Chapter 54: Wrath carried on
One could've have expected a lot of outcomes for the situation Jian had gotten himself in. However the one that did end up happening wasn't the one Jian had foreseen at first.
He was simply talking to the corpse. It was crazy for him to even try to talk to the undead, but he did and it worked. It actually answered back !
Not only was he able to talk, he seemed to have stayed the same as he was before, it was just that his body was rotting.
"So...Just let me get this clear, because I feel a bit dizzy...The Peizhi Kingdom forced your family to stay ?!" Jian exclaimed, getting a nod from the Jin. Mara too seemed truly entraced by the story, looking at the Jin through Jian's eyes and giving him his full attention. Though to him it was more like a very entertaining theater play.
" Indeed, child. Not only did those disgusting nobles force us to stay, they forced husbands on the women of our family , to get more powerful Jins they said. You can't even begin to imagine how I wanted to burn everything around me when I learned about it. I was on another continent at the time, fighting for the proud Peizhi Kingdom and helping it gain ressources so it could stand on it's own feets.....What a joke, they just wanted to keep me away from my family. " Jin Feixiang said. Jian looked at the ground, and thought back of Jin Wang and Jin Daiyu.
They didn't know about this, they merely assumed that their family stayed on their own accord.
"But the tables can still turn, child !" The Jin exclaimed excitedly as he grabbed Jian hands with his cold ones. Jian shivered and looked in shock at the smiling corpse.
"W-What do you mean ? I don't really see. I mean sure I do have ways to get back at the nobles...But well, not to offend you or anything...I don't have any reasons to." Jian said. He expected Feixiang to frown, but the corpse merely widened his smile.
"Ahahah ! Of course. Doing things for free is suspect. You stating your desire for rewards is good. And trust me, you'll get a lot out of this. I mean.....Putting the nobles down will get you up. Because the royal family most likely doesn't know about this. They were our ally at one time. I can see the nobles lying to them all those years. And you'll get into the king's favours if you can get those arrogant nobles down." Feixiang said while Jian frowned.
" Wait wait wait...The kingdom need the nobles. The royal family needs all the help it can get to push back the Flies and make sure the sects don't take over. I don't see how attacking the nobles will help the king." Jian said as Feixiang burst into laughter.
" My my....You know nothing, child. The royal family hides behind layers upon layers of masks, but I know how they truly are. They want all the power for themselves, they want to reign undisputed. If you were to put down the nobles, the Flies will have troubles.....Except if they don't depend on the nobles like they did in the past, which I honestly doubt. I don't know how the situation with the sects evolved.....But if the nobles were put down, the sects will start getting agressive. Now that's a bad thing...Except if you happen to be in good terms with one or two sects and use them to push back the others while the royal family takes back all the riches the nobles have accumulated over the years ! Now for this to work, you obviously need some sects as allies, sects that will comply with the royal family and won't try to backstab you. That and you also need to get into contacts with my own family.....However I don't think they'll help you, at least not just like that. I don't think my family pumped out geniuses after geniuses so it must be pretty weak right now, it must be depending on another family to survive, like it did at first when we lost most of our female members....Find this family and get them to join you." Feixiang laid back and sighed after he finished explaining his plan as Jian's mind began to race.
'Pulling this off will be hard. I don't know with which sect I should start, and I have no idea which family supports the Jin, if it's indeed a family and not an actual sect. I need to do much and while I have a year, it still seems hard to accomplish. At least I have Su Biyu, she will be helpful in getting the nobles down. I'll see with her how we can get the nobles down, but as I see it....Assassination seems like the best option.'
' Yes ! Assassination ! Oy, kiddo ! Do it yourself this time, I want to see some actual action !' Mara yelled while giggling like a child. He was enjoying himself far too much with this situation. Jian had a hundred things to do, and training seemed so important and yet so unimportant. He didn't know what he should even start with, but then again he had to explain all of this to Su Biyu first.
Getting up, Jian bowed to Feixiang and smiled at him.
