《Double-Life》 Chapter 1 - If I Said No? Polar Ash City, Frozen Heart Province, Ashborn Kingdom Cradled in the frigid embrace of the Iceplains, Polar Ash City, the royal capital of the Ashborn Kingdom, lay in a massive sprawl of districts, farmland, and mortal territories. It was mid-summer and a seasonal ice storm was approaching, scattering the wildlife before it. Frost hares ran into burrows, and herds of snowshoe deer retreated into small caves and crevices in the rough terrain. Moments later, a mass of dark clouds began to pelt hail down on the frozen hills. Strikes of lightning crackled through the sky in brilliant flashes, and the thunder¡¯s rumble echoed for dozens of kilometers. As the storm drew closer, the black wall of clouds parted along the city''s outermost boundaries, splitting into two enormous curtains that began to wrap around the city. The storm could not encroach even a meter upon the city¡¯s protection arrays. The work of the arrays did not stop there. Even the biting cold was halted at the city limits, maintaining a temperate climate within the city that was suitable for both crops and men. For the common people living on the city''s outskirts, the sight of the storm¡¯s retreat was nothing short of miraculous. It was a deeply rooted tradition to stop all activity and watch the heavens bow before the royal capital. Street vendors would smile, and children would cheer. ¡°Look, look! Even the heavens are afraid!¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Mothers would point to the sky, whispering to their babies, ¡°See, dear? Ice doesn¡¯t dare fall on the land of the Ashborn.¡± In the official districts of the city, the storm passed by largely unnoticed. What would have happened if I had said no? Would I have lost all favor in the eyes of the world? Muro stood, tea tray in hand, in the open-air meeting room of the Cloudborn Family. After spending the day in Cloudborn Manor, he had become so used to ornate sceneries that he barely noticed the palatial spreading of tapestries. The moonfly silk, pearl-inlaid chairs and the opulent blackwood centerpiece table that would typically dazzle guests seemed unremarkable in his eyes. The First Grade Spirit Gathering Array built into the walls was weaker than the one in his old meditation room in the Seaborn Estate. Muro was staring through the gap between the walls. The rest of the Cloudborn Manor was visible below. Even if there were arrays in place to prevent accidental falls, he couldn''t help but feel slightly off-kilter. The houses were smaller than his pinky, the trees were dots of green, and the massive dome of the Cloud Spirit Commerce Hall looked small enough to fit into the palm of his hand. Further out, he saw the sprawling city carved up in uneven strips. A passing squall of dark clouds was only a thin line in the distance. The outside world was full of mortals. In the territory controlled by the sect, there were hundreds of billions of them. Only a few dozen even knew of the existence of the sect, and their knowledge only scratched the surface. Within the Kingdoms, the sect was unfathomable, the heaven above the heavens. If an Archon clenched his fist, how many lives would be extinguished in a breath of time? The outside breeze was sweeping up Muro¡¯s blue robes, giving him a slight sensation of cold. He made no move to adjust them - his cultivation might not have been significant by sect standards, but his body had long become impervious to ordinary discomfort. After hearing about the Kingdoms for so long, he was finally exposed to them. This was the outside world. How grand it all seemed, and yet how small and pathetic. Chapter 2 - Good Brother Muro¡¯s eyes drifted across the city. If he merely raised his hand, he could summon a Totem to his side. How many others could say the same? Not even his sisters had the privilege. He had a beast intent jade slip in his storage pouch. All he had to do was take it out, and he could bathe his mind in the beast intent of a Totem. Or, if he wished, with a little more effort he could arrange for a direct impartation. With all the means before him, he was sure that he would be able to condense a Complete Spirit. Even if he fell short, there would be Soul Infusion Elixirs to bolster it before his Spirit Feeding. To protect himself, he was wearing multiple clan artifacts from fallen Family Totems. Was this really the privilege of an untalented boy in the Heart Refining Realm? To be groomed to lead a Totem Family, or perhaps, if the heavens allowed it, an Archon Family? Was the world so strange? What would have happened if he had said no? Muro sensed that Yoren was looking at him. He moved away from the open wall in one graceful movement without disturbing the tea-tray in his hand. ¡°What were you looking at?