C21 Make Things Big!

"Alarmist nonsense!"

Lih Feng let out a cold laugh as a pungent scent of blood wafted from the gleaming tip of his short silver spear. "A few hunters and commoners have disappeared. How could that possibly threaten Darkmoon City?"

The other guards exchanged uneasy glances.

Accidents were common across the many cities and villages of the Profound Sky Continent.

The loss of a few mortals here and there wouldn't shake the foundations of any city.

Lih Feng suspected it was the work of cultivators practicing dark arts, passing through Darkmoon City to sacrifice common folk in their rituals or to forge Spiritual Spells.

These practitioners were shadows, appearing and disappearing without leaving a trace, careful not to linger and attract attention.

Did they really think they could run amok in Darkmoon City without consequence? As if Yuan Lianyao and the four major families were pushovers, or the Silvermoon Empire lacked defenders?

"If you return to the city and encounter the City Lord, please convey a message—I wish to meet with her," Yu Yuan requested.

"And who are you to demand an audience with the City Lord?" Lih Feng replied disdainfully. "Kid, you'd best keep your head down while you're in Elfview!"

The fierce dispute that had erupted in the Yu family's hall not long ago was hushed up by Yu Cann's orders.

As a result, neither Huang Chen of the Huang family nor Lih Feng were aware that Yuan Lianyao herself had offered Yu Yuan an open invitation to the City Lord's Mansion.

"Starting from this village, we'll search for any suspicious individuals within a ten-mile radius. Pay extra attention to all strangers," Lih Feng commanded, his brow furrowed as he gave Ning Ji a probing look. "Mr. Ning, I've heard about you and your banners capable of summoning souls."

"They were destroyed by Yinn Jue," Ning Ji replied with a hint of bitterness.

Lih Feng nodded. "I hope you're not contemplating reforging those banners to engage in any foolhardy acts."

"Feel free to investigate," Ning Ji responded, opening his hands in a gesture of transparency.

"It was merely a comment. I trust you're not the type to do such things," Lih Feng said, gesturing for the guards to spread out and begin their search. He added, "Moreover, for someone of Mr. Ning's cultivation level, making an entire village vanish without a trace in such a short time would be quite the feat."

Ning Ji spoke with equanimity, "I can't do it."

"I suspected as much," Lih Feng replied, bowing with a fist to his chest. "Lately, the outskirts of Darkmoon City have been unsettled. Please, both of you, be cautious. I would advise returning to the city by tomorrow morning to prevent any unforeseen incidents."

He was the final one to depart, following the guards.

Bathed in the scarlet moonlight, the desolate village seemed shrouded in a thin veil of blood, instilling an ominous feeling in Ning Ji, who had come with Yu Yuan. "Young Master Yu, what do you know? And should we heed Lih Feng's advice to return to Darkmoon City tomorrow morning?"

"The danger is currently outside the city, but soon, it will spread within," Yu Yuan said, gazing into the night sky, his brow furrowed. "Ah, it's all so complex. The smartest course of action would be to gather our family members and distance ourselves from Darkmoon City to avoid getting caught in this turmoil."

Ning Ji was taken aback, "Is the situation truly that grave?"

"It is," Yu Yuan exhaled heavily. "My words carry little weight; I fear that even if I spoke up, not all my kin would take heed. And even if they did, asking them to uproot and hastily abandon Darkmoon City is hardly feasible. However..."

"However, what?" Ning Ji pressed, urgency in his voice.

"However, if we don't leave promptly, we risk perishing alongside Darkmoon City," Yu Yuan said, shaking his head, his heart torn with indecision. "Elder Ning, stay with me. We need to scrutinize the city from all four cardinal directions. I must confirm whether my suspicions are indeed correct."

"Agreed!"

...

A night without rest.

With Ning Ji by his side, Yu Yuan devoted much of the day to surveying the perimeter of Darkmoon City.

"What's that over there?"

On the afternoon of the following day, under a brooding sky, Yu Yuan pointed towards a small hill.

"That's Jewelry Mount. It's the mine overseen by the Huang family, your Yu family's archrivals," Ning Ji clarified. "Huang Bin's father, Huang Chen, is likely there now. The intelligence I've gathered suggests that Huang Bin is the one aiming to take you down in the Pulse Opening Stage duel."