"I will make sure to punish the nobles for what they did. Be certain that you and your colleagues will be avenged. "
Feixiang got up too and put a hand on Jian's head, ruffling the child's hair.
" So young, and yet so ready to shed blood. What a world we live in, huh ? Go on Jian, resolve this however you want. I can't even ask you to punish the nobles like I would want to punish them. I can't force you to become a monster for my own desire of vengeance. And yet, I can't help it...I need you to promise me, promise me you'll take care of my family."
The two looked at each other, and Jian nodded before turning around. His face went happy to furious in half a second, and he quickly left the cave, the ghosts not even appearing this time to stop him.
' Wait a second kiddo ! What the hell happened ?! I didn't even listen when he explained what happened to him. I should've now that I think about it.' Mara said. Jian stopped right as he exited the cave and looked at the palace that could be seen in the distance, poking out of the tall trees.
" Their family was used to breed new geniuses, he came back after learning that this mission failed and his family was thrown away. They were stripped of everything and before the royal family could even hear about this, a fake tale was created to fool everyone. He rallied his own men and some mercenaries he found on the other continent and brought them to the capital.....The nobles forced him to fight against the soldiers of the capital, the men he used to train with. They watched as all those poor men died, not even understanding why they were fighting their own. Not only did they take everything from the Jin family, they dared to put their soldiers up against each others. I don't know if all the nobles of this country were involved.....But now I'm starting to really like the names on Su Biyu's list." Jian said before storming off.
He arrived half an hour later, however a note was waiting for him, telling him that Uma and Zhao had been offered a new place to reside in by Uma's new friends.
' I don't know what type of friends she made, but I hope for her she didn't become friend with the nobles that were responsible for the betrayal.' Jian thought as he approached the mansion in which the group lived.
He was shocked as he saw Zhao Shu training alongside some mountain of muscles clad in a long black cloak. Uma was just behind, reading a book while talking to a woman who looked quite similar to Su Biyu, though she also appeared different.
' She must've been on a mission just before coming here. She's still in a disguise. But who the hell is that guy ?!'
He entered the compound, marching towards the group to get answers, but stopped when Su Biyu disappeared and reappeared right behind him.
"I know I know, you have questions. I have answers, let's talk. Don't start shouting at Uma or anything. We can still be seen by a lot of people here, so it would be best to talk in private." She said as Jian looked at Uma who had a smug look. He wanted top punch her so badly, but he kept himself in check and nodded.
He ended up in what appeared to be his new room, if the plate hung on the door with his name on it was of any indications.
"Talk Biyu, because I'm starting to wonder if I disappeared for a month and not a few days." Jian said. Su Biyu smiled at him before pointing at a pitcher of water and some snacks.
" Start eating, little boss. I'm not dumb. After spending a few days out in the wild, you must be insanely thirsty and hungry." She said as Jian blushed. He began stuffing his face while she giggled and played around with a knife.
After he finished and forced all the food down with the water, he coughed a bit and then immediatelly looked all serious again. It was quite an hilarious sight to Biyu.
" I guess I should start with out newest addition, Fangs.....You know, I did tell you I had some people in mind for you to recruit.....Seems like I got one already. We just need to get the others now, and they will be much harder to get than this one. By the way, I have been training the little heir, in case you wondered. He is coming along nicely, although he is still incredibly soft. But I got him to a level where I wouldn't want to take too much hits from him, so I would say he is on the good path." She said as she began eating herself.
Jian pondered over what she said, and tilted his head on the side as a question appeared in his mind.
" Biyu.....While I want to catch up to all the things that have happened, you can tell me later, now I have a question for you...I really hope your answer will give me some guidance...."
Biyu looked at him with a questioning look before sighing. She guessed it had something to do with what he had been doing these past few days. But she didn't know what he was doing, so she couldn't even prepare herself for his question, then again it was all too surprising no matter the amount of preparation.
" Tell me, will you follow a mad leader that has no plan at all and just goes along with the flow, letting himself be carried by whatever the world has in stock for him ?