¡± Muro shook his head slightly in response. ¡°Nothing, just the city outline.¡± Yoren was viciously handsome, an Inner Sentinel of the sect. He had only left the sect for a year, and yet he looked perfectly at home in the secular manor of his family, a king in a house of peasants. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He was dressed in regal attire. His robes were purple, with depictions of clouds and phoenixes emblazoned on his sleeves. Even though he was at the Awakening Stage of Nascent Spirit, his presence was minimal, the mark of genius. ¡°It''s a sprawl of weaklings, all entangled in a complex web of relationships, hopes and dreams. Does it make you miss the simplicity of the Undying City? Or do you wonder how easy it would be to dominate the locals? Everyone has a different reaction.¡± ¡°No, it just feels meaningless.¡± ¡°Rest assured, I can see why you have little desire to integrate yourself. After all, to them, we are immortals. To us, they are ants.¡± Yoren gave a slight, ethereal smile from his throne-like chair and beckoned with his hand. Muro stepped forward. He could see echoes of tantalizing illusions dancing around in Yoren¡¯s eyes. The Inner Sentinel was musing to himself over the mysteries of life. He could not quite believe that he was in the same room as the future head of the Seaborn Family. An ordinary talent like Muro should never have been noticed. He had passed thirty and still had not birthed his Spirit, yet, because he had a good brother, he had become more important in the Wraithborn influence than all of the true Cloudborn Family put together. He had even been made an Outer Sentinel by the sect, demonstrating how flexible the rules truly were. Yoren could not help but think about how similar the brothers looked. Apart from their eyes, their faces were nearly identical, and yet, the shape of the face - the sharp eyebrows and angular features - somehow only served to further the charm of one and the uncertain air of the other. His eyes slid down Muro¡¯s arm to where the Wave Pulse Bangle, the prized clan artifact of the Seaborn, was wrapped around his wrist. With it, even a Heart Refining Expert could level a small building, and it was not the only clan artifact in his possession. Who knew what other treasures were hidden in his storage pouch? Meanwhile, Yoren had only been given a few of his family¡¯s spirit artifacts. It was all a farce. Why do I not have such a good brother? Yoren wondered to himself. Chapter 3 - Ward Of A Totem There was no way in which the Cloudborn Family was inferior to the Seaborn, no way apart from the prodigy that was Paladin Lu. Yet that was enough to open an unbridgeable gap between them. The millennium talent whose bloodline had regressed back to the Undying Lord himself had fallen into the lap of the Seaborn Family. How could Yoren feel resigned under such circumstances? How could he feel comfortable when a different family had been selected to rise? The Cloudborns had struggled for generations, fighting tooth and nail for small benefits. Meanwhile the Seaborns simply stumbled into a fortune, unrelated to their efforts. Why did the heavens fail to reward the diligent? Of course, Yoren would never betray his feelings. Who had ever seen him complain about the nature of the world? Such a senseless act was utterly repugnant to him. To sulk was childlike and unbecoming. ¡°This meeting will not be like the others,¡± Yoren said, his voice silky and quiet. ¡°You can observe for now, and ask questions afterward. As you know, there are matters I cannot bring up among secular people. Do not be afraid to speak your mind and, above all, remember why you are here.¡± ¡®Whatever that reason is.¡¯ Yoren kept the last few words to himself. By appearances Paladin Lu wanted Muro to apprentice himself to Yoren, but he could not take the orders seriously. The soul sense of the Totem was monitoring his every action. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Who would dare to order around the ward of a Totem? Yoren¡¯s confusion was boundless. From the internal movements of the Seaborn, it was clear that Muro was being groomed for family head, so why was he being sent out of the family? Wouldn¡¯t he learn best by staying under the wing of the current head? Surely it had been Paladin Lu¡¯s request, but what was the meaning behind it? Muro nodded. ¡°You can put the tea down,¡± Yoren said. ¡°He is a servant.