Chapter 2848: Cooperation?
Patriarch You and his daughter led Lu Yin to a location in the Ziyou Realm that Lu Yin had never seen before. It appeared to be a mechanical research facility.
"Lord Lu, our You family began with the Bestowal Art, which our ancestor created in this very location. After many years of research, he succeeded in developing the Bestowal Art.”
"Of the various guests to visit our home, only the most distinguished are ever brought to this place." You Fang offered an introduction of the place to Lu Yin, looking very sincere as he spoke.
Lu Yin looked around. The place looked perfectly ordinary, though there were traces of extreme age. The You family’s ancestor’s abilities were truly impressive. After all, the Bestowal Art had laid the foundation for the Transcendent Universe’s current status.
You Lele stared at Lu Yin's back and then glanced over at You Fang.
You Fang was doing his best to act as though this visit was Lu Yin’s first time visiting the You family. As for cooperation, he had no thought of such a thing at all.
Lu Yin looked around. The place was not big, and he quickly saw everything. "Patriarch You."
You Fang immediately replied, "Yes?"
Lu Yin gave the man a strange look. "The last time we spoke, you mentioned future cooperation between us. What sort of cooperation were you thinking of?"
You Fang's heart skipped a beat, but he forced out a smile. "Lord Lu, you must be joking. How could my You family cooperate with you? Out of everyone in the Transcendent Universe, only Lord Wei could possibly cooperate with you."
Lu Yin stared at You Fang. "What are you worried about?"
You Fang's expression did not change, though he bowed low. "My You family was ignorant and offended Lord Lu in the past. Please forgive us, Lord Lu. From now on, the You family will be sure to never disturb Lord Lu in the slightest again. Please forgive us for all that occurred in the past and forget it.”
Lu Yin laughed. "How could I forget all that? I remember speaking to you after your attempt to rebel against Lord Wei failed and your You family’s status plummeted. You mentioned to me then that there were certain things that your family was incapable of doing in the past, but are now within your means. I don’t quite understand your meaning, so I wanted to address that matter in greater detail.”
As he spoke, Lu Yin casually sat down in a worn-out chair.
You Fang felt trapped, and he looked over at You Lele.
The girl spoke up in a respectful tone, "Lord Lu, please let my You family go."
You Fang quietly echoed his daughter. "Lord Lu, I beg you to let my You family go."
Lu Yin shook his head. "The You family is one of the greatest families of the Transcendent Universe, and I represent the Origin Universe. How could I let you go? Besides, the You family has never offended me."
He arched a brow as he looked at You Fang. "Besides, your You family still has Soveriegn Dou Sheng’s token, which should be enough to protect you."
You Fang stopped talking.
You Lele pursed her lips. "Lord Lu, you’ve made this visit to our home in a very open and public manner, and yet you want to speak of cooperation? Don't you find this a bit ridiculous?"
You Fang snapped, "Lele, don't be absurd!"
You Lele stubbornly stared at Lu Yin. "My You family rebelled against Lord Wei, but we were defeated. Everyone knows what the You family wants, and it is impossible to hide that from anyone. Lord Wei also knows this. But despite this, Lord Lu still wishes to speak of cooperation? It’s possible that our conversation right now is being monitored by the ruler of our universe. Lord Lu, are you not possibly worried about inciting an internal conflict within the Sixverse Association?"
"Lele, enough!" You Fang pulled You Lele back and quickly bowed to Lu Yin. "My daughter has been rude. Please forgive her, Lord Lu. Please forgive her."
Lu Yin rubbed his head. "The more open and forthright you behave, the less likely Lord Wei will suspect anything.
"Lord Wei cannot spy on me, rest assured of that."
You Fang's face turned pale. "My daughter’s words have offended Lord Lu, but she has truly spoken the thoughts of my You family. Since our rebellion failed, my You family no longer pursues such thoughts. If Lord Lu wishes to cooperate, you will need to seek out others. Forgive my You family for being unable to provide you with the help that you desire."
The two had been so frightened by Lu Yin that it greatly simplified their conversation going forward. In fact, they were practically done. "Alright, since you don't want to cooperate with me, then just forget it."
You Fang and You Lele both let out simultaneous sighs of relief.
