Somewhere in White Crane City.
Elara Rennor sat inside a quiet room, reading a report about what had happened at the Cloud Crane Inn.
Her eyebrows rose slightly as she reached the end of the report.
"So, this guy directly offended the spoiled young master of the Solven Family..."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"The Solven Family doesn’t even know how to educate their young master. He’s been going around bullying people without restraint."
She shook her head.
"It’ll be interesting to see how that man handles it."
Elara set the report aside and turned her attention toward the figure standing silently in the corner of the room.
The figure was completely dressed in black, with their presence almost impossible to detect.
"Did you find those rats hiding in the city?"
The shadowy figure lowered their head.
"We found some traces, but we haven’t pinpointed their hiding place yet."
Elara’s expression became serious.
"Keep searching carefully."
"Those people have already harmed too many innocent cultivators."
"We need to catch them before they cause any more trouble."
"If this information leaks to the public, the entire city could fall into chaos."
"Understood."
The shadowy figure bowed respectfully.
"Leave it to us."
The next moment, their figure blurred.
Whoosh!
They vanished into the darkness without leaving behind the slightest trace.
The room became quiet once again.
Elara remained seated in silence.
After a moment, she slowly turned her gaze toward the distant sky beyond the window.
The bustling city stretched beneath the afternoon sunlight, yet her expression remained thoughtful.
Something about the recent events made her uneasy.
...
The night sky had already covered White Crane City.
Countless lanterns illuminated the bustling streets, while the sounds of vendors and passing cultivators gradually faded as the night grew deeper.
Inside the Cloud Crane Inn, Raeshan sat beside the window of his room, leisurely drinking tea.
Scarlet was sitting across from him, looking through the items she had purchased earlier from the alchemy shop.
She carefully arranged the medicinal pills inside her storage pouch.
Raeshan glanced at her.
"Did you finish organizing everything?"
Scarlet nodded.
"Yes, Master."
Raeshan took another sip of tea.
"Those will be useful during our journey."
Scarlet nodded before suddenly looking toward the window.
"Master."
"Hm?"
"White Crane City is much more interesting than I imagined."
Raeshan smiled faintly.
"You’re only seeing the peaceful side of the city."
Scarlet looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean?"
Raeshan placed his teacup on the table.
"Every large city has its own problems. Powerful families, sects, merchants, cultivators..."
"Wherever there are people, there will be conflicts."
Scarlet became thoughtful.
"Then why did you bring me here?"
Raeshan leaned back in his chair.
"Because you need to experience the world. Training in the mountains can make you strong, but it can’t teach you everything."
He looked toward the bustling streets below.
"Besides..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"We’re here to have fun."
Scarlet couldn’t help smiling.
"Yes, Master."
For a moment, the room became quiet.
Then Scarlet suddenly remembered something.
"Master."
"Hm?"
"About the young master we met at the inn..."
Raeshan raised an eyebrow.
"What about him?"
"Do you think he’ll cause trouble?"
Raeshan thought about the young man from earlier.
That guy looked like a spoiled rich kid from a powerful family, the kind of person who believed he could do whatever he wanted because of his family’s backing.
Raeshan thought for a moment before casually shaking his head.
"Maybe."
Scarlet blinked.
"Maybe?"
"Yes."
Raeshan calmly picked up his teacup again.
"But if he comes looking for trouble, we’ll deal with it then."
Scarlet nodded.
She wasn’t worried.
As long as her master was beside her, she felt there was nothing to fear.
Raeshan and Scarlet left the Cloud Crane Inn.
White Crane City looked completely different after sunset.
Thousands of lanterns illuminated the streets, casting warm golden light across the white stone roads. Cultivators moved through the streets in groups, while vendors continued selling food, spirit fruits, and various cultivation treasures.
Scarlet walked beside Raeshan, occasionally stopping to look at something interesting.
"Master, look!"
She pointed toward a small stall.
"Those are Spirit Fire Candies."
Raeshan glanced at the stall.
"They’re just candy."
