Chapter 0191

 

“How unusual to see you here seventh brother,” a lackadaisical woman with black hair and dark blue eyes said an eerily cheery man with light blond hair and opaque eyes only very powerful Soul Liner has.

It was hard to believe the lazy indolent woman sipping tea in the cheap inn was Dilien Amerton is the heiress of the Amerton Conglomerate, one of the biggest merchant groups in the Cardinal Realm.

Dilien Amerton is called the Amerton heiress but that is merely a facade she created for the outside world to see. Her father, Bennett Amerton, is the current leader of the Amerton Conglomerate but all the power rested in her hand. It was she who expanded the Amerton Conglomerate from a tiny store in the Mysterious Wasteland to the mega powerhouse it is today. Bennett Amerton was smart enough to leave the running of the company to his brilliant daughter and be content with what he received from her hard work.

Dilien Amerton’s half siblings on her father’s side took various posts within the company and remain content with their lot, the ones that were alive anyways. She can be kind to her relatives as long as they know their place and never challenge her authority. To them, she is the unspoken leader of the Amerton Conglomerate.

To her siblings on her mother’s side of the family, she is Dilien Amerton, a languid, laid back, little lioness who was indulged by her older half siblings to the point where she becomes too lazy to do anything.

Her siblings on her mother's side of the family didn’t need nor want her extensive resources. Aside from the few inquiries for information, they never asked her for anything.

As for Arlan Ben Tivock, the blond hair teen she addressed as seventh brother, him appearing in a mid-sized city in the Central Domain was nothing unusual. Soul Liners traveled from one domain to another to meddle with karma to their favor.

Now his eerily cheery expression was a different story. Dilien Amerton rarely sees her overly somber seventh brother please with anything that he couldn’t control his smile.

“Our youngest sister called. How can I refuse?” It was an answer but there was more to it than Arlan Ben Tivock was willing to say. Dilien Amerton left it at that. She doesn’t care to pry into the affairs of a wily Soul Liner with strong karma bonds.

“Say no. It is as simple as that.”

“I don’t see you refusing her request.”

“I don’t have the leeway you do seventh brother. Mother has control over my inheritance rights to the Amerton Conglomerate. She wouldn’t hesitate for a second if she caught wind of my refusal.” Dilien Amerton didn’t hesitate to place the blame for her overly doting behavior on her mother’s feet.

“You say that as if you can’t refuse her.” Arlan Ben Tivock snorted at 8th sister blatant lie. It isn’t to say that Dilien Amerton couldn’t handle her mother, Llyana Arosis, interference in the Amerton Conglomerate. Dilien Amerton simply didn’t want to.

She loves to dote on her younger siblings because they didn’t want anything from her. Dilien Amerton can be herself in front of her half siblings on her mother’s side.

“I have my reasons for being here. What about you? I know for a fact you can and did refuse a few of Fenix’s request and mother did nothing to you.”

Arlan Ben Tivock smiled mysteriously. “One search far and wide fruitlessly only to have it fall in one’s lap.”

“Ugh, Soul Liner rhetoric.” Dilien Amerton might grumble over her 7th brother’s evasive answer but she knew he meant well.

Unlike the young Aria Se Jivock, where fear and wariness was accorded her because of her power and her power alone, Arlan Ben Tivock was feared because of his wisdom and connections in addition to his power.

The older the Soul Liner is, the more time they have to manipulate the karma of the people around them, the more connections they have to call upon.

Most cultivators would be wary of the Soul Liners except the number of Soul Liner who can affect the karma of a cultivator can be counted with one hand.

Arlan Ben Tivock is one of the Soul Liner who can directly change the karma of a cultivator and he is old, over two thousand years old. He had plenty of time to lay his foundation and build his connections with cultivators all around the Cardinal Realm.

