Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 160!
Do check Episode 16 of my simplified A Knight Journey's YouTube Series(Audiobook/Visual novel) here: https://youtu.be/ogYK5abvp6E
(Visual Storytelling)Episode 16 - Getting shot for a gentle kiss
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Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Omniscient P.O.V.
Hearing the announcement, the group of five swiftly left the Teleportation circle, along with the rest of the 'passengers'.
Although somewhat used to the extravagant sights of the Cultivation World after having stayed in Bright Star Island for a year and a half, once they all left the Relay Station, the Mikhailovs still felt dazzled by the beautiful view.
Unlike Bright Star City, Flowing Wind City's architecture was more reminiscent of the Mediterranean style rather than the mix of Asian-Western one they were used to, creating a stark contrast between the two.
The buildings themselves were one to two stories tall at best, with warm earthy colors, mostly crisp white for the walls and ochre for the tiled roofs.
Aside from the buildings, the streets were extremely wide, neatly paved with smooth white-colored stone.
As the Island's name implied, a light breeze was constantly blowing along the road, making the lush trees sway rhythmically with it.
Interestingly, with a light probing, Demian found out two things.
The first was that the whole scenery, from the dancing leaves to the wind's soothing melody, reminded him of some of the grand principles he was comprehending, ones that were related to the Water Element.
The second thing he noticed was the higher proportion of Wind Elemental Energy compared to other Elements present.
Whether it was linked to the latter or not, among the native cultivators walking around him, he could sense an overwhelming majority exuding Wind Element fluctuation mixed with some other Elements.
With a thoughtful look, the young man pondered.
'In Bright Star Island, the majority cultivate Water Elemental Energy alongside others, while here on Flowing Wind Island the main Element seemed to be the Wind... Does that mean that a higher concentration of certain Elements in one place influences the birth of a particular affinity in cultivators, or is it due to those cultivators with that same affinity moving to that Island...? In other words, is it the egg or the chicken?'
As that thought appeared in his mind, he felt three pairs of eyes focused on him, with each gaze filled with either exasperation or amusement.
Coughing once to hide his embarrassment, Demian then pointedly ignored the three stunning beauties' glances and turned toward Gregorov to ask.
"Uncle Stan, what's the next step?"
'Stan Greywood' was Gregorov's fake identity for their current mission, with the four Mikhailovs each using a fake name: Mike(Demian), Lina(Adeliya), Sophie(Seraphine), and Briane(Brynhild).
The four were supposed to be Gregorov's nephews and nieces, the five of them being part of the Greywood Family, a weak Core Formation Family from Bright Star Island with its main business being in the sale of Spiritual Pills and Spiritual Herbs.
Although not particularly prominent, the 'Greywood Apothecary' shops could be found in several Islands such as Bright Star Island and Flowing Wind Island.
As for the reason behind the group's visit to Mist Island, it was to secure a deal with a business group called 'Crimson Wood Venture', which was specialized in selling rare herbs useful for tempering the body.
Of course, it was just a front, and those in charge of the negotiation would be real members from the Greywood group, while the five would use that time to investigate discreetly on the side.
With a light smile, Gregorov instructed.
"We'll go meet the Greywood convoy at their shop. They should be about ready to depart for Mist Island."
As soon as those words left his lips, he used a sliver of his energy to surround the four before he started walking in a certain direction with the four in tow.
Strangely, each of the man's steps spanned hundreds of meters as if the ground itself was temporarily shrinking alongside his movements.
For a Mortal without cultivation, it would have been an incredible sight, though it was merely an intricate use of Elemental Intent, something that the four Mikhailovs could easily perform.
However, the four were only supposed to be Mid Foundation Building cultivators with above-average comprehension, and thus were not supposed to have comprehended their own intent yet.
That made them competent, but not remarkable.
The upside was that it would afford them a minimum amount of safety.
The downside was that they would not be able to blatantly use their own Elemental Intent unless they found themselves in real danger.
Thus, the current situation where the 'Peak Foundation Building Stan Greywood' had to tow them along the way had become necessary.
Fortunately, it only took them a few minutes to arrive at their destination, which was a building similar to the rest with its materials comprising white stones and a roof covered with smooth ochre-colored tiles.
The only difference from the buildings around it was beautiful carvings of spiritual herbs on the wall and the massive two-panel door, along with a wooden plaque carved with the words 'Greywood Apothecary' set above the entrance.
Inside the building itself, a dozen cultivators were currently waiting silently, with their cultivation ranging from the Chi Gathering Rank to the Mid Foundation Building Rank, with most of those present being the former.
