312 Great Migration

[POV: Jue Bu]

"This is insanity, and you know it." Jue Bu threw his arms up as if trying to hold back the madness swirling around him. The grand palace, once the stately home of Lei Jia, now looked more like a decadent brothel.

At the center of it all was Yuen Fu, sprawled comfortably across a cushioned couch, his robes half-loosened, a stupid grin plastered across his face. Around him were no less than half a dozen women, all beautiful and clearly competing for his attention.

"When did you have so many hot wives!?" Jue Bu's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

Yuen Fu scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly even as one of the women plucked a grape from a bowl and pressed it gently against his lips. "It's… a long story…"

The wives fawned over him shamelessly. One gently massaged his shoulders, whispering, "Husband, don't tire yourself too much. You must save your strength." Another dabbed a silk cloth along his forehead, cooing, "Your brilliance is unmatched, husband. Let me ease your burdens." Two more bickered loudly over who should be named main wife, each claiming the right by seniority or greater devotion. The air reeked of perfume, jealousy, and shameless flattery.

Jue Bu watched the display with wide, twitching eyes. "He's lost his mind," he muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the hall, Lu Gao sat cross-legged, unmoved by the chaos. His eyes were closed, his aura dark and suffocating, strands of black qi curling around his body like chains. The air shimmered faintly with the resonance of Hell Soul, as if he were speaking with someone beyond mortal perception.

Jue Bu pointed at Yuen Fu desperately. "Hey, Gao… Tell Fu here to stop with this shit before he drowns in his own nonsense!"

As expected, silence. Lu Gao did not stir, did not even crack an eyelid.

"Wonderful," Jue Bu groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "Not even getting any respect these days…"

In his frustration, he turned to Ye Yong. She sat primly at a lacquered desk, ink brush in hand, her delicate brow furrowed as she sifted through a mountain of scrolls and documents. Her calm, focused demeanor was a stark contrast to the circus in the middle of the room.

"How is it going?" Jue Bu asked, slumping beside her.

Ye Yong didn't glance up, her brush scratching steadily across parchment. "Just checking what resources are available to us. There might be a way to remove the dome above us… but so far, it's speculation. I need to be thorough."

Jue Bu leaned closer, his grin returning in full force. "Speculation, huh? Well, if you need a break, I'd be happy to give you a massage… or maybe feed you grapes too. You'd look good pampered, you know."

The brush trembled in her hand. A faint pink dusted her cheeks as she ducked her head, trying and failing to keep her composure. "S-stop it… I have work to do…"

Jue Bu chuckled lowly, shameless as ever, watching her blush deepen while she fumbled with the scrolls, her cool mask utterly ruined.

A Night Blade nearby faked a cough, clearly uncomfortable at the sight of Ye Yong's flushed face. The sound snapped her back to her senses. She pushed away from Jue Bu, her hands trembling slightly as she spat out in defiance, "No, no… I am loyal only to the Great Guard, and you are not him! You might have the same face, but you are not him! I am the Captain of the Night Blades, and you shall not tempt me, demon!"

Jue Bu stared at her, his shoulders slumping as he let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "I am not even a demon…" His eyes flicked to the nervous Night Blade who stood at attention, trying and failing to look like she wasn't eavesdropping. Jue Bu shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Why does no one listen to me anymore…"

He straightened and asked louder, his voice filled with genuine impatience, "I must ask, how long do we have to stay here? It's been four years already…"

Across the room, Lu Gao's eyes snapped open, faint embers of hellish qi flickering within. His voice was low but firm as he replied, "Don't be impatient. That's a short time for us cultivators."

Jue Bu scoffed, folding his arms. "So what? Are we going to stay here forever, ruling over Northshire in Lei Jia's place? I'll admit, the transition of power was smoother than I thought possible. The citizens hated Lei Jia and her corrupt officials, and it helped that we wiped out every demon and rogue force that prowled these lands. Even better, our rebellion was already whispered about before we struck her down. The people welcomed us as heroes." His tone darkened, his lip curling. "But you ought to know by now… these people mean nothing to us."

Yuen Fu shifted uncomfortably on his couch as his wives, who had once been fussing over him like adoring birds, suddenly exchanged glances.

"Husband, you won't leave us, do you?"

"I am sure, a young hero like you wouldn't so heartlessly leave us."

"We are willing to serve you, Lord Yuen, with all our mind and body."

"Please, don't leave us…"

Yuen Fu flinched under their scrutiny, opening his mouth to protest, but before he could utter a word, Jue Bu's glare fell upon them. The room chilled instantly. One by one, the women lowered their heads, biting their tongues, their guilty eyes vanishing beneath his suffocating aura.

Satisfied, Jue Bu turned back to the group, his voice rising. "My point is… staying here is pointless! Lei Jia was an ally of the Heavenly Temple, and that makes these lands their territory. What do you think will happen when the Heavenly Temple learns their supplier of demons is dead? Will we be able to resist them then? No. We should be focusing everything on breaking the dome that traps us in this cursed country and leaving. These people, their lives, their worship… none of it matters!"