¡± ¡°The servants in the manor are truly innumerable,¡± Muro said mildly. ¡°Every one of them is accounted for. They have purposes, roles, and they accomplish particular tasks. That is what I found most relaxing about this trip outside. It is easy to gain a vast network of subordinates to act as your eyes and ears. Spread out across the kingdom, it is not an insignificant thing.¡± ¡°You seem more relaxed among them than with guests.¡± ¡°It is best not to treat them as people, but as an extension of your own capabilities. Directness is appropriate, which is why I dispense with formalities.¡± Among the rules that Yoren had impressed upon Muro was that etiquette was reserved for peers and guests. This fostered a sense of closeness within the house, while showing proper respect to those outside of it. Yoren had also impressed upon him the importance of appearances, the insubstantial elements that could mislead. Every small detail contributed to a deceiving picture. Muro let the tea tray rest on the blackwood centerpiece table. Although he was accustomed to luxuries, the tea had been the one detail that had truly surprised him. It was Six Desires Tea, a delicacy even by sect standards. Who would have thought that it would be used to entertain mortals? If he had not seen the circumstances in the Cloudborn Manor for himself, he would not quite have believed it. Was it really necessary to treat others with such expensive tea, or was it all part of some grander effect, promoting an invisible benefit that he could not perceive? The incompatible details in the manor were jarring. It reminded him of the last words his brother had spoken to him. ¡®The Cloudborn are not like other Totem families.¡¯ Chapter 4 - Syra Wraithborn With the thought of his brother came the thought of his Totem Protector. The image of a cold beauty flickered through Muro¡¯s mind. Dark, piercing eyes. Flawless skin. A gaze that aroused every emotion, all at once. They had met in the early morning of Undying City, in the outer ring. She had been waiting by the arranged spot. The uneven lighting of the Seaborn Estate had thrown shadows over her features, making it difficult to read her mood. Hearing his name from her lips was strange. The voice was like honey, rich and full, and neither too loud nor too soft. It was comfortable to listen to. ¡°I am Syra Wraithborn, a Totem from the same lineage as Disciple Brother Lu. Are you Muro Seaborn?¡± The words had not been necessary. She had ways of verifying his identity. Still, going through the introductory motions helped ease the tension. He nodded, not trusting his own voice. She spoke again. ¡°I will be your Protector for your trip to the Kingdoms. Muro, do you have any concerns?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Let''s go.¡± It was a strange sensation. Muro had not felt attracted to her. He would not have dared to harbor such thoughts! At the same time, he was not afraid of the Totem. She was there to protect him, so how could he be scared? He simply felt overwhelmed by her presence. It carried the suppression of two cultivation realms and came from someone with a status that was near the peak in the sect. If Muro did not have Lu as a brother, they would never have crossed paths. After the formalities had been dispensed with, Syra Wraithborn had swept her hand towards him. A great wind caught Muro¡¯s body, gently moving him onto the back of her demon mount, a great bird the size of a house. The space on its back was easily sufficient to seat twenty people. Syra Wraithborn appeared in front of him, taking the lead position on the demon bird. Muro stared at her back. Her long hair flowed down her robes. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then the demon bird flapped its great wings. Once. Woosh! A dizzying feeling came over Muro, as he realized the city was far behind him. It was just a dot, barely discernible. Twice. Woosh! The dot of the city was gone, and they were rising through the ravine. Up. Up. Up. Eventually, they had pierced through the veil of darkness, and emerged in the early morning sunlight. The Dragon Spine mountains were colossal walls that seemed to close in on every side, lined with forest growth and massive, colorful fungal patches. They were alone on the demon bird. The wind blew against them. The sun shone down from the sky above. The ravine was beneath their feet. The mountains surrounded them. Syra Wraithborn broke the silence. ¡°Do you have any stories about your brother?¡± He found himself able to respond to her question. His nerves were steady. ¡°When I was a baby, I used to hold Lu¡¯s hand every time I saw him. His eyes did not frighten me. I remember him smiling.