Only three people among them radiated Foundation Building fluctuations, with one man and one woman looking like thirty-year-old mortals and being at the Low Foundation Building Level, while another older-looking man had reached the Mid Foundation Building Rank.
Although the Tier 1 employees kept silent, out of respect for the three powerful cultivators, the only woman among the three Tier 2 cultivators could not help but ask the strongest among them.
"Head Shopkeeper, do you know who those VIPs are? They're supposed to be from the Family, but I've never heard their name before."
Hearing the younger woman's words, the middle-aged man's brows knitted slightly as he replied in a cold tone.
"Irena, there are things you shouldn't ask. Keep your curiosity to yourself, or there will be consequences."
Sensing the other man's oppressive aura, Irena felt cold sweat appear on her back, prompting her to bow slightly and exclaim.
"I'm sorry, Head Shopkeeper. It won't happen again, I promise."
Seeing that she understood his warning, the middle-aged man retracted his gaze while thinking.
'It's been decades since a Lord Enforcer has visited this place. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly this time.'
Indeed, the man, Mark Greywood, was an External Deputy Chief Operative, assigned by the Extinguishing Hall to train External Operatives.
These operatives had many roles, whether it was to indirectly help Enforcers as covers in the field, or directly used as manpower.
Aside from that, they also took the role of informants for the Hall, allowing the latter to spread its informational net in the entire Federation without the knowledge of most citizens.
Of course, operatives were still relatively rare as they required the utmost loyalty to the Federation, something that was difficult to foster, at least to the degree required.
Among those present today, for example, only Mark was an operative while others only 'knew' that several Greywood VIPs were arriving.
As the man was lost in thought, his senses suddenly picked up on a strong energy fluctuation coming from the street beyond, which prompted him to announce.
"They're coming."
As those words left his lips, the dozen cultivators turned toward the entrance, some with curiosity, others with respect, while a glint of some abnormal emotion briefly appeared in one cultivator's gaze before being hidden under a respectful expression.
An instant later, the shop's employees saw five people appear at the entrance, with one middle-aged man whose Foundation Building Aura seemed much deeper than the Head Shopkeeper, while the other four seemed to be around the same level as the latter.
However, what surprised most present was the young age of the four, evidenced by the particular Vitality emitted from their bodies.
Although the four obscured their exact age, they still let out enough 'youthful Vitality' to allow others to 'misunderstand' them for being around 50 years old.
As for their real age, it was better to avoid displaying it openly, as a 19-year-old Mid Foundation Building was too shocking and, coupled with the configuration of one man and three women, could lead to their identity being uncovered by some observant people.
That being said, for most cultivators, a 50-year-old Mid Foundation Building was stunning enough, as most people would stop at the Chi Gathering Rank, while most Foundation Building cultivators were at the very least more than a hundred years old.
Sensing the new arrival's powerful Auras, the dozen people bowed toward them while exclaiming simultaneously.
"Welcome to the Elder and the young lords."
Even Mark himself bowed toward the five, though only he knew that those five's identities were even greater than the rest could ever imagine.
While the four Mikhailovs felt a slight surprise at the grand welcome, Stanislav had long been used to it, and thus simply nodded and responded.
"Rise, all of you."
Seeing everyone following his instructions, Stan's gaze turned toward the most conspicuous man present inside the building and asked rhetorically.
"Mark Greywood?"
Immediately, the middle-aged man walked toward Gregorov and, after bowing slightly toward the latter, Mark exclaimed.
"I, Head Shopkeeper Mark Greywood, am at the Elder's service."
Despite knowing the other's real identity, Gregorov did not act overly warm, but instead asked.
"Is the convoy ready for departure?"
With a nod of his head, Mark answered.
"Everything is ready, sir."
Turning toward the other employees, Mark made a small gesture and six Chi Gathering Rank, along with the female Deputy Head Shopkeeper at the Foundation Building, moved forward.
With a respectful tone, Mark remarked.
"The convoy will comprise these seven along with myself. As for the rest, they will stay here to man the shop while we travel to Mist Island."
Cocking his brow, Stanislav commented.
"One Deputy Head Shopkeeper is enough. There's no need for you to come as well."
Shaking his head slightly, Mark said firmly.
"Although I trust in the Elder's strength, I believe that the four Young Lords are the future of the Greywood family and their safety is paramount. So, even if my strength is much lower than yours, Elder, I can still use my life to protect them if needed."
After a 'reasonable' silence, Stanislav nodded and replied calmly.
"Your loyalty to the family is commendable. Very well, then. You may accompany us."
Turning his head toward the rest of the convoy, Gregorov instructed.
"Since everyone's ready, let's depart right away."