Lu Gao's eyes burned with a strange light, and for a moment, Jue Bu swore he could see the shadow of another standing behind him, the faint silhouette of Lu Gao's master through the link of the Hell Soul. Lu Gao spoke with gravity, his words heavy with conviction. "I understand your concerns, but I am thinking of staying. My master told me they've been analyzing the dome that traps the Empire. They are far from unraveling the array entirely, but they've learned enough to apply it here. With what they've discovered, we can break the dome that cages this kingdom."

Jue Bu leaned forward, his expression twisting with both hope and frustration. "Then what are you waiting for!?"

"I intend to infiltrate them," said Lu Gao plainly as he revealed. "With the Hell Soul, I will wear the guise of a demon. They do not know what Lei Jia looked like, nor the precise nature of her rites, if the records we recovered are accurate."

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"And you are certain this would work?" asked Jue Bu.

"I've lived Lei Jia's life, so I know.

"What about the people of Northshire?" asked Yuen Fu. "Brother Lu, you do know the three of us have bounties on our heads, don't you?"

Lu Gao answered without hesitation as he provided. "New Willow has sent vessels to collect refugees. It will be a logistical burden with many trips, requires careful timing, and demands strict secrecy but with the Night Blades and your lead, Yuen Fu, carrying out the movement, I believe we can manage the evacuation."

Jue Bu spat at the notion of this insanity. "That's a tall order," he said, folding his arms. "Even a large vessel can only take so many people at once. How do you plan to keep the Temple's agents from arriving while we shuttle citizens away?"

Lu Gao did not flinch; he had already considered the countermeasures. "The floating vessels have warp arrays. If we clear Northshire before the Temple sends its enforcers, the land will appear empty when their agents come to inspect. That illusion of abandonment will buy us the time to move everyone beyond the Temple's reach."

Yuen Fu's voice held a trace of doubt and a weak attempt to appear practical. "But isn't it too dangerous for you? To impersonate a demon within the Heavenly Temple… won't their seers recognize a stranger?"

"Master approved my plan. The Hell Soul can cloak my face and spirit well enough to pass under inspection for a season. The Temple will notice the drop in demon shipments. When they do, they will send an agent here to investigate. We must be gone by then. If the city is emptied and the wards rearranged to look intact, their agent will find nothing but a quiet province, and our people will be safe beyond their path."

Thus began the Great Migration.

Northshire was a small country, home to just over seventy thousand souls. Compared to the sprawling City-State of New Willow, it was but a fragment of a province, yet still far too large for their small party to manage without strain. The remnants of Northshire's military were shattered beyond repair, demoralized, weaponless, and scattered. To keep order, they had no choice but to recruit volunteers from the peasantry, training them in discipline enough to move as a body and protect their own.

The citizens were gathered northeast of the territory, where the fields were broad enough to house them in camps. They were fed, clothed, and promised safe passage. Fear and hunger made them docile, and they followed the commands of their new rulers with little resistance. Though once subjects of Lei Jia, her cruelty had left no loyalty behind.

Ye Yong became the lifeblood of their movement, pouring herself into lists, tallies, and schedules. She managed food stores, apportioned rations, and broke down the movement of tens of thousands into steps that even mortal men could follow. Yuen Fu, meanwhile, began something altogether different: a small school. Children and youths came first, learning the foundation of cultivation, and more importantly, the practices of fasting. If they could endure hunger and make their bodies more efficient, their food stores would stretch further.

Jue Bu found himself restless. He offered advice where he could and hunted wild beasts from the nearby forests, dragging their corpses back to share among the mortals. Yet in his heart, he despised what they were doing.

'This is not why I came here,' he thought bitterly, watching lines of people march with their bundles. 'We could be delving into the secrets of the Hollowed World. After False Earth, I know there are more answers waiting… answers on how to slay a Supreme Being. And yet…' He clenched his fist, gazing toward Lu Gao. 'And yet I cannot leave him. Not Gao. Not to this fate.'

When at last the first of New Willow's flying vessels arrived, they came with force and majesty. The air split with the crack of breaking arrays as the ships pried open Northshire's barriers with ease. Hundreds of flying vessels filled the skies, their silver bellies and painted hulls blotting out the sun. Among them was a giant humanoid vessel painted black and gray, its metal etched with runes and its weight pressing upon the land below like the shadow of a god. Spiritual pressure rolled off it, immense and suffocating, nearly that of an Ascended Soul.

The citizens trembled and gawked, whispering prayers.

Lu Gao leapt into the sky, his Hell Soul bursting forth in dark wings that cut across the horizon. Jue Bu followed behind, their figures dwarfed by the immense vessel that slowly descended.

