59 Strengthening Ties.

As Wang Lei Gu finished her speech, the few clouds in the sky cleared, and the light of sun shined on her,The people roared until their throats got sore.

Zhi Rui looked at all that and smiled "Great! let's get you settled then."

Zhi Rui looked behind the crowd. "Izaya!"

Izaya released Izumy. He sighed and jumped in front of Zhi Rui.

He bowed "How can I help, miss?"

"Fin some classes to settle their quarters, then you can give them a tour."

"No need!"Lei Gu loudly intervened. "We'll sleep wherever. We will not getin the way of thestudents." She spoke with a wide smile.

Zhi Rui laughed, "Truly so! Izaya, Just give them a tour around the center then. they'll be sleeping on the inn while the dormitories are built."

"Yes, miss" Izaya spoke nonchalantly. He turned to Wang Lei Gu and the others, "Please come this way." He walked and Wang Lei gu followed with a smile. When she passed by Zhi Rui she whispered "In the end, my brother's plan came to be. And I'll be the one leading this thing soon. Except, this time the one backing me, is the light sect."

"Well, an old man will pay well for a young ass like yours." Zhi Rui whispered with a gentle smile.

Lei Gu's face hardened, she never thoughtZhi Rui would be this vulgar. But then the picture of sect leader eating her with his eyes passed her mind. Peeved she walked away.

Zhi Rui Saw as some people followed Izaya and the disciples. she smiled gently and went to Izumy. the girl had tearstains on her face. Zhi Rui held her hands firmly, "Don't cry I know it's a happy occasion, but you shouldn't mess your eyes like that." Zhi Rui smiled again and went away.

Izumy was in a daze ' What am I doing? it started, the minimum I can do is fight back!' She held in her sorrow and smiled at Azula, her guard, and leader of the slaves. "Good things happen to good people right?"

Azula, look at the girl barely holding her tears, She smiled lazily.and put a hand on her stomach, they were close, so she could feelZhi Rui's feelings while wang Lei Gu gave her speech. It wasn't rage or fear. The only way to describe it is with malice. She looked at the direction where Lei Gu went.

"Yes Young Izumy, good people are rewarded." She smiled sardonically.

Zhi Rui entered an isolated classroom, She went down an entrance to the underground. She walked for a good while on the tunnels, until she encountered Hilda andShizu.They were seated around a small table.

Zhi Rui went beside them and spoke what just happened.

Shizu sighed, "It'll be a while before I can go out again right?"

Zhu Rui did not answer. Hilda at the side spoke. "What about the brothel business, and the plan to take over the drug market? if they are aiming t you those places will be the next target."

Zhi Rui shook her head. "The sect Leader is doing this out of spite because I diminished his authority.this move of him can be justified as a way to improve the sects image with no loss. but to take out the General's son's brothel. there's no justification for that. and the drug market? he can not even think of that. it's too lucrative for the nobles. he would be pissing a lot of people off."

"So Hilda, you just need to do things more covertly. And it'll be alright."

Hilda nodded.

Zhi Rui started pondering in a daze 'This is it for now, But I Need to advance the plans.' She looked at the seated Shizu

"Shizu I have a task for you."

Shizu narrowed her eyes "I don't remember taking you as my master."

Zhi Rui smiled "Truth, you might have died, but with a disguise, you can easily live freely. You could walk awayright now, and it the only people to recognize you would be the city guards. to be more truthful, you're a level three cultivator the only person as strong as you here is Izaya, and he wouldn't fight you to death even if I order it. He loves his daughter too much for the risk.

Shizu frowned.

"But," Zhi Rui said. "If you work with me, then we might be able to live freely."

"And How will you do that?" Shizu asked "Every single power in this empire is against you. Your father the general wants to put you in place, the emperor, is obliged to help the light sect to steal your reputation of the hero

With what guarantee you promise me freedom?"

Zhi Rui stared at Shizu, she grinned"I could speak about how I triumphed over prince Robert or how I nurtured a power of my own from nothing. But you're right what I have here is too small to content with them. and I have no chance of fighting back." Zhi Rui spread her hand in surrender.

"I'm a dead woman, it's better for you to leave," Zhi Rui said and showed Shizu the entrance of the tunnel.

Shizu frowned she expected convincing and promises, but not understanding. She got up from her seat. but she did not walk, she stared at Zhi Rui's eyes.

'It doesn't matter who did the math,against the leading powers of the country, the results would always be the loss of Zhi Rui. Shizu thought.

But she did not move, instead, she asked Zhi Rui

"What can you offer me to stay?"

"Now? nothing." Zhi Rui spoke curtly.

Shizu hesitantly took a step forward, but she stopped. She thought about Zhi Rui's subordinates. she again turned t Zhi Rui "You prostituted your slaves, you knew Hilda would betray, but you did nothing. Then you overworked and branded her a slave, then made Izaya's daughter develop a love for this place. Forcing Izaya to stay. And Zhun Xuying, you managed to seduce the highly talented woman. And thus keeping her loyalty. But after all that, they are happy. They all know what you did. Some even know, how +you did. But none of them hate you, in fact, they adore you. Even the Slaves being prostituted are secretly praising you in their hearts. "Why?" Shizu asked.

"I keep questioning myself, but I can't see the reason," Shizu concluded.

Zhi Rui opened her eyes wide. "I showed them a taste of what they never had. I showed them another reality, and they longed for it. some of them are as simple as riches and others as fantastic as true love, peace, and tranquility. There are even ones who simply enjoy pleasure. "

Zhi Rui then sat down. But instead of talking about it, Why don't I show you?" Zhi Rui smiled.

If you leave here right now, what awaits you are a boring life of jumping from branch to stick. So why not do this, go into the forest with twenty slaves, train them into elites. With them you'll help my brother, Zheng Li gain merits against the barbarians, then you'll build a mercenary force there. if you still want to live by then, you can just walk away. It won't be too late.

Shizu looked at Zhi Rui. 'It's just like she said, there nothing compelling me, I can get up and leave whenever I wish, like now. At least here I may find something that actually attracts me. like Hilda and the others.' Shizu stood still for a while then she turned back and sat down at the table.

"Fine, I'll do it."She said.

Zhi Rui smiled.

Hilda sighed. 'She thinks the one to make the decision is herself, but like me, she will only be able to see the leash when it's too late.