Scarlet looked at him.
"Have you tried them before?"
"No."
"Then let’s buy some."
Raeshan sighed.
"You seem to be spending your pocket money quite quickly."
Scarlet smiled innocently.
"You said I could use it however I wanted."
Raeshan paused.
"...Fair enough."
A moment later, Scarlet was holding a small paper bag filled with colorful Spirit Fire Candies.
She happily placed one into her mouth.
Her eyes immediately brightened.
"It’s sweet."
Raeshan shook his head with a faint smile.
"You’re already an Eighth Stage Qi Refining cultivator, yet you’re still interested in candy."
"What’s wrong with that?"
"Nothing."
The two continued walking.
They visited several streets and explored different parts of White Crane City.
Scarlet bought a few small spiritual ornaments, while Raeshan occasionally stopped to examine unusual items being sold by merchants.
Neither of them had any particular destination. They were simply enjoying their first night outside the mountains.
Eventually, they arrived at a large night market.
The streets were crowded with cultivators. A group of young cultivators competed at a street stall.
Several merchants loudly advertised their treasures. The smell of roasted spirit beast meat filled the air.
Scarlet looked around with fascination.
"So many people..."
Raeshan nodded.
"White Crane City is probably even more lively during festivals."
Scarlet suddenly noticed a group of children running through the crowd.
One of them accidentally bumped into her.
"Sorry!"
The child quickly ran away.
Scarlet smiled.
"It’s fine."
Raeshan glanced at her.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself."
Scarlet nodded.
"Yes."
She looked toward him.
"I’ve never experienced anything like this before."
Raeshan smiled.
"Then take your time. We have plenty of time."
Scarlet nodded happily.
They continued wandering through the city for another hour.
Eventually, the streets became quieter.
The lively night market was now far behind them.
Raeshan and Scarlet walked side by side along a wide stone road.
Scarlet looked around.
"Master, are we going back to the inn?"
"Not yet."
Raeshan pointed toward a nearby street.
"There’s another road ahead. Let’s take a look before returning."
Scarlet nodded.
"Okay."
They turned into the smaller street.
A few lanterns hung from the walls, illuminating the road with faint yellow light. The buildings on both sides gradually became older and less crowded.
After walking for several minutes, they reached an alley between two large buildings.
Raeshan slowed down.
Scarlet noticed immediately.
"Master?"
Raeshan didn’t answer.
He simply looked toward the alley.
The moment they stepped inside, the surroundings suddenly became silent.
The distant sounds of the city disappeared. Even the sound of the wind seemed to vanish.
Scarlet’s expression changed.
She instinctively placed her hand on the Crimson Flame Sword.
"Master..."
Raeshan stopped walking.
His relaxed expression disappeared. He slowly looked around.
The alley behind them was empty. The road ahead was empty as well.
Yet...
They weren’t alone.
Raeshan narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting."
He calmly placed one hand behind his back.
A faint killing intent suddenly emerged from the darkness.
Then...
Whoosh!
Several black figures silently appeared on the rooftops surrounding the alley.
Another figure stepped out from the darkness behind them.
Within moments, Raeshan and Scarlet were completely surrounded.
All of them wore black robes and masks.
Their auras were concealed.
Scarlet slowly drew the Crimson Flame Sword.
Clang!
The crimson blade reflected the faint lantern light.
Her eyes became cold.
"Master..."
Raeshan glanced around.
Scarlet’s grip tightened around her sword.
Raeshan didn’t answer immediately.
His eyes swept across the surrounding figures. The masked cultivators remained completely silent.
Then one of them slowly stepped forward.
The surrounding shadows moved simultaneously.
The alley was completely sealed.
Scarlet stepped closer to Raeshan. Her spiritual qi began circulating through her meridians.
Raeshan remained strangely calm.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So..."
He looked around at the masked figures.
"You’re the ones who have been following us this whole time?"
Send me some Power Stones so I know there are real readers out there reading my work. It’ll also motivate me to keep writing! "..." ( •ᴗ• )