Chapter: 1165 (1/2)
AST 1165 – Heaven Secrets Academy，Forging the Four Elements Greencloud Sword
“That’s unnecessary. If I really want to kill them, I’ll do it myself.” Qing Shui grinned at the woman who had given him quite a few surprises.
“Why? Do you not trust my ability?” Yan Jinyu flashed Qing Shui an alluring smile.
This was the reason that he forced himself to take her as his real sister. He was afraid that he couldn’t control his lust, so he constantly reminded himself about their relationship. Now that they were sworn siblings, he had clearly aligned himself with the Yan Clan. In any case, he would stand on their side.
“Sis, Yan Clan is the largest clan in Yan City. While Yan City is one of the five largest cities in Great Yu Dynasty. So, how powerful is Yan Clan?” Qing Shui was curious. Great Yu Dynasty was a Late Grade Two Dynasty, and he wanted to know what other powerful clans existed besides the royal family.
“Qing Shui, things have changed. Clans, sects and people who used to be very powerful might not retain their power. On the other hand, there are less prominent groups who might have grown in strength.” Yan Jinyu reminded Qing Shui.
“That’s true. The world is changing every second, just like every one of us.” Qing Shui agreed. There are people who could ride on the tailcoats of others and there are people who can achieve heaven-defying feats. With this large world and its huge population, there were still many geniuses out there. A genius could easily change the entire course of fate and status for his or her clan.
“Yan Clan is indeed a powerful clan in Great Yu Dynasty. Yan City was even once the second biggest city in Great Yu Dynasty. Unfortunately,
Great Yu Dynasty shares its border with Great Virtue Dynasty. Scarlet Flame Region lies between Great Virtue Dynasty and Yan City. Although there is no great war between these two dynasties, there are frequent skirmishes. Within Scarlet Flame Region, there are various strong demonic beasts and cultivators. These cultivators are vile characters from both Great Yu Dynasty and Great Virtue Dynasty who hide in Scarlet Flame Region to avoid people who are seeking them for revenge. They occasionally go to either Great Yu Dynasty or Great Virtue Dynasty to assassinate other powerful and influential cultivators.” Yan Jinyu sounded like she was at her wits end regarding this situation.
“Can’t you organize a group of cultivators to corner and kill them?” Qing Shui could tell from Yan Jinyu’s expression that Yan Clan must have suffered considerable losses due to those criminals as they were the leaders of Yan City.
“Those people are very crafty and stealthy, so they are extremely hard to catch. They always manage to get information about our operations. Once they know that a large group is targeting them, they escape to Scarlet Flame Region. That hot, acrid place is a vast land filled with danger. They have a strategic advantage once they escape into that region. No matter how many people we send, we can’t do anything against them once they get into that region. Over these years, Yan Clan hasn’t improved at all. But the other clans and sects are growing stronger each day. A few clans in Yan City are already planning to take over Yan Clan’s position,” Yan Jinyu said warily as she looked at Qing Shui.
Qing Shui finally knew why this woman wanted him to be her sworn brother so badly. It was definitely because of his forging skills. He was quite receptive to it now as he trusted that Yan Clan would certainly treat him fairly.
“Sis, do you mean that Yan Clan’s position is being threatened now? Did you learn your current skills from your family or from some other masters?” Qing Shui asked with a smile.
“Due to circumstances, I learned my martial arts from Heaven Secrets Academy.” Yan Jinyu seemed to be proud when she spoke of Heaven Secrets Academy.
“Heaven Secrets Academy” Qing Shui only knew about General Manor, but he had no idea what Heaven Secrets Academy was.
“Heaven Secrets Academy was one of the strongest clans in Western Oxhe Continent and was as strong as a Grade Four Dynasty. It existed along with two other Grade Four Dynasties over many generations, occupying a special status between a clan and a dynasty. Heaven Secrets Academy is well-regarded, but I am only considered an above average disciple there,” Yan Jinyu explained briefly.
The continents filled with an unpredictable mix of people of varying talents, it is no surprise that there may be powerful organizations he had never even heard of. Ignoring the meaning of its name, Qing Shui found it fascinating that the strength of Heaven Secret Academy could actually rival that of a Grade Four Dynasty. If a genius like Yan Jinyu was only considered above average, one could only imagine how large Heaven Secrets Academy was.
“Those clans in Yan City probably won’t dare to do anything against your clan. Putting aside the possibility of success, they definitely can’t underestimate your capabilities!” Qing Shui said to Yan Jinyu thoughtfully.
“Yes. Some of the masters in Heaven Secret Academy appreciate my talents. If any one of them decided to sort things out on my behalf, those clans would just disappear from Yan city. That is also something that those clans are afraid of. However, Heaven Secret Academy is open to anyone in Western Oxhe Continent, as long as they are gifted. This means that if a person from another clan gains influence in Heaven Secret Academy, getting the support of the masters there, the whole power structure would totally change.”
“Sis, what about the Royal Family of Great Yu Dynasty?” Qing Shui had been quite curious about this for some time.
“Let me put it this way, members of the royal family are not simple people. Not only do they have martial arts passed down through their lineage, they have other channels of obtaining power. For example, multiple members of the royal family of the Great Yu Dynasty are members of the Heaven Secrets Academy as well. Some of them are even masters there,” Yan Jinyu replied.
“Does this mean that most of the aristocrat clans and royal families have connections in Heaven Secrets Academy?” Qing Shui was quite fascinated with this.
“There are a large number of aristocrat clans and royal families in Western Oxhe Continent. They don’t necessarily have to join Heaven Secrets Academy. They could also join the two powerful Grade Four Dynasties. The royal families of those Dynasties actually allow people to pledge their allegiances to them. It is a win-win situation where they serve these dynasties and get their protection in return.”
Now Qing Shui had a clear picture of the situation. The principle that people would always make use of each other would never change. Just as with other places, the connections between the clans and sects here are extremely complex yet the key to success was the influence one’s clan could derive from their network. An obvious example of this was Yan Jinyu. If she was influential in Heaven Secrets Academy, Yan’s clan position in Yan City would always remain, they could even be independent of the royal family.
“Qing Shui, even though we are sworn siblings. I will never involve you in Yan Clan’s troubling matters. Don’t worry.” Yan Jinyu looked at Qing sincerely, almost as if afraid that Qing Shui would mistake her intentions.