It was not that they did not want to work with Lu Yin, but rather that they did not dare to do such a thing.
"However," Lu Yin paused as he looked up at the two. "I want to know about Lord Wei."
You Fang was taken aback. "What do you wish to know about Lord Wei?"
Lu Yin leaned forward as he stared at You Fang. "Are you unable to fulfill even this request?"
You Fang grew increasingly puzzled, "What do you wish to know about Lord Wei, Lord Lu?"
"Everything."
Despite his confusion, You Fang still replied, "Concerning Lord Wei, I can only tell Lord Lu what my You family knows. If this is not what you are seeking, then I ask Lord Lu not to embarrass us. You should clearly understand the relationship between my You family and Lord Wei. There are certain details that my You family could not possibly know.”
Lu Yin gestured for the man to proceed.
You Fang thought for a moment before starting to talk.
The You family had a deep understanding of Lord Wei, and Lu Yin wanted to learn everything that they knew of the ruler of the Transcendent Universe, as well as all of their speculations.
Lu Yin listened quietly, carefully paying attention to everything said about Lord Wei.
In the past, he had regarded Lord Wei as an imaginary enemy, though one who would be slain by Sovereign Shao Yin. Lu Yin had believed Lord Wei to be equal to the Three Sovereigns. A powerhouse, but not one of the most powerful cultivators in the Sixverse Association.
However, Lord Wei had helped Lu Yin on several different occasions at the Tea Ceremony, and he had even saved him, subverting all of Lu Yin’s expectations.
It was best to carefully investigate whether the man was an enemy or a friend.
It was possible that Lord Wei had hidden his true intentions deeply and was scheming some greater plot.
Some people would willingly abandon their principle, as long as it allowed them to achieve their goals.
A long time later, Lu Yin finally left the Ziyou Realm.
He had learned a great deal about Lord Wei, though it was all through You Fang’s rather subjective perspective. Even so, it had become clear that Lord Wei was, well, not a good person.
Lord Wei was very similar to an average cultivator, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve his goals.
The man was incredibly cunning, ambitious, and ruthless.
It was hard for Lu Yin to align that image with the person who had helped him during the Tea Ceremony.
In the Ziyou Realm, You Fang and You Lele both heaved sighs of relief once Lu Yin was gone.
"Father, Xuan Qi—no, Lu Yin, is so unscrupulous. He openly and publicly came to visit us and seek our cooperation, not worrying about Lord Wei at all," You Lele said fearfully.
You Fang bitterly answered, "That’s precisely why I don't want to cooperate with him. If two sides of an alliance do not possess equal strength, then even the benefits that might be gained are disregarded, we simply won’t be able to wield any control over what he does while we work with him.
"His vision, strength, and goals are all on a different level from ours.
"When he was acting as Xuan Qi, he toyed with the entire Sixverse Association, plotting against both our universe and the Three Monarchs Universe. At this moment, I wonder if he might be plotting against the entire Sixverse Association."
You Lele did not need to be convinced. "Cooperating with such a person risks being completely wiped out with the slightest bit of carelessness."
She then suddenly changed the subject. "However, if things succeed, our You family wouldn’t be limited to a single universe."
This sentence caused You Fang to hesitate, but he quickly suppressed the impulse and sternly replied, "People need to be self-aware. There are matters that are far beyond our control. Even if we do succeed while working with him, it will simply mean that our You family will answer to a different master in the future. I want us to rule a universe, not be a slave of the Heavens Sect.”
You Lele stuck out her tongue. "I understand."
Elsewhere in the Transcendent Universe, Lu Yin had no idea how to find Lord Wei, so he could only go see Bai Qian for the time being.
He met her at the same staircase that he had visited many times before, but this time, Lu Yin's arrival had a completely different result.
In the past, he had always stood at the foot of the stairs, but this time, Bai Qian was standing there along with him as she waited for Lord Wei's reply.
Zuo Gong respectfully stood to the side. At this moment, he was fully aware of just how powerful the youth that he had once called Xuan Qi truly was. It was no wonder why he had been able to support Bai Qian and had been so capable.
Already, the young man was capable of dominating the entire Sixverse Association.
"Lord Lu, I heard that you went to visit the You family. Is that right?" Bai Qian asked, giving Lu Yin a curious look.