With another bow toward 'Elder Greywood' and the four 'Young Masters', Mark took out a Flying boat from his Void Ring before ordering the rest.
"Everyone, board the boat."
As his own body flew toward the boat, the Head Shopkeeper froze for a brief moment as a Voice Transmission reached his ears before resuming his movement.
["You've done very well, Greywood. Once the mission is over, I'll give you a commendation in my report, asking for some cultivation rewards to help you break through."]
Despite feeling a surge of delight, Mark displayed nothing but calm on his face, though it took enormous effort to contain the smile that was threatening to break out from his face.
Indeed, the previous discussion was merely an act for others to see, justifying the presence of both a Peak Foundation Building Elder and four Foundation Building geniuses from the Greywood family for something as common as a mid-size business deal.
Although the act may have been superfluous, merely adding a bit of substance to their cover, covers were often blown because of those small overlooked details.
It was especially the case for those 'guilty cultivators' whose paranoia was bound to be much higher than normal, and would certainly not miss any mistakes or inconsistencies when dealing with others.
While Gregorov was discussing with Mark Greywood through Voice Transmission, the 'future' of the Greywood family were busy admiring the scenery passing by the flying boat while chatting with each other through Soul Transmission.
["It really feels like we're in a spy movie..."]
That was Adeliya's wistful comment before Seraphine replied.
["Honestly, I'm impressed with the acting of Gregorov and that Greywood guy. I still have a long way to go to match them..."]
Cocking his brow, Demian remarked.
["That's a strange goal to have, Love, don't you think?"]
Turning her gaze toward him, the young woman winked at him while saying.
["Acting can be used in all sorts of situations, Babe."]
Catching the meaning behind her words, he rolled his eyes in exasperation before changing the subject.
["How do you three feel about our mission?]
Tilting her head slightly, 'Briane'(Bryn) asked.
["Isn't it obvious? If that Governor is guilty, we'll just deal with it in a way fitting with the crimes."]
Hearing her response, he shook his head before correcting himself.
["That's not what I meant, Love. It's just... I just feel like the whole thing won't be as straightforward as Gregorov and Wang Ling told us... Maybe I'm overthinking, though..."]
Immediately, alarm bells rang in the three women's heads as they heard their lover's words, prompting Adeliya to ask gravely.
["Is it just a thought or your intuition acting up again?"]
Hesitating for a brief moment, he then let out a sigh before answering with only two words.
["The latter."]
His answer made the two sisters freeze for a brief moment while Adeliya subconsciously let out a 'Fuck' out loud, the unusual reaction showing how shaken the redhead was.
Shaking his head slightly, Demian explained in a half-hearted tone.
["Maybe my intuition is wrong and..."]
Before he could add anything else, Seraphine put her index finger on his lips for a second while commenting.
["Stop talking, Babe. We all know how accurate your intuition is. There's no need to waste time denying it."]
Her finger indeed made him fall silent, but from speechlessness.
They were talking through the Soul Bond, so what use was there to put a finger on his lips?
Shaking his head slightly, he then decided to ignore her nonsense and added.
["Although I can feel some sort of danger, you don't have to be too tense. At most, it should be around the same level as the time when those Foundation Building cultivators from the Danilov attacked the Fallen Fire Estate back then. Of course, I'm talking about a similar level of danger, not a similar level of cultivation."]
Hearing his dismissive words, Adeliya started rubbing her eyes with a tired expression as she retorted.
["You mean the same time when all three of you ended up with most of your flesh scraped out and your bones broken into small pieces?"]
Scratching his smooth cheek, Demian muttered embarrassedly.
["Well, when you put it like that, it did seem a bit more dangerous than in my memories."]
Suddenly, Adeliya felt Brynhild pat her shoulder gently as she remarked.
["There's no need to worry, Mom. Compared to last time, not only has our strength improved enormously, but we also have access to Demian's Perks. With those, even if we get hurt, we'd heal instantly."]
Of course, all of them understood that to pose a threat to their group with their current power, the enemy would need to either be using Tier 4 Items(Talismans, Formations, etc.) or be at the Void Seed Level.
Either possibility would be difficult for them to endure, and the safest course of action would be to abort the mission and go back to Bright Star Island.
However, none of them wanted to choose that option.
It was not because of some reckless arrogance, but simply because opportunities coexisted with danger, and since Demian was certain they could deal with it somehow, they might as well go for it.
Letting out a sigh, Adeliya remarked.
["I don't know if it's you three's fault or because of my Carmine Bloodline, but I'm really becoming more and more reckless."]
The other three let out a few chuckles before changing the subject to lighter topics.
