1198: Chapter 1192: Vermilion Domain

Chapter 1192: Vermilion Domain

"Little Boss?! Who?" Xiao Bing was startled. Who dared to call Wei Wuyin, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Sovereign, named among the elites as the Oathless Calamity, leader of the Ascendants, and a mortal that could slay Ascended beings as little boss?! She had kept herself deeply apprised of all Wei Wuyin's unimaginable feats since she regained her freedom in the Bing Clan, so this greeting startled her.  0

Wei Wuyin could not contain a warm smile that leaked with unconcerned elation. The only existence in this world that still had the gumption to refer to him as anything other than his Majesty, Young Lord, Young Master, or Alchemic Sovereign Wei was that endlessly familiar grey-bearded old man. 

Wei Wuyin turned to see him—Tuo Bihan! The old man was stylish with a moon-white robe, his long hair tied back, and his grey beard trimmed. He had changed considerably from before, regaining some of his past's youthful exuberance and handsomeness. Yet despite that, the casual air of an elder that carelessly slept at random places remained. Despite being in contact, Wei Wuyin hadn't personally met Tuo Bihan since he gave him the assignment to distribute those spiritual letters.

He had performed this task astonishingly well. 

"Old man," Wei Wuyin called out. Xiao Bing was instantly stunned; she immediately recognized Tuo Bihan, the former Grand Imperial Sage of the Myriad Monarch Sect! She hadn't seen or heard of him since the World-Shifting Net's secret realm. 

Tuo Bihan arrived before them; his sporadic naming sense aside, he was utterly flawless with his respectful greeting and etiquette. The old man had been one of Wei Wuyin's first subordinates, amongst the first of the Ascendants, and he had operated as such since obtaining the title. 

"Are you our escort?" Wei Wuyin inquired curiously. He had thought it would be an Ascended being of the Ma Clan, this minor branch's manager, but Tuo Bihan had arrived instead. 

"Haha, I am." Tuo Bihan laughed boisterously. After having his Worldly Domain crushed by Ma Sujiang, the Golden Life Pavilion provided him with a rich environment, resources, and a variety of other tools to recover and grow stronger. It was Ma Zheng's way to appease Wei Wuyin's possible resentment toward the event. After all, attacking the messenger was a deeply disrespectful act.

"You're this branch's manager?" Xiao Bing asked, her astonishment fading as she regarded Tuo Bihan as one of Wei Wuyin's subordinates. This was the branch established to oversee the operations within the Vermilion Domain. It was rare for an Ascended being not to head the department. 

"Temporarily," Tuo Bihan said mysteriously with a sly look in his eyes. "The Vermilion Domain's minor branch has more or less been closed down, so there's not much to it." 

"Closed down?" 

"Yeah. Since their assault on Bai Lin in the Ninestar Starfield, business with the Tang Clan has been plummeting. The Golden Life Pavilion first elevated all prices of their merchandise, and then various shipments to resupply were diverted elsewhere. After Pavilion Master Ma gained the seat, the branch is a mere shadow of its original brilliance, with all imports stalled or stupidly overpriced." Tuo Bihan chuckled. "You wanted information about the Vermilion Domain?" 

Wei Wuyin hadn't kept himself informed of the Golden Life Pavilion and Tang Clan's relations, so he was a little shocked by the development, albeit he expected it. Ma Zheng was very proactive in handling his matters and establishing firm lines even when he was just a Branch Manager. 

The trio soon left, entering a Voidship as they shot towards the Vermilion Domain's capital planet, Unity. It gave off a reddish hue that felt as if it would be naturally hot. 

During their journey, Xiao Bing and Wei Wuyin learned a lot about the Vermilion Domain. It was rife with internal conflicts and battles. During their failed attempt at seizing Bai Lin, they suffered monstrous losses, and many elite members were severely injured, killed, or crippled. This caused the power balance among the upper echelon of the Tang Clan to go berserk.

Furthermore, the Tang Clan had subordinate clans, sects, and associations throughout their lands, like most Domains of the Aeternal Sky Starfield, and these organizations further divided the Tang Clan, with their elites siding with various members of the clan. The fight for resources grew, and the Golden Life Pavilion's stance of reducing their business further crushed the morale of the Vermilion Domain.

While the Tang Clan was tethered to the Imperial Clan, they had recently been getting the cold shoulder from the latter. 

"Why? Aren't they interconnected with various marriages and blood relations?" Xiao Bing couldn't help but ask. Given the Tang Clan's history with the Imperial Clan, it should be difficult for them to receive any form of a cold shoulder. 

Tuo Bihan shook his head, "It's because of the various marriages and blood relations that their relationship had grown awkward. It has to do with the Young Mistress of the Tang Clan, Tang Xingyun, and the current leader of the Tang Clan—the Seventh Generation Matriarch."

"Oh?" Xiao Bing's interest was instantly piqued. 

Tuo Bihan explained: "Unlike the Bing Clan, the Tang Clan has more or less refused marriage opportunities." 

"Trying to break away from their destiny as Yin Cauldrons?" Wei Wuyin said.

