Chapter 4527 — The Azure Dragon Elder

Unlike human cultivators, who are always scheming against one another, these spirit beasts were far simpler by nature. Having chosen to submit, they would submit in earnest—until such time as they possessed the strength to turn the tables, they would not pay lip service while plotting treachery behind your back.

"Anluo Cultivation City?" Wei Zhao echoed the words while playing along, and could not resist muttering in puzzlement. Privately, he asked the ghost-thing, "Senior, what does that mean?"

"The Southern Island is not like you humans' territories—there are no complicated regional divisions with cities and towns of every rank. The whole Southern Island is divided into just five great regions, and at the heart of each region stands a single cultivation city. The Anluo Region is one of those five, and it lies near the Southern Island's Demon Cold Sea." The ghost-thing cleared up Wei Zhao's confusion.

"I see." Wei Zhao was at once reminded of Odor Cultivation City in the Lufeng Forest. Though it had since been abandoned and left in ruins, before its desertion it too must have counted as one of the Southern Island's great regions—only now, thoroughly laid waste, the spirit beasts active there had grown fewer and fewer, and it had gradually declined into a place of adventure for human cultivators.

"By the command of the previous Spirit Beast King, every cultivation city is garrisoned by a top elder, and each may essentially be regarded as that elder's sphere of influence," the ghost-thing went on.

He had never been much inclined to speak to Wei Zhao of the spirit beast clan's affairs. But this time he deliberately meant to let Wei Zhao learn a little more of the inside story—after all, they were now within the borders of the Southern Island, and if they were to get out safely, Wei Zhao must at least first know clearly what situation he was in.

"So that means the spirit beast clan has five top elders in all?" Wei Zhao asked.

"No. There have only ever been four places for top elders." The ghost-thing paused, then explained, "The other four cultivation cities each have a top elder garrisoning them, but Anluo Cultivation City is different. Because of the Four Seas Escort Agency, the Demon Cold Sea has always been the center of the Southern Island, and so Anluo Cultivation City is as well. This place needs no elder to garrison it, because the Spirit Beast King himself is here."

Wei Zhao nodded. Anluo Cultivation City had the Spirit Beast King himself presiding over it, while the four top elders were something like frontier lords, each guarding a territory on the King's behalf. The arrangement could hardly be called subtle—simple and crude, if anything. Yet it suited the spirit beast clan's blunt, straightforward style.

"Then when the Spirit Beast King is absent, doesn't Anluo Cultivation City become masterless?" Wei Zhao asked instead.

A nation cannot go a day without a ruler, nor a city a day without a master. And from the previous Spirit Beast King's disappearance to the present, there had been a long stretch of empty time. As the center of the Southern Island, Anluo Cultivation City could hardly have been left in a chaotic, masterless state all that while.

"That it was not. After the previous Spirit Beast King vanished, the four great elders discussed it and decided to take turns coming to hold the city in his stead. At first all went peacefully enough. But as time wore on, each of them began harboring his own designs, wanting to supplant the others, and in the end the strife grew fiercer and fiercer. Seeing that they were about to fall apart, or even slaughter one another, I proposed going to the mortal world to seek the Spirit Beast King's bloodline. What happened after that, you already know." The ghost-thing spoke with no little ruefulness.

"Mm, that's only natural, really. Loyalty exists only under the deterrence of absolute strength—that holds true for human cultivators, and the spirit beasts are certainly no exception," Wei Zhao nodded and said with feeling.

While Wei Zhao and the ghost-thing conversed in secret, the Vermilion Bird looked out over all the spirit beasts submitting before it and laughed in satisfaction. "Brothers of the spirit beast clan, the King is still very young, and to have him personally command our clan would be beyond his strength. As his subordinates, we cannot force a man to do what he cannot; we must at least leave the King room to grow at ease. Therefore the King has decided to entrust the governance of affairs to this elder and the Azure Dragon Elder together."

Before the Vermilion Bird's words had died away, on the other side the strange old man with the blue face and fangs stepped forward and gave a slight nod to the assembled spirit beasts—plainly the Azure Dragon Elder of whom the Vermilion Bird spoke.

As for the so-called new Spirit Beast King, from first to last it had not made a single sound; everything was controlled and managed by the Vermilion Bird. Any discerning eye could see that this was nothing but a puppet through and through.

"What? The Azure Dragon Elder?" Wei Zhao showed little reaction, but upon hearing these words the ghost-thing's already hurried breathing at once grew more unsettled still, and Wei Zhao could distinctly sense from it a towering, bone-deep fury. From the moment he had met the ghost-thing until now, he had never once seen it provoked into such furious shame.

"Senior, what's wrong?" Wei Zhao asked quickly.

"Azure Dragon... heh heh, Azure Dragon. That scoundrel has actually promoted a new Azure Dragon Elder?!" The ghost-thing was grinding its teeth in rage. Had it been in its full prime, Wei Zhao had no doubt it would have charged up and trampled this Vermilion Bird Elder to death beneath its feet.

"What do you mean?" Wei Zhao was utterly baffled. There were four top elders in all; since there was a Vermilion Bird Elder, surely it was no wonder there should be an Azure Dragon Elder too?

"Hmph, because I am the Azure Dragon Elder!" the ghost-thing roared in fury.

"Uh..." Wei Zhao was struck dumb with shock. This was the first time he had learned the ghost-thing's exact identity—no wonder it was so agitated and angry. So this was the original Azure Dragon Elder, and plainly the one now standing on the platform was a henchman newly promoted by the Vermilion Bird.

Such a thing was not hard to understand. When the ghost-thing had first descended to the mortal world in its capacity as one of the four great elders, for a short while others might not have dared to do anything. But once its absence had stretched on long enough, its seat as a top elder would naturally become a choice morsel in others' eyes, and to be supplanted was only to be expected.

"Senior, you had best not be too angry. Since they would even dare to replace the Spirit Beast King, what is one elder's seat to them?" Wei Zhao could only smile bitterly and console it.

The ghost-thing fell silent for a long while, and only then did its hurried breathing gradually calm. With a measure of resignation and helplessness it said, "You're right. Heh heh, I've been gone so long, it's only natural a new elder should be raised up. It seems this Vermilion Bird has truly seized control of the spirit beast clan's overall situation—no small feat..."

"Aren't there other top elders? Are they just going to let the Vermilion Bird run so rampant?" Wei Zhao asked, somewhat perplexed.

"Of the Southern Island's five great cultivation cities, the Vermilion Bird has one city itself, this new Azure Dragon Elder has one, and then there is this Anluo Cultivation City, nominally the Spirit Beast King's—three whole cities have already fallen into the Vermilion Bird's grasp. Even if the other two elders refuse to submit, they can hardly contend with it—especially since this creature now holds the moral high ground, commanding the nobles in the name of the sovereign, heh heh." The ghost-thing smiled bitterly. (To be continued)