In the meantime, the flying boat flew swiftly through the city, with the Mikhailovs curiously observing the scenery passing by.
In merely an hour, they had arrived at the City Port, where most flying boats departed towards the Small to Mid-sized Outer Islands located closer to the Flowing Wind Island.
Indeed, business routes had been established at particular points to smooth out the exchanges between islands and avoid any unpleasant encounters.
After all, even though they were located inside the Federation's borders, it did not mean that dangers had disappeared.
Whether it were bandits, or Demon Beasts, natural catastrophes, and dangerous secret realms, all still existed within the bounds of the Federation.
Of course, the level of danger and chance of encountering said danger were much lower than in the Endless Sea, where uncountable demon beasts roamed, and the odds of dying miserably for anyone below the Void Sapling Rank were closer to 100% than 99%.
To be honest, even those cultivators with Tier 5 cultivation were at risk of perishing, though with enough strength came more mystical methods, and thus improved safety.
Still, the Greywood convoy they were a part of would certainly not tread such a dangerous path, but instead follow the safe route toward Mist Island along with others in the same 'boat'.
With more people came more strength, and with more strength the safety increased as well.
Thus, the four young cultivators noticed that, as their flying boat reached the port and flew over the pristine azure sea, with waves as high as several-story buildings, around a dozen other flying vehicles were already floating a few hundred meters from each other, seemingly waiting for something.
What were they waiting for?
Well, as soon as their own boat arrived close to the others, that question was answered, as each of them had a Foundation Building cultivator fly toward them, with one of them even exclaiming loud enough to reach everyone's ears.
"Old Wood, we were all just waiting for you. I almost thought you decided to cancel on us."
Immediately, Mark Greywood flew over to meet them with a large smile on his face as he retorted.
"Old Wallace, you know damn well I'd have informed all of you if I did. I'm not that sort of man to leave you hanging like a dried-up demon fish, am I?"
The man, Louis Wallace, was part of a Weak Core Formation Family, the Wallace Family, originating from Flowing Wind Island, being very close to the Greywood Family
After all, both of their Supreme Elders, who were the only Core Formation cultivators in their respective Family, originated from a Large Outer Island and, after gaining a certain opportunity, broke through to the Core Formation Rank and were each able to acquire a small Mansion on Bright Star Island to set up their Family headquarters.
As their opportunities originated from the same source, they both met and became friends, which even developed into multiple intermarriages between the two families.
Thus, when it came to business, the Greywood and Wallace families were often found working together, which led to this day when Louis Wallace had immediately delayed his departure for Mist Island when he received Mark Greywood's message a few hours prior.
As for the rest of the people present, they were merely from small Foundation Building families depending on the Greywoods and Wallaces, with their average strength barely reaching the Low Foundation Building.
That cultivation level was enough to participate in the current venture, but not enough to have much weight in important decisions, so none objected to the wait.
Hearing Mark's words, Louis Wallace burst into laughter as he replied.
"You're right, Old Wood. I was just messing with you."
With his expression turning more serious, he asked.
"What you told me earlier, about one of your family's top Elders coming with us...?"
With a small smile, Mark answered.
"Elder Greywood is resting in his cabin."
Pausing for a second, he then added, his tone barely above a whisper.
"Actually, the reason he came is that he brought a few Young Lords from my family to experience the World. So, unless we're in a life-and-death situation, I doubt he would act. We'll still have to rely on ourselves for most of the journey."
With a knowing smile, Louis nodded while saying.
"That's completely enough for me! To be honest, with you and me joining forces, I wasn't really worried about any danger we might encounter along the way. But, if we can improve our safety even more, I'm more than fine with it."
On the side, one of the Foundation Building cultivators asked respectfully.
"Head Shopkeeper Greywood, I apologize if it sounds offensive, but may I ask about your Elder's cultivation level?"
Normally, the man would never have asked that sort of question, as it would have been considered being nosy, but the business route they were about to travel through had been anything but peaceful for the last few months, with several convoys mysteriously disappearing without anyone being able to find any trace.
Even the Flowing Wind Island authorities were powerless to find anything, attributing the disappearances to some sort of Secret Realm opening randomly on the route, which could explain why there was no evidence left behind.
Of course, attributing the problem to a Secret Realm was the same as saying they did not know what happened, something often used for unexplainable phenomena to save face for those in power.
Most of the time, the problem would go away on its own, removing the need for anyone to investigate further.
However, although for powerful King-Grade families, Foundation Building cultivators were not worth much, for families with only one or two of them, like those present, losing even one of them would be akin to either half-crippling the family or even destroying them outright.
