Star Odyssey

Chapter 2177: The Dealcut Association

The only people with connections to the Yu family were Lord Ba and Xia Zhitong herself. After dealing with Lord Ba, Lu Yin’s next target could only be Xia Zhitong.

The Yu family’s estate had been taken over by Xia Zhitong, and it had become a land of pleasure for her and her lovers. According to the rumors, the mansion had sixty nine quarters, and sixty nine lovers lived in the place. It was even said that all of the people working in the mansion were her lovers, including the guards and gardeners. Apparently, she would entertain herself with whichever handsome men took her fancy at any given moment anywhere in the mansion.

Many people who visited Yu City would walk by the Yu family mansion just to get a glimpse of the famous place. Furthermore, the Yu family’s sign still hung outside the estate, which was also the place’s biggest tourist attraction in the entire city.

The yellow light of the Bifrost was covered by dirt and soil, and the outside sky was also hidden from view, which allowed night to be able to fall upon Yu City.

Outside the Yu estate, Lu Yin observed the guards who stood on either side of the entrance. He had to admit that Xia Zhitong was certainly thorough. Even these guards had clearly been carefully selected, as not only were they much better looking than average, but they also gave off a feeling of comparative danger.

After all, there was not a single true powerhouse anywhere in Yu City.

Lu Yin easily entered the Yu mansion and found Xia Zhitong with a casual glance across the place. The woman was smiling in an opulent dark-red room.

Xia Zhitong was indeed somewhat beautiful, and her voice was her most attractive feature, which was gentle and lovely. She spoke with a natural melody in her voice. There was no way for her to have charmed Young Master Yu without some attractive features.

Laughter echoed from the room without end, and a man’s voice could also be heard.

Tong Yu gave Lu Yin a strange look. "Aren’t you going in?"

Lu Yin frowned. He was still thinking about what the best way to deal with Xia Zhitong was. Killing the woman was not an option, as if he did that, how was he supposed to use her to get into Shenwu's Sky? On top of that, if Lu Yin did kill Xia Zhitong, he would have to abandon his identity as Young Master Yu.

With the restrictions of wanting to use the woman and not being able to kill her, the situation was rather tricky.

"Old man, what do you think I should do?" Lu Yin asked.

Kui Luo hissed, "Stop talking and listen."

Lu Yin blinked, and he gave Kui Luo the same strange look that Tong Yu had just given Lu Yin. "You actually want to listen to something like this?"

"Don’t be ridiculous! Here it comes," Kui Luo snorted.

Again, Xia Zhitong's voice drifted out from the room, "Tell me again, but if you can’t get me into the Dealcut Association, then there’s no reason for you to come back here again."

"Darling, it's not that I don't want you to join. Rather, the restrictions to join the Dealcut Association are too strict and complicated, and you’re also too famous. You don’t have the influence to draw the attention of the top, which means that I’ll be caught if I try to let you just join. Doing so might even draw the attention of the four ruling powers, which would be a big problem." The man was clearly struggling with Xia Zhitong’s request.

Xia Zhitong snorted disdainfully. "You’re thinking too much. I’m nothing more than a pawn of the Xia family. While the Xia family controls Shenwu’s Sky, they aren’t able to unilaterally control everything. For example, your uncle, Zuo Lingzhu, is also part of Shenwu's Sky, but he isn’t a member of my Xia family. I’m just a member of a branch family, so forget having me draw the attention of all of Shenwu’s Sky—not even the Xia family pays any real attention to me.”

"Don't think that I don't know what the rest of the world thinks of me. The Yu family’s reputation might have been ruined, but so has mine. Even the Xia family tries to keep me at a distance, and no one wants to be seen getting close to me, not even my uncle. I don't know what to do anymore to keep myself safe. Eventually, I’ll outlive my usefulness, and when that happens, I’ll suffer a similar fate to the Yu family. The survivors of the Lu family have been killed again and again because of what I’ve done, and people are constantly targeting me. I need to join the Dealcut Association in order to stay alive."

