Chapter 196 - The Shadow Clan

The two men shook their heads vigorously before staring in a certain direction. Their feet seemed to have a mind of their own as they stood up and ran in the next second. Big Hei and Xunshi Zhe curiously turned their heads in that direction and almost died of fright.

The subject of their conversation was standing right behind them and his face didn't look so good. Looking into those frosty eyes they also had the urge to run. Their feet subconsciously began to move but Rui Fei wasn't exactly done with them.

With a sly smile on his face, he said, "I bet Yao-ge would love to hear about your conversation."

Big Hei, "....."

Xunshi Zhe, "..."

They might as well pick out their coffins because they were dead men.

In the captain's cabin, Ji Yao who was trying to understand a Niuq ecology lesson suddenly heard two hoarse screams outside the cabin window. Through the crystal glass window, he saw two blurry figures falling into the sea with a loud splash.

With his brow raised he shrugged it off and turned back to Huishe Yue. Huishe Yue, who wasn't as nonchalant as Ji Yao asked, "That?"

"Never mind them. It's an everyday thing. If one day goes by and a person is not thrown overboard then it is considered unlucky. You can carry on," replied Ji Yao reassuring him but the man wasn't reassured at all.

He tilted his body slightly to the side so as to get a clear view of the crystal glass window before glancing back at Ji Yao. "Okaaaay..... now where was I?" he said straightening his body.

"The shadow clan," replied Ji Yao reminding Huishe Yue about where they were in the conversation.

This shadow clan Huishe Yue mentioned was nothing like the other clans in Niuq including the Hundun. The shadow clan was and is a myth among the citizens of Niuq. Why a myth, it was because few had seen them.

They were described as nightmarish creatures with ugly true forms. Some said it was like a scorpion and a spider copulated and produced this monstrosity. Others said it looked like an abomination of nature with sharp fangs and numerous pairs of eyes.

But in truth, there was no right or wrong answer because this creature presented itself in other people's appearances thus a shapeshifter. Why did people refer to it as a creature, not a person?

It was because it was like a beast with no empathy towards other Nocru. A better way to describe it would be a cannibal driven by its natural instincts hence a creature.

This clan was also only a clan in name because the Yinying didn't stay together as a group. They were scattered across Niuq living in dark caves and only came out for either of two things. To find a mate or seek out prey.

The only disadvantage was that they could only mate after ten years which meant their population was incredibly small when compared to other clans. This was why they were referred to as a myth because ninety-five per cent of the Nocru population would live an entire life span without seeing one.

This was the only clan Huishe Yue could think of that could shapeshift and also eat intelligent life forms. Dealing with a Yinying creature wasn't impossible but dealing with one that possessed a keystone was going to be problematic.

It probably got caught up when the two worlds merged and somehow got hold of a keystone. To lure in greedy merchants and sailors it presented its new layer as a place filled with heaven defying treasures that could last for generations.

This is how this place earned its name because for so many years sailors who believed in this treasure would venture there only to be met with a mishap. Only a few people went there these days but now Ji Yao was proposing to go there. He couldn't force anyone to go with him as he had personally experienced the might of that keystone and almost lost himself to his delusions.

"Does it have any weaknesses," asked Ji Yao with a look of seriousness.

Huishe Yue scratched his head as he answered honestly, "Maybe it had before but I guess with that keystone it will make us see what it wants us to see.

Ji Yao sighed with his gaze on a rocky part of the map of the sea. His father had crossed out this place on the map with red ink. That is because Ji Wen knew to stay away from this place. Feeling rather depressed, Ji Yao decided to call the entire concord to discuss this matter.

They wanted their king back but the cost was simply too high. They had not only encountered a psycho Nocru under the imperial palace but another psycho Nocru with an indestructible pet.

Now they were being asked to venture at a place with death in its name. A place where some of their kind perished because of their inherent greedy nature. If this wasn't a death sentence then what else could?

As expected, the moment Ji Yao mentioned this matter the entire concord was in an uproar. Everyone had deepest desires and these three weren't an exception. If they went there there was a high probability that they won't come out alive. How was one supposed to fight the things they desired most?

Ji Yao almost got a headache from all this arguing. If only they were saying they weren't going to go that would be fine. But they were also stopping him from going. If Ji Wen found out they allowed him to go to such a dangerous place then that would be the end of them.

"Then I will consider it. If you can think of any other way to bring my father back that doesn't involve these keystones then I will stop searching, cast these keystones in the sea and give up. But if you can't then.....," said Ji Yao feeling exhausted.

He knew his mother wouldn't hurt his father but... his father was his only family. This was the longest they had been apart and he couldn't help but be anxious.. He couldn't give up just like that. Why didn't she just come back to the island with them and live as a happy family instead of abducting his father? Wasn't he family too?