He clasped his hands behind his back. "I’ve interacted with them on several occasions, so it is only expected for me to seek them out while visiting the Transcendent Universe."
"You just visited them? Lord Lu, you must understand that the You family has a special status in the Transcendent Universe."
"Are you referring to how they rebelled against Lord Wei?"
Bai Qian did not answer, which could be considered an answer in and of itself.
Lu Yin burst out laughing. "I remember that I was also involved in that matter. I was the one who accused He Ran of being a spy, which gave the You family the opportunity to target He Ran and force Lord Wei out. Miss Bai, are you saying that you blame me for what happened?"
Bai Qian put on a small smile. "I wouldn’t dare. It’s simply odd that Lord Lu’s identity of Xuan Qi was ‘forced’ to claim that He Ran was a spy by the You family. Now that we know that Xuan Qi was you, Lord Lu, how could the You family have forced you to do anything given your strength?"
Zuo Gong looked up. He understood that the two people before him had an extraordinary relationship. At this moment, Bai Qian was really asking the question on Lord Wei’s behalf. If the ruler of the Transcendent Universe personally asked this question, Lord Lu might not be willing to give a satisfactory answer.
Lu Yin calmly replied, "I could not risk compromising Xuan Qi's identity. The You family didn’t know that Xuan Qi was actually me, but they did know that I killed Shao Qingfeng. As soon as they reported that matter to Sovereign Shao Yin, my identity as Xuan Qi would have been in trouble."
Sovereign Shao Yin had publicly betrayed the Sixverse Association and was regarded as the worst traitor in the history of humanity. Everyone in the Extreme Yin Realm had been captured and imprisoned, so even if Shao Qingfeng were still alive, things would not have gone well for him. This was why Lu Yin was not worried about revealing certain details.
Bai Qian was surprised. "Lord Lu, you killed Shao Qingfeng?"
Lu Yin smile., "Miss Bai, do you want to avenge Shao Qingfeng? I heard that he cared for you."
Bai Qian averted her gaze. "Lord Lu is overthinking things."
The two stopped talking and quietly waited.
Some time later, Bai Qian's expression changed, and she looked over at Lu Yin again. "I'm sorry, Lord Lu, but Lord Wei has gone into seclusion. It’s not convenient for him to see visitors."
Lu Yin frowned. "Did he just go into seclusion?"
"I don't know about that," Bai Qian replied.
Lu Yin nodded. "In that case, I'll take my leave."
"Goodby, Lord Lu." Bai Qian bowed, as did Zuo Gong.
Both of them had a much lower status than Lu Yin. In fact, there were only a handful of people in the entire Sixverse Association who were qualified to speak to Lu Yin as an equal.
Despite the fact that Lu Yin was not even a Progenitor, he had fought against Sovereign Shao Yin during the Tea Ceremony, and he had held out for an extended period of time. This was proof that his strength surpassed his cultivation.
On top of that, there was a true expert behind Lu Yin, and that person even dared to scold the Great Sovereign. That matter had already become widely known, and with another famous powerhouse Lu Tianyi, Lu Yin could be said to be representing a large force within the Sixverse Association.
Lu Yin left Bai Qian’s place and then stared off into the distance. What were Lord Wei’s intentions?
If he had been in seclusion for any bit of time, Bai Qian would not have been forced to wait for an answer. Thus, Lu Yin had been made to wait as a demonstration that Lord Wei was able to meet with him, but he had instead chosen to ignore Lu Yin and go into seclusion.
What was the man thinking? Was he a friend or a foe?
Lu Yin's eyes flickered, and he suddenly remembered something; it had been quite a long time since he had last used his die’s Possession.
At his current level of strength, it was quite possible that he could Possess a Progenitor-level powerhouse with his die.
Aside from sequence powerhouses, Lu Yin should be capable of Possessing just about any of the peak powerhouses in the Origin Universe and the Sixverse Association. If he could Possess those people, he would obtain overwhelming power over those peak powerhouse. The thought caused Lu Yin’s breathing to quicken.
The question was, if Lu Yin fought against a Progenitor-level opponent that he had Possessed, how could they fight back if he moved close enough to seize control of their body during combat?