"Jewelry Mount," Yu Yuan murmured, squatting down to casually gather a handful of stones and arrange them on the ground. "Considering the formation, the focal point—the eye—appears to be precisely at Jewelry Mount!"

A realization slowly took shape in his mind, and he asked, "Jewelry Mount, have there been any recent collapses?"

"Collapses are a common occurrence," Ning Ji replied, taken aback. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"If the Huang family is tasked with guarding Jewelry Mount..." Yu Yuan's gaze grew icy. "Then they must be the collaborators within the city, acting as the enemy's eyes and ears."

"Who is it that's targeting Darkmoon City? And to what extent do they plan to go?" Ning Ji wondered aloud.

"I'll fill you in later," Yu Yuan said, inhaling deeply. "I think I've got a pretty good idea. We need to head back to the city now. I must see Yuan Lianyao in person! If my suspicions are correct, the interior of Jewelry Mount is likely a scene of carnage by now."

"The cave-ins are merely a precaution to contain the scent of blood and prevent any unforeseen incidents."

...

Deep within Jewelry Mount lay a network of caverns.

Long, winding stone paths crisscrossed each other, their ends securely sealed with rubble.

Now, those same paths were strewn with bodies.

Delicate as hair, numerous bloodlines threaded through the corpses, siphoning the fresh blood and following the lines' flow.

The bloodlines, aglow with a crimson radiance, resembled the intricate patterns of a formation, as complex and mystical as the body's meridians.

Thousands of these glowing bloodlines, each carrying a fine thread of blood, converged into a vast, luminous cavern at the mountain's core.

Within this cavern, millions of thumb-thick bloodlines wove together to form an immense blood net.

Suspended high above, the blood net nearly enveloped the entire space!

Each intersection of the bloodlines radiated a dazzling glow, casting the cavern in a bright light that turned everything within it a deep shade of red.

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

A shadow, made of blood, darted relentlessly through the expansive net.

With each pass through an intersection, the vibrant glow of the bloodlines would abruptly snuff out, as if a drop of blood's essence had been consumed.

The blood shadow grew increasingly formidable.

...

At the entrance to the City Lord's Mansion.

Yu Yuan was greeted by none other than Lih Feng, who had just returned from beyond the city's borders.

"The City Lord is in deep meditation and won't emerge before the tri-realm tournament," Lih Feng said with a steely tone. "You're not the only one—since my return, I haven't been granted an audience either."

"Brother Li, could you please relay a message? Tell her that Yu Yuan has urgent news for her." Desperate to meet with Yuan Lianyao, Yu Yuan emphasized the gravity of the situation, even resorting to calling Lih Feng 'big brother'.

Lih Feng raised an eyebrow, his demeanor softening slightly. "Young Master Yu, I hold no ill will towards you. But the City Lord isn't someone who can be summoned at a whim. Were she not in seclusion, your current approach might have swayed me to send word. As it stands, it's truly impossible."

"Truly impossible?" Yu Yuan sought confirmation once more.

Lih Feng shook his head firmly. "It's not happening."

"Elder Ning, it's time to escalate this. Make a scene," Yu Yuan instructed as he stepped back. "Don't worry, there won't be any repercussions. Someone will step in to resolve the fallout."

"Is that really wise?" Ning Ji asked, his face a portrait of dismay.

"It's fine."

Lih Feng glared at them incredulously, as if they were madmen. "Have you lost your minds? This is the City Lord's Mansion of Darkmoon City. Elder Ning, like me, you're only at the Yellow Court Stage. You plan to strike at me here, in front of the City Lord's Mansion? Are you certain about this?"

By now, a crowd from Darkmoon City had started to gather, drawn by the commotion.

Rubbing his temples, Ning Ji turned to Yu Yuan. "Perhaps we should return to the Yu family and consult your grandfather?"

"Even if Elder Yu himself came, it would make no difference!" Lih Feng retorted, his anger flaring. "The City Lord has decreed no disturbances before the tri-realm tournament. That means absolutely no one, including the Yu family patriarch!"

"The more chaos, the better. Someone will have to intervene!" Yu Yuan barked, losing patience. "Elder Ning, if you trust my judgment, act with conviction!"

"Alright!"

With a grimace, Ning Ji steeled himself and launched an attack on the guard captain, Lih Feng, right outside the City Lord's Mansion.

It was under Yu Yuan's influence and incitement that this occurred.

This act was tantamount to provoking the Yuan family and the whole of Darkmoon City!

...