With a hiss and groan, the strange machine opened its maw. From its depths stepped a woman with hair black as ink, eyes sharp and knowing. Her presence was calm yet carried the weight of storm clouds as Da Wei's mark upon her spirit was unmistakable.

Gu Jie, disciple of the Unholy Taint, descended with effortless grace.

"Brother Gao," she greeted, her lips curving into a faint smile, "it's nice to see you healthy."

Lu Gao's gaze softened as he inclined his head, voice steady and respectful. "The same goes to you, Sister Jie."

"I've come to escort over a hundred medium-sized soaring vessels," she said. "We are still in the process of building more, but for now, this is the limit of our capacity. We can only manufacture so much in such a short span of time. I hope I have not made you wait too long. For the past five years, New Willow has been pouring every resource we have into constructing an aerial fleet, but progress has been slower than we had hoped. With this migration, however, things may change. The addition of Northshire's population will bring more hands, more minds, and hopefully, more engineers to strengthen our ranks."

Lu Gao nodded at her words. "I believe the people of Northshire will be grateful for the chance to assimilate within New Willow. But I must advise caution. Among seventy thousand souls, we cannot dismiss the possibility of spies. The journey itself will be brutal for mortals unused to the sky, and it would be disastrous if treachery were to occur mid-flight. I entrust you to look after them, even from afar."

Gu Jie dipped her head but did not soften her tone. "Apologies, Brother Gao, but I cannot stay. My duties in New Willow are greater still, and I cannot linger when the balance of our city demands my presence. I trust the Night Blades, Brother Yuen Fu, and Master Jue Bu will safeguard the migration until the very last soul is delivered. As for me, I must return at once."

Jue Bu bristled at her words, arms crossed. He had half a mind to retort, but Gu Jie's composure silenced him before he could speak.

With no further words, Gu Jie turned and stepped back into the heart of the towering machine. Its metal maw sealed shut with a thunderous groan, and the runes carved along its hull flared alive with light. Then, with a terrifying roar, the vessel twisted space itself, vanishing in a blur of warped brilliance.

The sheer speed of it sent a shockwave through the air, rattling the nearby vessels and shaking the clouds. The smaller soaring ships above them adjusted formation effortlessly, as though this display of power was nothing new.

"You intend to stay here in Northshire to confront the Heavenly Temple," Jue Bu said, his tone sharp. "Tell me, how do you even plan to spy on them?"

Lu Gao's expression did not waver. "I will think of something."

The answer made Jue Bu groan. He turned his gaze downward, watching the small dots of people moving like ants far below. "You're reckless. Without the Hell Soul, you are merely at the Seventh Realm, Bloodline Refinement—"

"I am almost at the Eighth Realm," Lu Gao corrected him smoothly. "Refining my bloodline with the Hell Soul makes cultivation easier, but it also carries the risk of… changing me. Of turning me into a demon. It is a delicate balance."

Jue Bu scoffed. "It doesn't make a shit of a difference. Seventh Realm, Eighth Realm, who cares? You'll still be behind enemy lines, with no allies, and no escape plan worth trusting."

Lu Gao's lips curved slightly, though the humor didn't reach his eyes. "My master does have an escape plan for me."

That earned him another heavy sigh from Jue Bu. His voice dropped, softer than usual, though laced with frustration. "You're impossible. Why do you always take the hardest path? You think you're carrying the world on your back, but you're just walking into the wolf's maw."

"I appreciate you worrying for me," Lu Gao said calmly. "But I can handle it. For all your flaws, Jue Bu, you are an… okay guy. And more importantly, my master approves of you."

Jue Bu spat to the side, hiding his discomfort with a sneer. "Pah~! Your death wish, not mine!"

The two hovered in silence for a moment, the cries of the militia faint on the wind. Then Lu Gao's expression grew more serious. "There is something else. A request. My master asked this of me, and I will ask it of you."

Jue Bu raised a brow, waiting.

"After this migration is complete," Lu Gao said, "go to the Great Desert. Seek the Promised Dunes. Offer them your aid."

Jue Bu blinked, his bravado faltering. "…The Promised Dunes? Why in the hells would I—"

"They are allies, Jue Bu. The Promised Dunes walk a treacherous path, but they are part of our greater cause. Da Wei wishes for them to be safe."

Jue Bu blinked, then scowled. "Safe? With my face showing up, with my bounty hanging over half the Hollowed World? You're sending me to them so they can be dragged into the fire with me."

Lu Gao's eyes narrowed. "Do not twist this. The Dunes have their own strength, their own secrets. My master trusts them. That is reason enough."

For a long moment, Jue Bu was quiet, then his expression shifted. His lips curled into a crooked grin, eyes glinting with something wicked. "Heh… alright. I get it. I got it handled."

The creepy smile he wore made Lu Gao arch a brow, but Jue Bu only laughed under his breath. "Tell your precious master one thing for me…" He jabbed a thumb against his chest with mock pride. "After this, your master had better be compensating me. Big time."

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