Leeds City was tall and sturdy, its city wall built from grayish white granite, adorned with scarlet banners embroidered with golden tiger emblems.
Zhao Yun stood in the queue to enter the city and noticed that the tiger head relief on the chest of the guards' iron armor bore some resemblance to the standardized armor of Jingzhou City.
"Next!"
The guard with the full beard shouted, tapping the iron-banded wooden table.
Zhao Yun presented the pass Duoli had drawn with tree sap. The guard leaned in to smell it, noted the fresh herbal scent, and then looked at Zhao Yun.
"Ranger?"
The hawk-eye insignia on the iron bracer flashed faintly; it was an imprint for detection magic, but the dragon mark on Zhao Yun's left arm remained unresponsive.
Entering the city, the streets crisscrossed like a chessboard. Three-story stone buildings jutted out with carved wooden eaves, giving an ancient and elegant feel. The clanging from the blacksmith shop and the aroma of wheat beer permeated the air.
At the bulletin board in the crossroads, Zhao Yun watched a clerk update the prices with a quill, gaining an initial understanding of the world's cost of living.
"Freshly baked rock sheep pies!" The woman, wrapped in a linen headscarf, lifted the wicker basket, and steam mixed with cumin fragrance rushed out, making one's mouth water.
Zhao Yun touched his coin pouch, recalling the Gale Wolf he hunted at the edge of the Mist Cloud Forest that morning.
After asking passersby for directions, Zhao Yun arrived at a shop with a cloth banner reading "Magic Core Purchase."
Lifting the beast hide door curtain, a one-eyed old man was wiping a skull-shaped wine cup. The Gale Wolf magic cores displayed in the wooden cabinet were priced at eight silver coins, their quality far inferior to his own azure one.
"How much is this worth?"
Zhao Yun placed the magic core on the velvet cushion.
The old man's one eye widened; his voice was excited and greedy.
"A complete third-tier wind-element magic core!"
"One, no, two gold coins!"
He then lowered his voice, glancing around cautiously.
"But you must sign a magic contract guaranteeing the source is legitimate."
Zhao Yun noticed the Church emblem in the corner of the contract parchment, and his alarm bells rang loudly.
He knew the influence and methods of the Church in this world and was unwilling to provoke them easily, so he snatched the magic core and turned to leave.
"Wait! Three gold coins!"
The one-eyed old man leaned half his body over the counter, his face anxious.
"Plus two Healing Potions!"
Zhao Yun finally walked out of the shop clutching three gold coins. He remembered what the old man had said: "Want to inquire about intelligence? Go to the Mercenary Guild; the news there is the most well-informed."
He decided to try his luck at the Mercenary Guild but sensed someone watching him from the shadows. He deliberately turned into a dark alley, and sure enough, the sound of a grappling hook slicing through the air came from behind.
"Bang!"
Zhao Yun spun around, grasping the incoming grappling hook, sending internal energy vibrating down the chain. The beast-eared thief hiding on the rooftop screamed as he fell, his stolen goods scattering across the ground, among which was actually a silver cross belonging to the Church.
"Why attack me?"
Zhao Yun pressed the thief's throat with his sword scabbard, his gaze sharp. Only then did he realize the attacker was a half-breed Orc with a leopard tail. The thief's amber pupils narrowed into thin slits, filled with fear and unwillingness.
The hairs on the back of Zhao Yun's neck stood up; the shadow on the wall to his left was distorting!
The second grappling hook struck, and Zhao Yun used the Dragon Movement technique to flash behind the thief. The attacker's scimitar grazed his companion's shoulder, splashing fresh blood onto the glowing moss, igniting a faint blue flame—utterly bizarre.
"Scum from the Thieves' Guild!"
A basin of ice water was suddenly dumped from the second floor of the inn, extinguishing the flame. The freckled female attendant poked her head out and shouted sternly, "If you want to fight, go outside the city!"
When Zhao Yun dragged the two unconscious thieves out of the alley, the patrolling armored guards happened to pass by. The guards were unfazed, took the thieves, and even gave Zhao Yun two silver coins as a reward—an unexpected windfall.
After dealing with the thieves, Zhao Yun headed to the Mercenary Guild. The area in front of the Guild was bustling with people coming and going, with figures of various races constantly entering and exiting.
The tall bronze main doors were carved with complex magic runes. The two stone statues beside the door depicted a human warrior clad in heavy armor and wielding a greatsword, and an elven archer with a longbow, her posture agile, gazing firmly into the distance.
As Zhao Yun stepped into the Guild, the clamor rushed into his ears. Some were loudly recounting adventure tales, while others gathered around the mission board discussing tasks. The air was thick with a mixed scent of leather, weapon metal, and magic.
His gaze was drawn to a massive mission board crafted from obsidian, its surface smooth as a mirror. Mission details were displayed via floating magic light screens, which flickered with different colors, representing various ranks and types of missions.
"Subdue the Blood Moon Werewolf （C Rank Mission, Reward 20 Gold ）: Blood Moon Werewolves are rampaging in the Wasteland, attacking passing merchant caravans. Requires High-Tier Warrior, High-Tier Magician, or higher to accept. Must hunt at least ten Blood Moon Werewolves." A ferocious image of a Blood Moon Werewolf appeared on the light screen.
"Harvest Glow Mushrooms in the Poison Mist Swamp （D Rank Mission, Reward 10 Gold, Requires Wood Element Mage ）: Precious Glow Mushrooms grow in the Poison Mist Swamp, but the swamp is filled with poisonous mist and fraught with danger. Must harvest ten Glow Mushrooms without damaging them." The mysterious scenery of the Poison Mist Swamp flickered in and out of view on the light screen.
"Find the Missing Church Deacon （A Rank Mission, Reward 300 Gold, Requires Platinum Rank Mercenary Group or higher ）: A Church Deacon went missing while on a mission, and his whereabouts are unknown. It is reported that the Deacon's disappearance is related to a mysterious force, and powerful enemies may be encountered during the investigation. Must ascertain the Deacon's location and ensure his safety." The light screen displayed the Deacon's portrait and vague clues about the location of his disappearance.
"Escort Merchant Caravan to the Holy Empire Capital, Dawn City （B Rank Mission, Reward 120 Gold, Requires Gold Rank Mercenary Group or higher ）: A merchant caravan is about to travel to Dawn City and may encounter various dangers along the way, including attacks by Demonic Beasts and bandit raids. Must escort the caravan safely to its destination without allowing any caravan members or cargo to suffer losses." The light screen showed images of the caravan's carriages and cargo, along with the general route, marking areas where danger might arise.
Zhao Yun looked at the missions displayed on the magic light screen and mused that this world was truly peculiar.
At this moment, Tina, the rabbit-eared girl behind the counter, was curiously observing Zhao Yun. The magic quill above her head automatically recorded his facial features, but it suddenly sparked when it scanned the dragon mark, drawing the girl's attention.
"Newcomer?" she asked, "The registration fee is five silver coins, and information services cost two silver coins each time."
Zhao Yun slid a gold coin across the counter: "Regarding the Black Moon Altar."
The girl's rabbit ears instantly perked up, and she quickly drew a sound-dampening barrier in the air, her expression becoming cautious.
"Three days ago, the Gold Rank Mercenary Group 'Wind Scar' accepted a mission to explore the Altar; only one Elf Ranger returned, and he was driven mad."
She lowered her voice, a flicker of fear in her eyes.
"If you want to inquire about that now, you need to find the lame Jim in the Black Market."
Zhao Yun frowned slightly; the veil of mystery surrounding the Black Moon Altar had thickened further. He decided to head to the Black Market immediately to find the lame Jim.