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Hearing her voice, Muro wished she would speak more. He tried to remember more details. ¡°I remember asking Lu about his black eyes.¡± ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°I asked if he liked them, and he told me that the question was pointless. When I asked why, Lu said that he would never change his eye color because it represented the Undying Lord. If he could never change it, then of course he would like it.¡± The conversation had occurred earlier that very morning. Muro had been a Cloudborn attendant for a day, or more specifically, Yoren Cloudborn¡¯s attendant. After arriving at Polar Ash City with Syra Wraithborn, Muro had bathed in Spirit Cleansing Liquid, eaten meat prepared from a first grade beast, and meditated for the allotted morning cultivation session. At the end of the cultivation session, he had been sent up to the meeting room, where he had sat through the reports and greetings of family ministers, attendants, and kingdom officials, observing the daily tasks Yoren assumed as family head. Some were nobles and others were pure mortals. The mortals were mostly from the Oka and Yin Mortal Families, both of which had tied themselves to the Cloudborn war chariot. The arrangements were nothing like the Seaborn Estate of the inner sect, where most of the residences were dedicated to quiet cultivation. The servants were an invisible presence. Of course, there were luxuries there too, many of which exceeded the value of anything in the Cloudborn Manor, but they were used strictly for cultivation. Most of the trappings of nobility were considered distractions from the Way. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yoren asked. Muro shook his head. He did not feel comfortable speaking his mind. Yoren may have been a friend of his brother, but he was only a stranger to Muro. A knock on the door redirected Yoren¡¯s attention. The expected servant had arrived. ¡°In,¡± he said. Chapter 5 - Watchdog Of The Cloudborn The door swung open and a thin, elderly man stepped in through the frame, bringing with him an oppressive aura of perfection, as though he was carrying the will of the world. His Cloudborn servant robes were swept up from beneath his knees in a single motion, as he gathered himself and gave a slight bow, before lifting his head. Even without the martial aura, from a glance Muro would have recognized him. He was one of the few people who his brother had mentioned before he left. Oka Loro. The Watchdog of the Cloudborn. Once Yoren had assumed control of the secular family, he had become Yoren¡¯s watchdog. Oka Loro was a Martial Grandmaster with strength equivalent to a late Nascent Spirit Expert. Naturally, the Totem Protector who had been assigned to Muro could easily dispatch of him, but he was still an intimidating presence in the Kingdoms. Muro¡¯s eyes were drawn to the smooth, black sword at Oka Loro¡¯s hip. From the faint runes engraved on the metal, he could tell that it was a transcendent treasure, a peak creation of a grandmaster craftsman in the mortal world. In the sect, it was the rough equivalent of a spirit artifact. Muro¡¯s mind wandered. Yoren was at the fifth stage of Nascent Spirit, placing him in the late portion of the realm, and he was armed with spirit artifacts of his own, not to mention the fact that he had birthed a Superior Spirit. It made Muro wonder which among Yoren and Oka Loro was stronger. The master or the watchdog? At the same time, Oka Loro made eye contact with Yoren and gestured subtly in Muro¡¯s direction. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Yoren shook his head slightly. Through the motion he signaled that Oka Loro should report honestly. Yoren had no certainty that he could conceal the Family¡¯s operations, at least those that were being conducted within the kingdom. He also did not want to take any risks with a Totem¡¯s soul sense watching over the manor. ¡°That is the younger brother of a senior,¡± Yoren said. ¡°His much beloved brother. If you so much as touched him, you would be signing a death warrant for thirteen generations of the Oka Family, and dooming me as well. As for why he is here, it is my responsibility to give him an education in the matters of the world.