The man sighed. "The Dealcut Association might not be as powerful as you seem to believe. If things are as bad as you’re describing, then the Dealcut Association might not be able to protect you either. The cultivation world is cutthroat, and regardless of the Dealcut Association’s influence, we can’t do anything if a survivor from the Lu family targets you. It wouldn’t make any difference if the Dealcut Association controlled the entire Perennial World, as the survivors from the Lu family are already going against this entire place. They don’t fear the four ruling powers, so how is the Dealcut Association supposed to intimidate them?"

Xia Zhitong responded in a much softer voice, "So there’s no chance of you recommending me to join?"

The man thought for a moment. "Just wait for now. I need to first improve my status, or at least my uncle’s. We can’t be rash, as if we move too quickly, you’ll never be allowed to join."

Outside the room, Lu Yin curiously asked, "What’s the Dealcut Association?"

Kui Luo replied, "I've heard that it’s a group made up of a bunch of minor characters who hope to use their collective influence to form a group capable of making big changes and influence the overall direction of the Perennial World."

Lu Yin was caught off guard. "There’s something like that?"

He had already Possessed quite a few people from the Perennial World, but he had never once picked up any memories related to the existence of this the Dealcut Association.

Kui Luo barked a sharp laugh. "The Perennial World has already been divided up. The Higher Realm has the four ruling powers, and the Middle Realm has the Nong family, Liu family, and a few other powers. No matter what this the Dealcut Association tries to do, it’s impossible for them to compare to any of those established powers. Whenever they reveal themselves too openly, their experts are either taken by the four ruling powers or drafted into Star Alliance. What? Do you think that the only people who resist the authority of the four ruling powers are the people in Star Alliance or the remnants of the powers that supported your Lu family?”

"There are people who’ve been oppressed for a long time, and while they don’t dare to openly resist or fight back, they will secretly form a united resistance."

"Does it work?" Lu Yin was puzzled.

Kui Luo considered the question. "This Dealcut Association only ever had some minor influence since it was first created. I learned about them back then, even. However, they managed to add in some people with a bit of real strength as time passed. While they’re not an actual power, their alliance and united strength is enough to have a bit of influence on a few matters. What I find the most impressive is how often they can influence things related to the rear battlefield and specifically where people get sent. They can basically ensure that the people they want can survive in that place.”

This was impressive. "They can actually pull that off?"

Kui Luo nodded. "From everything that I’ve been able to learn, they really can. Anyone sent to participate in the rear battlefield’s defense is required to fulfill their assigned duties and remain on the battlefield for the required number of years or battles. While the Dealcut Association isn’t able to make any big changes on the battlefield, they’re able to alter how many years or battles someone’s required to participate in before being released from their duty, and it all adds up. They can frequently get their people out of the rear battlefield in half a year to a year sooner than other people.

"For independent cultivators, leaving the rear battlefield early, even if it’s just a day or two, can make a big difference and help them survive."

Lu Yin was well aware that the rear battlefield was too massive, and it was impossible to keep track of everything that happened among the defenders. There was no need to make any big changes to a person’s assigned duty, but enough small changes would add up and significantly boost a person’s chances of survival.

"That’s also just one of the Dealcut Association’s activities, though it’s very effective. On top of that, they recruit people from the entire Perennial World. A person’s individual strength isn’t as important. Rather, they value people who hold important positions that can allow them to help the Dealcut Association accomplish certain tasks. Furthermore, the group will actually train people to be able to join certain fields and get specific roles in different places. After all these years, I honestly can’t say how much influence the Dealcut Association might have now,” Kui Luo said.

Lu Yin was impressed. "You haven’t kept an eye on them?"

Kui Luo rolled his eyes. "While I might have a bit of interest in them, no matter how big they grow, there’s no way for them to ever reach the level of influence necessary for them to get involved in any of the Perennial World’s major events. That’s just their own impossible goal. Even if they manage to snag a Semi-Progenitor or two, as soon as any of the true powers of the Perennial World takes notice of the Dealcut Association, they’ll be wiped out in just a few minutes. On top of that, they might not even have any Semi-Progenitors among their numbers.