"Yes," Tuo Bihan confirmed, "and this has been going on for a while. The Tang Clan's currently established marriages are all exceptionally old, with many having died due to cultivation difficulties or age. The last marriage between the Tang Clan and Imperial Clan dates back about six thousand years. Since then, there have been no other engagements. Except one, Tang Xingyun." 

"Why?" Xiao Bing couldn't fathom this. She hadn't heard anything about this at all. During her studies, the Bing Clan's instructor had referred to the Tang Clan as being in the same situation as them, tethered to the Imperial Clan by marriage. The Bing Clan has insanely deep interconnected unions and even actively sought to enter the Tian Clan's harem. 

Wei Wuyin decided to throw out a guess, "the King of Everlore?" Xiao Bing got startled. What does he have to do with this?

"Oh!" Tuo Bihan was delighted by Wei Wuyin's intellect once more. This young man almost always grasped the breadcrumbs here and there, and it was borderline terrifying. "You're correct; the King of Everlore interfered with the process. I don't know why or how exactly, but after the King of Everlore grew in prominence, the Tang Clan gained the freedom to decide their fate as a whole, and the Imperial Clan allowed it. The only exception was Tang Xingyun." 

"Why her?" 

"She's the firstborn of the Seventh Generation Vermilion, the Matriarch of the Tang Clan, and this was an agreement the Divine Emperor himself had orchestrated. His seventh 'officially recognized' son would be engaged to her firstborn. I also heard that the Divine Emperor had originally intended not to recognize a seventh son, but Tian Yinwu was simply too outstanding. As for the Seventh Generation Vermilion, she had similarly sworn off from having children to avoid that situation, but love and desire for partnership weren't something one could resist so easily, and she had a child. It's almost as if it was-"

"..heavenly fate," Xiao Bing interrupted Tuo Bihan, who solemnly nodded and bitterly smiled. 

"I always thought the Tang Clan and Bing Clan were in similar situations. To think the Tang Clan had shed off their status as Yin Cauldrons for the Imperial Elites long ago." Wei Wuyin thoughtfully and admirably said. He could guess that the Tang Clan had offered something to the King of Everlore to gain their independence. 

"But why wouldn't they willingly agree? The Imperial Clan is outstanding; it's rare for women to choose to marry down when they have the chance to marry up, right?" Xiao Bing instantly keyed into a critical point.

"Perceptive! The answer is relatively simple when you think about it, little lass: the Tang Clan isn't the only one that's refusing to marry; the Imperial Clan has decided to sever their relations as well, likely forbidden by the Divine Emperor himself. It might have to do with the King of Everlore's interference or the utter disrespect they displayed by trying to distance themselves after receiving support using an outside force." Tuo Bihan thoughtfully explained as he considered which was more likely.

"How come you know about it? Why isn't this information well-known throughout the world?" Xiao Bing was unable to figure out why she was taught otherwise. 

"The Tang Clan wants to be protected," Wei Wuyin answered instead. 

"Correct!" Tuo Bihan exclaimed admiringly. "Little Lass, the Tang Clan, or any of the factions of the Aeternal Sky Starfield do not operate solely in this starfield. The Imperial Clan's alliance is a shield of unimaginable value. The world outside is dangerous with little protection, especially when it comes to the contest for resources. If you take away the Imperial Clan, the Tang Clan is undoubtedly powerful but not enough to contend for high-end resources; perhaps they would even have to struggle for resources in their own territory. If the Parasitic Clans of the True Element Sect is proof of anything, its that making the Tang Clan a puppet for benefits is not that hard.

"Recently, the Ravenous Edge Starfield's division of territory and resources could be used as a perfect example. If it weren't for this false protection, the Tang Clan or its subordinates wouldn't have been able to involve themselves in it. Only forces with the backings of Earthly Saints could've participated and taken a tiny piece of such a delicious pie.

"As for why you don't know, and I do? Well, the organizations who do know are all under oaths. I, Tuo Bihan, am under no oath; I am an Ascendant." The old man rubbed his beard as he looked at Wei Wuyin smilingly. There was a reason why the world feared Wei Wuyin as an Oathless Calamity, just Wu Yu was enough to instill fear and insecurity, but the unregulated information was likely more terrifying. 

Wei Wuyin could, without hesitation, leak this information, and the Tang Clan's area of operation would shrink after people learned how distant they were from the Imperial Clan.

"This explains why the Tang Clan received no help from any force when they hunted Bai Lin and why they all waited with bated breath for their failure," Wei Wuyin remarked with a tinge of amusement in his tone. If all the elite forces knew of their situation, why would they help? They had no real support, and why would they offend the behemoth that was the Ninestar Sainthall or an Earthly Saint? 

It was as if an invisible piece of a puzzle had suddenly lost all its concealments enabling one to see the greater picture. Why hadn't the Imperial Clan assisted the Tang Clan during their operation? If they grew in strength, as Yin Cauldrons, wouldn't they also receive an explosive boost? Now it was clear as to why.

"So the Tang Clan's situation must be increasingly worsening," Xiao Bing concluded with a tone rife with concern. Hong Ru was with the Tang Clan…

"Indeed, it has. Indeed…it has…" Tuo Bihan said as they neared Unity. The planet's atmosphere was chaotic, seething, and exuded a heat that affected the Dark Void. 

"This…" All three of them were stunned. 

The planet was at war!

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