Dilien Amerton remembered the many mistakes Arlan Ben Tivock had made it past when he was learning how to control his power. Luckily, no one important died during the time he was learning how to gain control of his power although she didn’t speak to him for a long time when she thought one of her siblings on her father’s side died due to his manipulation. The sibling came back hale and hearty so Dilien Amerton had to accept that sometimes the end justifies the means.

“My, my, the little baby must be involved in deep sh*t to call the two of you here.” The sweet demure voice came from a black haired woman wearing a light blue robe. The newcomer has a pair of clear bright eyes dancing with mischief, white porcelain complexion no makeup can achieve and soft gentle aura that invokes a man protective instinct. If she didn’t open her mouth, she would have been the perfect woman all men dreamed about.

However, once she opens her mouth, course language spews out like a raging volcano belying her gentle, sweet image.

“We didn’t ask you to come, 10th sister.” Dilien Amerton grouched.

While Dilien Amerton dotes on her younger siblings and adores her older siblings, she has trouble with her 10th sister, Xue Lian Hua.

It isn’t her foul mouth that offends Dilien Amerton. In her line of business, a few foul words are nothing. It’s Xue Lian Hua insane personality that gives Dilien Amerton and the rest of their family trouble.

Xue Lian Hua was born as a pair of dragon and phoenix twins. She has fire and darkness heavenly spirit veins. Fire and darkness are elements somewhat at odds with each other in nature but both elements can and do exist together.

The younger twin brother, Xue Yan has water and light heavenly spirit veins. Again, nothing interesting to note.

Separately, the twins are decent people. Xue Lian Hua is a kind and gentle girl. She is the considerate girl everyone loves to hate yet can’t because she is too damn nice. It is hard to find fault with Xue Lian Hua. She is almost perfect.

Xue Yang is the happy go lucky cultivator everyone envies. He comes from a wealthy background, has a good master, is friendly to everyone and seems to have connections everywhere. He is almost perfect.

Separately, the twins can be considered perfect. Together, well, each twin brings out the worst in each other. Xue Lian Hua becomes a coarse and vulgar female and Xue Yang becomes the smiling black bellied bastard everyone keeps a wary eye out for.

Because Xue Lian Hua and Xue Yang are twins, they have a unique bond which allows them to increase the cultivation at an alarming rate when they are near each other, however, when they are near each other, their elements repel each other.

Fire clashes with water and darkness clashes with light.

The personality shift can not be blamed on their spirit veins. Unlike mages where their affinities affect their personality, spirit veins determine the elements a cultivator can use. It has been proven over and over that spirit veins do not affect the personality of the cultivator.

As to why the twins act as they do when they are near each other, no one knows, not even the twins themselves.

As such, the twins give a major headache to their doting siblings when they are near each other.

“You might not have asked us to come here but our beloved baby did.” A jovial voice answered Dilien Amerton.

“And I have to question her logic. What was she thinking of asking both of you to come here?”

“She didn’t,” the jovial man happily replied, “She asked 5th brother to come but he was too busy so he sent us in his stead.”

Dilien Amerton and Arlan Ben Tivock both shuddered when Xue Yang mentioned their 5th brother.

“Please speak no more.” Arlan Ben Tivock begged his younger brother. “I do not want to hear about his fur and feather fetishes nor do I want to hear about the shenanigans he and his motormouth friend are up to.”

“It isn’t bad. They created a cult and a cultivation method to go with it. I heard his followers increase their cultivation quite drastically every time they recite the mnemonics. All hail Lord Fif-”

Xue Lian Hua slapped her soft white hands over Xue Yang’s mouth. “I’ve heard enough of that already. Do you want me to lock you up with Mouth? The bastard would talk your brains out. I’ve already handled the aftermath of that once with you. I don’t want to experience it for myself, thank you very much.”

Xue Yang nodded his head and Xue Lian Hua removed her hand.

“Good. I’d rip you a new asshole if I had to listen to Mouth, then I’d change you into a bird with beautiful feathers and present you to 5th brother. I’m sure he’d appreciate all my efforts.”

