When the Devil Ancestor returned to his mansion, he found James missing. After learning he was training with Diana, he darted back to forging.

I will not appear before that woman. She is one of the few residents of the Hudson Estate that never gives me any face as a Devil Ancestor! I can not have the prestige and mystery that I have put forth to James shattered by her.

James will find me when he learns to create Soulflame qi. Patience is a virtue of a Devil Ancestor. I must keep my air of mystery to the younger generation. Only then can they respect and admire me as a venerable Devil Ancestor!

~~~

Why did the Devil Ancestor not look for me? I escaped from his clutches weeks ago. I'd rather be learning blacksmithing than getting beat by a woman. Whatever, it's time I go check out my snazzy new property. This young noble is free!

I had worked hard the past few weeks, escalating my amount of Devil qi and breaking into mid-Esquire Knight. My body was brimming with Devil qi, and my vision had improved. It was time for me to build my young noble foundation.

I found my way to the property. From the outside it looked dirty, rough, and gloomy. Bricks and soft wooden tree trunks make up most of the building's outer structure.

It is impossible to see through the darkened windows, so I could not see what laid inside. As I entered through the heavy, wooden door, dirt, and dust welcomed me. This place was vacant for some time.

It was as gloomy inside as it was on the outside. Rounded, stone beams support the upper floor and large, molten candles attached to them. It covers the walls with photographs of what were better times for this tavern. They're now more of a painful reminder of what it had degenerated to.

They had abandoned the tavern. From my father's words. It used to be infamous for something, but I can't remember what it was. From the dirt and unhygienic circumstances, it was probably food poisoning.

This dilapidated tavern in the slums of Hudson City is mine. It will be my base of operations. I need to find a few loyal followers to have this back to working order.

I need to hire expert help to get this place to turn a profit. Fel shards are important for a budding young noble. Races in the Abyss used fel shards as currency. Like devils, they could use fel shards for their cultivation.

Devils are not the only race in the Xertzul Abyss. We, however, rule the other races. There were denizens of various races scattered around the slums. These loyal citizens shall soon give up their fel shards to me!

To get this tavern running well, I need someone to manage this establishment. As a young noble, I can not sit at a tavern all day taking orders. Manual labor is below this young noble.

Right as I pondered on how I would find some excellent help, I saw the farmer Kyle outside. Kyle looked like he was having a rough day, struggling with a wheelbarrow or something. He was the perfect lackey to recruit!

"Kyle, you remember that I said I might have a job for you?"

"Yes, young noble. How may I assist you?"

"Do you know anything about running a tavern?"

"I could manage a tavern for you young noble!"

"Good, you're only at the low-Esquire level but that will do for now. We will need a wonderful product to drive in clients."

"We will call this place, 'The Young Noble Lounge'. It must become the most fabulous place in all of Hudson City!"

"I have just the thing, young noble! I am a felweed farmer by trade. My Duranta Abies strain here would be the perfect product to serve in the tavern."

"I just had a distributor deny purchasing my latest crop. So there's plenty of it to fill the taverns' stores."

"Let me try some first. This young noble can't put his name behind an inferior product."

Kyle produced a pipe filled with his strain of fel weed. Dwellers of the Abyss loved felweed. It would help us relax and stabilize our cultivation.

We could even gain new insights into Daos while enjoying the high. It was a common pass time for low-level cultivators to group and smoke felweed.

I felt this strain looked good. It had wide, kidney-shaped leaves that were light orange with many stinging hairs like a nettle.

"This is a Tier-1 strain it should give you a nice relaxing high filled with insights of the Daos you've studied."

I sat down with Kyle partaking in the fel weed, as I gleaned inspiration into my Dao. For the first time in a while I felt relaxed. I had been so worked up lately dealing with the aftermath of the ceremony.

"The Fel Awakening ceremony has affected my psyche. I wanted to be a paragon of the clan. Worshipped and beloved by the people."

"The clan, however, considered me trash. I still can barely see around myself. This is not the calm life I want to live as a young noble."

"Young noble, enjoy the high. It will ease your worries."

"Thank you, Kyle."

After a while the felweed took effect. It lifted my burdens. My mind swam around embracing many thoughts. I thought about the practice of the [Flint & Timber Art] and the Fire Dao. I had yet to step into the Fire Dao after practicing this Art every day.

I understood now that stepping into a Dao was an arduous process. Commoners have it rough. This was why the ceremony is so important. I had worked almost two months on a technique that dealt with Soul and Fire but had not entered the Fire Dao.

'Burning.. Conflagration.. Ignition.. Extinguishing… Fire…'

I felt a sudden inspiration!

I brought a bit of Devil qi into my hand and stared at it. I slowly attempted to change the Devil qi into Fire qi with my inspiration on Fire. A match sized flame formed in my hand.

I had done it! I had unlocked my second Dao, the Fire Dao. I can now create and use Fire qi. With this Dao I can officially become a Tier-1 Blacksmith!

This felweed was amazing. My clients will pay a premium to enjoy this here. I could also have a counter where they could buy it to go.

"Marvellous stuff Kyle, this young noble fully supports you with this product. Do you have an interest in becoming my contracted follower?"

"You would handle my production of fel weed and manage this tavern. As this young noble's first follower, your prospects are boundless!"

The devil was in the details. Devils love contracts. Whenever a devil's interest peaked the first thing they would think about was a contract.

Contracted followers have obligations to the devil they follow. They have things provided to them in return such as a salary, a place to live, cultivation resources, and cultivation techniques. A group of contracted followers formed an organization.

[Mountain Shadow] was the organization of the Devil Ancestor. It had several divisions and composed of members of various races.

[Mountain Shadow] was the most powerful organization affiliated with the Hudson Clan and handled disciplinary affairs. The Devil Ancestor's followers were stronger than his offspring.

Kyle didn't have any backing in the Abyss. If someone backed him, no one would deny his crops. He was a simple dark elf trying to make an honest living in the Abyss.

"I would be glad to serve young noble!"

"This is the best decision of your life! I will work out the contract after thinking it over for a bit. This place is in your hands for the next few months."

"I hope to see a prosperous bar when I return. Don't let this young noble down!"

I gave Kyle enough fel shards to get the tavern fixed up and bought his felweed crop. I didn't know how to write a devil contract, but I couldn't tell my first follower that!

Kyle will have to wait to be an official follower. I don't think Kyle is foolish enough to swindle a member of the Hudson clan in Hudson City.

I need to head back to Devil Ancestor now, I've solved the problem of setting up my tavern. I will have a healthy stream of fel shards coming to me now.

I hope Kyle does a superb job. I believe in his product and with my seal, no one will bully him in Hudson City.