¡± Sect members were prohibited from informing even their subordinates of the existence of the sect, so he was forced to convey most information crudely. ¡°As you say, my lord,¡± Oka Loro said smoothly. On the surface, it appeared that Yoren¡¯s words had not affected him, but Muro saw the Watchdog¡¯s eyes linger on him for a moment. Muro felt uncomfortable hearing his brother referred to as a senior. Even though there were only three people in the room, there was a fourth presence that they were all forced to nod to. Oka Loro didn¡¯t even know his name, and he was still bending to him. Everything else was a facade. Muro¡¯s strength was insignificant and yet he was being treated gently by powerhouses. He was being groomed to assume the responsibility of leading a Totem influence. He even had a Protector who could rip through the true Cloudborn Family, to say nothing of the devastation she could wreak at the Cloudborn Manor he was staying in. It was all because he was the favored brother of Lu Seaborn. Muro had been dealing with it for his entire life. The halo that surrounded Lu Seaborn made him impossible to ignore. Everyone around him, his siblings, his uncles, his parents, even officials and sentinels of the sect, they were all ants before his talent. Muro had long speculated that even other Paladins found him to be intimidating, and that only an Archon could look down on him. Totems existed for him to order around. It made Muro feel that his own life was just a piece of driftwood being swept up and thrown around in the wake of his brother¡¯s actions. Chapter 6 - Grand Or Foolhardy Having been cleared to deliver his report, Oka Loro removed a scroll from his robes. His sleeve shifted position slightly, revealing dense, corded muscle underneath. Oka Loro began speaking, his practiced voice shifting into official tones. ¡°Would you like the news from Heavycloud County or Sun County, or-¡± ¡°Deliver the Hundred Cave Duchy news.¡± Oka Loro swept through the scroll in a glance, retaining all of the relevant information, before returning it to a pocket in the inner folds of his robes. Muro frowned. The prefectures mentioned were scattered throughout the kingdom in different provinces and they were all strategic locations. Heavycloud produced the bulk of the sect¡¯s Weeping Bonefruits, Sun County had the Sage¡¯s Rain Listening Tower, and the Hundred Cave Duchy had the sect¡¯s Dragonscale Jade mine. With a gesture from Yoren, the Oka Loro began speaking again. ¡°In Jade City, the designated moment is the Day of the Lunar Festival in two months.¡± He looked over at Muro. ¡°At that time, the Lake Mountain delegation will be meeting with the Clayborn Kingdom at Blackstone Fortress. We have confirmation on the movements of several top city officials. Twelve high-value strategic priorities are known to be staying put in the city. Of the strategic priorities whose movements are unknown-¡± Oka Loro paused and looked at Yoren. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°The Lord Chancellor Sasha Valeborn is still in Shadowglass City with no immediate plans to return. Her aims are still unknown. She is a daughter of a true Valeborn. ¡°Tribunal Magistrate Abin Valeborn is joining the delegation late, at an unknown time. He is a son of a true Valeborn. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Tribunal Magistrate Holar Fireborn is closed up in Dragonscale Jade Mine. He is ten generations removed from an Absolute¡­¡± As Oka Loro continued to give news on the movements and whereabouts of several dozen officials, Yoren nodded at each new entry. Because it was prohibited to mention the sect to outsiders, Yoren used a code with words like ¡®Absolute¡¯ to refer to their connection to sect figures. Muro inferred that Yoren had retrieved the names of sect family members from the inner sect and used this code to feed the information to his subordinates so that they could monitor relevant officials without running afoul of sect rules. Even though he had not looked into the matter, Muro could guess that this practice was common among the secular branches of Totem Families. However, even though he could understand this easily, he was still confused with the overall point of the report. Of what importance were these random officials? A sudden thought entered his head. It was as grand as it was foolhardy. Were the Cloudborn Family planning on capturing the spirit mine? The high quality ores were sect property, while the rest were left to the ruling family of the kingdom. Plausibly, by attacking at an ideal time, they could ransack the inferior ores that were currently in the storehouses before their actions drew attention. It was impossible that the Cloudborn Family would touch the high quality ores, as the sect was unfathomably powerful, and impossible to escape from. All five kingdoms were under its control. However, targeting