Xue Yang paled at his twin’s threat. He stared at his twin with tear glistened eyes, a pitiful expression on his face making him look like a young lady who was harassed by a pervert.

“Sister, you wouldn’t.” Xue Yang’s voice was filled with misery and sadness at his twin’s betrayal. A soft sob can be heard towards the end of the sentences.

“Oh man the hell up, you wimp.” Xue Lian Hua was used to her brother’s theatrics. “Acting like a woman who was kidnapped and raped before her wedding day by the bandit king! What kind of cultivator are you? Hell, for that matter, what kind of man are you? Pathetic.”

“But sister,” Xue Yang wailed like a woman whose husband had died, “You should listen to your threats. They are truly horrendous.”

“Aren’t you a powerful cultivator? A little threat like this should be nothing to you.” Xue Lian Hua jeered at her weakling of a brother.

“I hate to interrupt this interesting play you two are enacting, but I have to side with 11th brother this time. Your threat could make a grown man cry.” Arlan Ben Tivock jumped in to defend Xue Yang. In the normal course of things, Arlan Ben Tivock would have sit on the sidelines and enjoy the show the squabbling twins put on but he had to side with his 11th brother in this case. Their 5th brother should not be mentioned, even in jest.

“Hmph, male solidarity. Your male chauvinism -”

“Actually 10th sister, even I have to side with them in this case.” Dilien Amerton interrupts the rant she knew was coming. “Your threat was out of line.”

“What it really now?” Xue Lian Hua asked rhetorically.

“Fifth brother, hole, hole, feather. What do you think?” Dilien Amerton snapped back.

Xue Lian Hua took a moment to think about it and shivered. She was out of line. She went to her knees, hugged her twin’s thighs and started crying. “Dearest beloved brother, do forgive this momentary lapse in judgment. I was out of line. 8th sister is right. Some things should not be mentioned in the same sentence with 5th brother.”

“Oh beloved twin,” Xue Yang elegantly pulled his twin to her feet before gently holding her hand to comfort her, “Your momentary lapse in judgment is understandable. I forgive you.”

“Thank you, brother.” Xue Lian Hua said in a sweet voice filled with repentance.

“Oh, no beloved twin. Think nothing of it. We both are under a lot of pressure to become an immortal. I, for one, understand how you feel.”

“Indeed, I am under a lot of pressure. Master has been nagging me to undergo the lightning tribulation even though I’m not ready for it.” Xue Lian Hua tearfully wept her anguish against her brother’s embrace.

“Indeed we do many things we regret under pressure. I, myself, have done so.”

“Oh brother, thank you for understanding.”

“Think nothing of it. I ask for your understanding when I make mistakes.”

“Of course I’d give it to you, brother.”

“Oh thank you, beloved sister, for your understanding. Please be careful around Mouth as I accidentally told him about your weakness against earth type attacks. He’s has already prepared an array to hold you for the lecture he’s going to deliver to you about covering your weakness.”

Xue Lian Hua pushed her brother aside, “YOu did what?”

A few of the spectators ran as Xue Lian Hua yelled at the last sentence. Demons from the depths of hell sound better than her.

“Ah, there they are.” Fenix grabbed Tempest by the arm and pulled her towards her siblings. She took one look at the raging Xue Lian Hua, the tearfully crying Xue Yang, the amused Arlan Ben Tivock and the resigned Dilien Amerton and pushed Tempest into the middle of the fray before running out of the inn faster than the speed of light.

Poor Tempest was left to handle the mess Fenix inadvertently created.

 

I'm sorry!!!!  The holidays got a hold of me.  Between a Thanksgiving dinner and stupid black Friday shopping which I did the stupid thing (prioritize looks over comfort an went shopping in high heels.  High heels!  Predictably, I hurt my foot).  Then there was cyber Monday and return items on Tuesday because a better deal was found.  I had to take the rest of the week to recover.