"That kid in the room is also right: the Dealcut Association won’t be able to protect anyone whom the remnants of the Lu family’s vassals want to get rid of."

"So why are we eavesdropping on their conversation? You look really worried about something." Lu Yin was a bit confused.

Kui Luo pursed his lips. "Stop with the nonsense and just listen."

Lu Yin shook his head. Kui Luo enjoyed digging up secrets, and that went for any secrets at all. They did not need to belong to people who were important or powerful.

"I already know that the Dealcut Association has one Semi-Progenitor working with them, but I don’t know if there’s any more. Let’s see if I can find out, hehe," Kui Luo muttered to himself with a strange smile.

Inside the room, Xia Zhitong and the man were still talking, though their conversation had slowly shifted to other topics. Instead of discussing the Dealcut Association, they had moved on to matters of business, such as the sales of the Mother Tree’s bark, selecting courtesans, and other matters.

Lu Yin continued to listen for a while, and he soon learned that the man in the room was an inspector for the Merchant Alliance.

Lu Yin had already learned about the Merchant Alliance from when he had Possessed Elder Qing Xing.

As long as trade and an economy existed, there would always be an organization to oversee trade. In the Perennial World, this was the Merchant Alliance.

The Fifth Mainland also had a similar organization, so it was not unexpected for such a group to exist in the Perennial world.

However, the Merchant Alliance was not considered a very important organization, as their only purpose was to generate money for the top powers in the Perennial World.

Everything that was discussed in the red room were minor matters, and Kui Luo realized that he would gain nothing more. "The chance is already gone."

Lu Yin let out a breath. "Then it's time to talk to Xia Zhitong."

There were clothes strewn about the dark red room, and Xia Zhitong lay curled up within the man's embrace. They were speaking gently to each other, but the man’s eyes had a terrifying depth to them.

At this moment, a voice spoke up from outside the door. "Mistress, Yu Hao has returned."

Xia Zhitong immediately sat up. Her snow-white skin filled the eyes of the man laying on the bed in the red room, and he licked his lips. "Yu Hao? Isn’t that Young Master Yu? Isn't he supposed to be dead?"

"He only went missing." Xia Zhitong frowned. "How did he return? Is he alone?"

"Yes, he’s alone, and he looks rather spent," the reply came from outside the door.

Xia Zhitong stood, but the man grabbed her from behind. "Leave him alone, darling. Deal with him after we’re done."

Xia Zhitong pushed the man away, though she gave him a coy smile. "He’s still technically my husband."

"Hmph, he’s just a child! Isn’t it fine to just kill him? Why would he even bother coming back? Doesn’t he realize that he’s already become the biggest joke in the entire Perennial World?" The man sneered. "We’re already on his bed, haha."

Xia Zhitong did not return to bed, but instead put on a bathrobe that was practically see-through. She then exited the room in the scandalous outfit.

Still on the bed, the man cursed and got up, quite put out. He could not see this woman again, let alone help her join the Dealcut Association, as doing so would easily expose the organization. Given Xia Zhitong’s identity, she could never be allowed to join the Dealcut Association.

The man was far more cautious than anyone realized.

However, just as the man was about to leave the room, Tong Yu appeared in front of him.

He was startled; how could there be another woman inside this mansion? On top of that, this woman was stunningly beautiful.

Across the mansion, Lu Yin was sitting quietly, surrounded by fierce-looking guards who were glaring at him with eyes that looked as though they wanted to get rid of him. However, derision and schadenfreude could be seen in the depths of Lu Yin’s eyes at this moment.

Footsteps echoed, and Lu Yin looked towards the door to the room.

Xia Zhitong entered, accompanied by a cloud of perfume. She stared at Lu Yin, though her scanty clothing caused all of the guards who were present to swallow lasciviously.