought as she said, "I understand your concern, AE1. So, I have trained some men in blood lust art in the past few days and sent them to different areas to cause havoc in major cities. And guess the results AE1, Not even a single one was caught even after killing multiple officials."
Listening to A1's words, the entire group was shocked.
"A1, that's ridiculous!! How could you teach our sacred Art to some random people without the approval of Elders of the Clans." AE1 fumed at A1. "Didn't you tell yourself that we do not know the Authenticity? Well, now we know." A1 replied mockingly. "Then you should have at least taken the Elders permission first." AE1 did not back down. "I would have done that if a certain someone did not stop my attempts to contact the elder of my clan." A1 thought, but she did not voice it aloud. Instead, she said, "I guess I was in the wrong. I hope the Elders understand the situation and forgive me for my actions."
A1's calm reply took AE1 and the Others aback. Usually, this would have become a battlefield for cursing each other, ultimately leading to battle challenges. But they were happy with A1's reply. They can now continue the discussion on the topic at hand.
One of them asked A1, "I hope they will not betray us."
"Of course, Elder! The clan's training division personally groomed them from a young age. We can trust them as we trust the other members of the clan." A1 replied steadily.
"Fine then. We can forgive you for your actions for now. From here on, anyone who intends to learn or teach Blood lust Art needs to send a request letter to the elders. Only after getting approval from at least one Elder can the Art be learnt or thought." Another Elder said in satisfaction.
"Understood, Head Elder!" A1 said respectfully.
"A1, given your achievements this time, we will encourage you to oversee the operations in the entire Capital. From now on, you will be the overseer of the Spy network in the Capital."
"I will fulfill the responsibility to the best of my ability", A1 said, bowing to the head elder.
All this time, AE1 was silent. As the Elders started to disperse, AE1 followed one of the Elders and left the mansion. As they left the mansion and into the Moonlit wilderness, The Elder asked, "You don't seem to be in a good mood, AE1. Is it because A1 got promoted?"
"Like hell I care about her career," AE1 replied, gritting her teeth." It's just that she would retaliate whenever I provoked her. But this time, she did not retaliate but was calm about it. It's if..." she clenched her fists while stopping mid-sentence.
"It's as if she is no longer in heat?" The Elder said what was in AE1's mind. AE1 clenched her fists tighter and said, "Just who was it? Who was it that had a duel with her!? I had been holding on to my desire for so long just to enjoy the duel between us, but now I am the only one in heat. Judging by the rise in her cultivation level, her rival should have been someone strong." AE1 felt conflicting emotions thinking about A1 dueling someone else apart from her. "Just you wait bitch, I will find you. When I do, I will make sure to ravage you in front of A1. I will make sure to humiliate you for messing up my plans." AE1 thought, trying to contain her mixed emotions and her boner.
Watching AE1 in rage, the Elder thought, " I am more interested in the person who handed over the blood lust art to A1. It would be good to find out his identity."