That was why those people decided to follow the lead of the Wallace and Greywood families, especially since the two were known for being relatively fair in dealing with others.
Understanding the man's concerns, Mark uttered the words 'Peak Foundation Building', which immediately brought a smile to the face of everyone present, while the stone weighing on their mind immediately vanished.
After all, the highest cultivation of those who disappeared was the Fourth Level of the Mid Foundation Building level, so with such a powerful Elder, the convoy should now be completely safe.
Seeing the relief on their faces, Mark suggested.
"Since we're all ready, it's best to leave as soon as possible to avoid any problems cropping up."
Nodding his head, Louis replied.
"You're right, Old Wood. Best go on our way. In any case, once we've reached Mist Island, I'll treat the Elder, the Young Lords and you to a meal to thank you all for your presence."
Although he was not aware of the exact details, as an External Deputy Head Operative himself who was familiar with the Hall's way of doing things, Louis Wallace could easily guess that the so-called Elder Greywood was certainly an Enforcer with cultivation stronger than what he displayed on the surface.
In other words, the chance of him being a Core Formation cultivator was high, which meant that their convoy's safety would be even higher than what others thought.
The realization made him inwardly sigh with relief, as despite his apparent confidence, those strange disappearances had already made him wary, guessing that their origin was anything but simple and certainly not a Secret Realm appearing randomly.
His guess was further confirmed with the arrival of five Enforcers, as every time even one of them was involved, troubles were bound to show up, let alone five of them.
While flying back toward his own boat and instructing the one in charge of piloting it to follow Mist Island's direction, Wallace contemplated, as a grim premonition was beginning to slowly surface in his heart.
"I've got a bad feeling about this... Hopefully, I'm just overthinking."
Meanwhile, on the Greywood's boat, Demian started chatting with Mark Greywood, asking many questions from the products they sold to the marketing used to advertise the shop and even the different logistics routes they used.
Although the scale of the Greywood business was relatively small in the whole Federation, it was still way beyond what those multinational corporations in the Origin Island could ever hope to achieve.
Of course, the two could not really be compared as one currency had real uses for cultivators while the other was just plain paper.
However, that was also why Demian was so interested in knowing more about it, as it gave him a deeper insight into how the cultivation world worked, increasing his knowledge and avoiding the awkward situation that those rich scions often faced when actually doing things by themselves and ending up being scammed out of their money.
That, and it would also help them blend in better, improving their cover when in the field.
At his side, the three Mikhailov women were listening intently to the two men's conversation, with each interjecting rarely when there was something they did not understand.
And so, days passed by relatively peacefully, with the group of four alternating between 'hard' cultivation at night and discreetly contemplating their respective Elemental Intent during the day through observing the Outer Sea movements below the boat's hull.
Aside from chatting with Mark, Demian also exchanged a few words with the other Chi Gathering employees from time to time, giving an approachable, though still dignified, image to the latter.
As for the female Foundation Building cultivator, his three lovely fiancées made sure any attempt at 'deeper interactions' between her and him, beyond a few polite words here and there, was thwarted, with Adeliya often being seen chatting with the woman, and the two sisters joining from time to time.
Even though he found their reaction a bit childish, Demian did not really care too much, instead focusing on the premonition of danger that was growing stronger in his heart as they grew closer to Mist Island.
With a slight frown on his face and his gaze directed toward the horizon, Demian muttered.
"It should be soon."
Seconds went by.
Minutes went by.
Hours went by.
Aside from a few suicidal Tier 1 Demon Fish attacking the boat, nothing really major happened.
After almost a week had come and gone with nothing happening, Demian's heart, instead of relaxing, grew even tenser, as his premonition had not only not disappeared, but instead had grown even stronger.
"Is this the calm before the storm?"
He mumbled while standing at the bow, his blue irises seeming to contain a semblance of Water Law, with the vague shape of two Yin-Yang fish radiating terrifying energy swimming inside the empty grey Void.
After blinking once, the vision disappeared, leaving only two water blue irises, whose depths were hidden behind a mask of simplicity.
"Still waiting, Babe?"
Seraphine appeared at the same time as her voice reached his ears, prompting him to reply without moving his gaze from the front.
"The air is growing more and more oppressive."
Hearing the cryptic words brought a solemn look to the purple-haired elf, who stated.
"We're only a day away from Mist Island, so we may be able to avoid it, right?"
As he was about to shake his head, he suddenly felt the stagnant atmosphere explode, the Heaven and Earth shift, and the Elements still, encasing the boat like a prison.
Turning toward Seraphine with a wry smile on his face, he remarked.
"Seems like we may not, Love."