the ruling Ashborn Family was just barely a possibility if he stretched the limits of what he could believe. After all, Totems were forbidden from interfering with kingdom politics. When Muro considered this, after stealing the kingdom¡¯s ores, there was a chance that the Cloudborn forces would have enough time to run them to a nearby kingdom and obtain protection while the Valeborn officials in the duchy were collecting themselves. Still, no matter how Muro considered it, such action would obviously be suicidal. It grated against his understanding of kingdom politics. The true Ashborn family in the sect could still assist the secular family by providing information. The Cloudborn forces might be able to evade detection from Nascent Spirits, but with the truth seeking arts of Totems, such overt actions would immediately be known to the world. Unless the Cloudborn Family somehow had the confidence to take on the full brunt of the Ashborn influence¡­ Was that really possible? Chapter 7 - Subterfuge The ruling families were monoliths that had collected kingdom resources for many generations, raising martial forces of astounding power. This was before considering the four Totems they had contributed who were still living within the Heavenborn Family. How could the Cloudborn Family compete? But if they truly could¡­ Muro¡¯s mind flew to other topics. Did his brother know of the operations that the Cloudborn Family were conducting? If so, was this the reason why he had been sent to study from Yoren? Muro was further confused. Was he meant to participate, or merely to observe and learn, in preparation for leading the Seaborn family in the future? He suppressed the questions in his head, as he returned his full attention to the report. After listing a few more officials, Oka Loro continued. ¡°One person of interest has returned to Jade City, Sage Soko Fora. According to our sources, he has no plans to leave before the designated moment. We can have men positioned around his compound in the scholar district in a day with orders to act on the Day of the Lunar Festival.¡± Yoren immediately shook his head. ¡°The time is not yet right, wait for the next moment.¡± The name Soko Fora was familiar to Muro. He was a famous Sage who had grown up in the backwaters of Hundred Cave. His works of Conception were so potent that he had even been invited to the capital to contribute to the archives of Wind Listening Tower, the highest scholarly honor in the kingdom. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Yoren stopped Oka Loro¡¯s report with a wave of his hand, before turning on the armrest of his chair and facing Muro. ¡°We cannot directly involve the relations of true families without attracting unwanted attention. Therefore, in playing with mortal politics, you may think of highborn officials as deterrent forces. You can still defend from them or strike against them, but this increases the difficulty of the operation. ¡°Of course, if you do not fear scrutiny, then you may act as you wish, but such a situation is not considered ordinary. We do not all have a good brother that can protect us.¡± Muro nodded, and Yoren continued. ¡°When acting with subterfuge, you need to gather as much information as possible, and act only if the circumstances lend to it. If you move against the grain of the world, you will face resistance according to the movement. Such is the way of politics. ¡°In this case, we are waiting for the moment of perfect absence, when the presence of strategic priorities is at an absolute low. At that time, we will conduct the operation within the interval and end it before the conditions change. ¡°Remember that you should never feel compelled to act, or you will inevitably make mistakes. You should always be the one in control.¡± Muro wanted to ask what the purpose of the subterfuge was, but he stopped himself, remembering Yoren¡¯s earlier instruction. They could not speak freely in front of Oka Loro, as he was not a disciple of the sect. Yoren saw the question in his eyes and waited, but Muro shook his head. Yoren turned back to Oka Loro, and waved his hand again. ¡°Go on to the next location.¡± Oka Loro nodded, and launched into another series of officials. This time they were all related to a town in Hundred Cave Duchy. Muro noticed that the new designated moment was four months in the future, and the individuals being named were further removed from sect lineages, but the level of detail in the report remained similar. In the end, when the person of interest was brought up, Yoren dismissed the mission again. The timing was not yet right.