Reincarnated as both God and The Devil

Chapter 179: Back to Golden Pavilion

A few months have passed since the tournament, and the White Bamboo sect has completely ceased to exist. Each one of their members has been baptized as a citizen of Xingcai city and treated as one of its own.

Sect Master Ma Ling, no-- it was Headmaster Ma now. Headmaster Ma has been charged to be the Headmaster to the newly founded Xingcai Academy for Drifters. As its name suggests, it's an academy that would specialize in teaching drifters. Helping them to adapt to the world as soon as possible.

Sofia was also a part of the Academy, or more specifically, below it. Her request for a laboratory was, of course, approved by Viel. She had the entire underground of the Academy all to herself. It also worked well since Sofia would be needing assistants in the future, and what better place to get them than the Academy.

Several weeks ago, another clueless sect challenged Xingcai city into a duel, the Black Bamboo sect, another secondary branch of the Heaven Bamboo sect. Suffice to say, they had also become a citizen of Xingcai city.

It has only been a few months since its birth, and the city already needed to expand due to its rising population. But sadly, they could not do so, as they were still not recognized by the Empire as a legitimate city.

The drifter children had also already fully adjusted to this world, some even wanting to explore the vast land Choryu had to offer. And due to this, Viel had also brought the concept of the Adventurer's guild to Xingcai city. He asked Sofia to be the guild's master at first, but sadly, she bluntly refused. So he had to settle with Jiff, who had an occupation similar to Adventurers in their world.

Everyone was working together. But in truth, it was far from peaceful.

"Damn it!"

Jin-ri's frustrated shout filled the Lord's office. Sofia's Shadow was currently reporting the situation in the palace, and as soon as he was done, Jin-ri's face instantly twisted.

The Grand Marshal was the one responsible for allowing the kidnappings of the drifter children. It made sense, Princess Jin-ri thought. Who else would be powerful enough to pull the strings for something like this and completely keep her, the Princess, out of the loop?

"Gah!", Jin-ri's screams still filled the room, pushing away some of the documents that were on the desk in frustration. Seeing this, Xing Cai could not help but sigh as she tried to calm Jin-ri down.

Meanwhile, Viel was currently staring at Sofia's Shadow.

"Why do you sound like a girl?", Viel could not help but ask, his eyes squinted beyond belief.

"Because I am a woman, Lord Viel", the shadow said.

"What!?", Viel slightly backed away, almost falling straight to the sofa, "But that's impossible!"

As soon as the shadow heard that, she let out a tiny sigh, "It's a disguise, Lord Viel", she said softly as she pulled the skin on her face. Viel slightly winced at first when he saw this, but when he realized that the shadow's face was only a mask and she did indeed look like a woman without it, he let out a sigh of relief.

"I see whoo!", he hummed as he wiped the imaginary sweat off his face. Viel already had enough with Jiff being a man despite looking like a woman. 

"But there's one thing I do not get...", Viel tilted his head as he furrowed his eyebrows, "You're one of the people who passed the Explorer's test, so how exactly are you Sofia's shadow!?", Viel pointed aggressively towards the Shadow's face.

The shadow slightly chuckled as she wore back her mask, "I was tasked by the King to follow Princess Sofia", the shadow said, "I passed through the portal a day before Lord Viel and Princess Sofia did. I have been watching you since you returned to this world"

"I see", Viel placed his hand on his chin, "So that's why I felt uncomfortable when we arrived here I do have another question though", Viel squinted his eyes.

"What is it, Lord Viel?"

"Why are you not wearing black?"

"Well--"

"Viel, stop bothering the spy!"

Before the shadow could answer, Xing Cai returned with the sulking Jin-ri. Even though Xing Cai and Jin-ri were always fighting and bantering with one another, they still could be considered as best of friends as they have known each other for years. That's why if someone knew how to calm Cha Jin-ri down, it would be Xing Cai. The same thing could not be said vice-versa though.

"Thank you, Nina", Xing Cai slightly bowed towards the shadow, "You can take a rest now"

"Eehh, you guys have names!?", Viel's eyes widened in shock, "I always thought it was just shadow 1 and 2!"

The shadow called Nina once again chuckled from Viel's words.

"It is a name I picked for myself, Lord Viel", she said, "I shall see how the Princess is doing, please do call for me if you need me"

Nina then slowly took a few steps back, the air surrounding her rippling as her body bit by bit disappeared into the air until any traces of her were gone.

"I still feel disgusted whenever I see that", Viel suddenly commented out of nowhere, "So she really is one of the King's shadow"

Finally completely calmed down, Jin-ri sat on the sofa and let out a deep breath to further compose herself. "The Grand Marshal is close to my father", she muttered, "Is it possible that my father is involved in this as well?"

Jin-ri could not let out another sigh as the thought came to her mind. If her father was involved, then this just turned into something out of her league. Even the Grand Marshal by himself was already more than she could handle.

"Wait..."

"Hm?"

As Jin-ri was lost in her thoughts, Xing Cai's whispers reached her ears.

"Isn't the Grand Marshal, Yinfei?", Xing Cai said as she placed her hand on her chin.

"...Yes?", Jin-ri tilted her head.

"Yinfei is the Matriarch's younger brother!", Xing Cai said, her tone slightly containing a hint of excitement.

"Golden Pavilion's Matriarch?", Jin-ri could not help but squint her eyes, "I knew that"

"Maybe we can ask Matriarch Yinji for help"

"She's alive!?", Jin-ri instantly jumped from her seat. Of course. Of course, she would be alive. If Viel was here, then there was a high chance that the Golden Pavilion matriarch also survived and came back from the Dungeon.

Hearing Yinji's name come up, Viel's ears quickly perked up as he slightly moved closer towards the conversation.

"But will she even see us?", Jin-ri let out a long sigh. Even her father, Emperor Cha, would have to announce himself in advance if he wants to visit the Golden Pavilion Matriarch. And even then, there would be a chance that Matriarch Yinji would not see him. They had a bit of history.

"This", Xing Cai also took a deep breath. It has also been decades since she last saw her Matriarch. She was always in secluded cultivation, and whenever she did come out, it would be to scold her and the rest of the Elders for making too much noise.

"I I can ask her"

While the two were lost in their thoughts, Viel raised his hand.

"Hm?"

"I can ask her", Viel stuttered, "She told me that if I wanted a favor, I could go to her at anytime"

"What!?"

Both Xing Cai and Jin-ri could not help but widen their eyes as soon as they heard Viel's words. A favor from the Golden Pavilion Matriarch!? That would be considered a Heaven-level artifact in and of itself.

"Can you really ask her!?", Jin-ri quickly grabbed Viel's shoulders, her gigantic bosom swaying almost as if it was as excited as herself.

Viel nodded, slightly looking to the side with a hint of red on his face.

***

"Elder Xing Cai, it really is you!"

Outside the outer gates of the Golden Pavilion, the happiness on Sect Master Li Xue's face could not be contained. When he heard that there was someone named Elder Xing Cai wanting to pass through their gates, he quickly attended to it himself.

"It has been a long time, sect master", Xing Cai respectfully bowed towards Li Xue, "Sorry I only visited you now"

"What's up, Drunk Li", Viel waved his hand.

"Ah, young master Viel is with you", Li Xue slightly bowed towards Viel.

Drunk Li? Young master? Xing Cai could not help but raise her eyebrows. Just what exactly happened in the dungeon for them to be this familiar with each other?

"What suddenly brings you here?", Li Xue said as he gestured for Viel and Xing Cai to enter.

"We came to talk to the Matriarch"

Hearing Xing Cai's words, Li Xue could only let out a sigh, "I am afraid the Matriarch has not left her secluded cultivation ever since we returned...", Li Xue then looked at Viel, "But since young master Viel is with you, she might be willing to come out"

Again, Xing Cai could not help but furrow her eyebrows. Just what exactly happened between Viel and her sect?

They were guided by Li Xue deep into the underground of the Golden Pavilion tower. It was dark, with only the minute flame of the candles to light the way. The three walked until they reached a black door, completely contrasting from the golden walls that plastered the halls.

Xing Cai could not help but feel nostalgic. It has been a very long time since she last saw this door.

"The Matriarch is inside", Li Xue whispered softly, afraid of interrupting their Matriarch, "If you're lucky, then she might talk--"

"Boy, is that you?"

Before sect master Li Xue could even finish his words, the edges of the black door rumbled, causing the golden clouds of dust to shower across the hall.

"...", both Xing Cai and sect master Li Xue could not help but look at each other with their eyebrows furrowed.

And slowly, steam appeared from the edges of the slightly opened door.

Is the Matriarch actually going out just like that!?