To speak frankly, the Red Tooth Store bore a certain resemblance to the brothels that Yu Ci had encountered during his wanderings in the world. Although the primary occupation for the women here was to create an environment conducive for cultivating relationships and introducing business to the cultivators of Yin Cave City, Wan Quan, who lived here, did not deny that several among them engaged in the flesh trade, finding patrons which, in fact, proved more beneficial to their so-called "legitimate work."
This was a common state of affairs in the North Wilderness, and Yu Ci was not particularly surprised by it. It was only the faint, familiar cry that had prompted him to take a closer look. His gaze passed through the barriers formed by the artificial mountain and the floral walls, landing in the semi-secluded courtyard next door.
The first thing he saw was Bao Yun, a woman of enchanting charm, who was now limp and half-collapsed in someone's embrace.
Yu Ci had a rather vivid memory of this seductive woman. When they first met, she had exhibited a boldness that surpassed Wan Quan's, her demeanor fiery and fierce. Yet at this moment, she appeared completely drained of strength, her fiery red dress half-slipped down, with only undergarments of the same color for modesty, revealing skin smooth as cream, glistening with fragrant sweat.
From his current angle, Yu Ci could not see the other person's face, only a slender hand caressing Bao Yun's alabaster skin.
"My dear guest!"
Bao Yun's voice was sweet and soft, clearly moved by emotion. However, Yu Ci, who was adept at discerning people's hearts, sensed a discomfort in her tone, a hint of restraint. With this realization, he couldn't help but laugh silently at himself. He had thought it mere frivolity, but it was all in jest—what then was he doing eavesdropping around the corner?
Shaking his head, he moved on, but before he got far, Bao Yun's low moans from behind the floral wall suddenly intensified, then dropped off, only to rise again before being abruptly cut off, followed by panting and even crying, all interwoven with the moans, forming a rhythm with a semblance of structure and beat.
Just as Yu Ci was left speechless by these sounds, a song floated from behind the floral walls, the Serene and Distant Pavilion open to the air: "A household serene, a task effortless. Within lies a truth most genuine. In the deep silence lies the profound mystery, in the vast obscurity, vaguely perceiving the subtle truth. At the Seven Treasures Summit, within the Palace of the Five Clarities. Indulging freely in the taste of purest cream. Awakened then drunken, drunken then awakened, in drunken revelry!"
The ethereal singing mingled with the gentle strains of a beauty's chant, harmonizing high and low, clear and muddled, finally winding down to a languid, lingering melody: "Indulging in the rich taste of the finest cream, sobering up only to get drunk again, and waking only to fall back into inebriation..."
"Playing it this way?"
Yu Ci found himself at a loss for words, unsure of how to properly describe the scene. Accompanied by the soft hums of a woman, he regarded the alluring beauty before him as if she were nothing, singing aloud and reciting profound truths. Such a tactic was simply... simply...
He couldn't quite find the right adjective, only feeling that the originally stimulating and seductive atmosphere had now taken on an absurd and alienating quality. The person's heart was truly an enigma; even Bao Yun's flirtatious and charming demeanor, which would make anyone's heart race, was met with indifference, reduced to mere strings of a lute or the notes of a flute in his hands. Such sentiment left him feeling inferior.
At that moment, someone called out: "Senior!"
He had entered the Red Tooth Store knowing full well what to expect, but was tied up with other matters and couldn't break away until now. Greeting the newcomer, he encountered Yu Ci. Wan Quan, too, had a discerning heart, and upon seeing Yu Ci's expression and following his gaze, he was momentarily taken aback, his following words stumbling, "This... uh, Senior, Sister Lu is waiting for you at the Artifact Workshop."
The words seemed rushed, almost impolite, but Yu Ci understood the sentiment behind the expression and hummed in acknowledgment, no longer concerned with the current scene, and moved forward. Wan Quan peeked around several times, clearly distracted, before finally catching up in a daze, evidently lost in thought. This state persisted all the way to the Artifact Workshop, and even upon meeting Lu Qing, it didn't improve. Eventually, he simply ran off again, his purpose unknown.
Yu Ci wasn't concerned with this; his attention had already been captured by the Lunar Banner.
The banner pole was about a zhang in length, with the banner itself hanging down, five feet long and just over a foot wide. It was entirely black, devoid of any additional decorations, with no divine names or sacred texts, only several Talisman Forms woven in with Plain Bird Down Feathers, appearing as several intricate, twisted lines along the edges. Truth be told, it didn't look particularly remarkable, but Yu Ci was not interested in its appearance, focusing instead on its purpose.
Holding the banner in hand, one could tell that even the pole was subject to particular attention. Crafted from 'Ninefold Bamboo' and infused with Primordial Qi, with a mere shake, the pole, originally about a yard long, could shrink to just over three feet, shorter than the fabric of the banner itself, thus more convenient for storage. Yu Ci nodded in approval as he witnessed the increasingly pure Gang energy being channeled after engaging the Mechanism of the Cauldron.
The surface of the banner brightened, its radiance flowing like water, causing the Talisman Form to fade and become hidden. From different angles, the pitch-black fabric seemed to harbor a light source that was mysteriously elusive and wondrous.
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Yu Ci sampled its power briefly but was already immensely satisfied. Lu Qing's craftsmanship was indeed exquisite, surpassing his expectations by a good measure.
Then came the matter of payment. As Wan Quan had mentioned, Lu Qing only charged for her labor and the cost of materials like the Ninefold Bamboo. Compared to the value of the banner, the price was quite reasonable. Yu Ci paid without hesitation and was about to express his gratitude to Lu Qing when Wan Quan burst into the room, exclaiming, "Disaster has struck!"
By the time Yu Ci and his companions arrived at the scene of the incident, countless eyes were already watching. The cultivators of the North Wilderness might not be particularly powerful in their spiritual practices, but they never fell behind when it came to seeking amusement or joining a crowd. They might not gather and gawk like common folk, but behind the artificial mountains and floral walls, silhouettes abounded, all awaiting the unfolding drama.
Yu Ci, as a guest, could have chosen to attend or not. However, having just received the Lunar Banner and settled the transaction, he felt obliged by courtesy to follow and see what had happened.
The Red Tooth Store was one of the most conspicuous standalone complexes in Yin Cave City. Without the separation of Rock Caves, it formed a relatively independent courtyard space with scattered buildings and artificial mountains. Bathed in the gentle glow of lamps, the shadows were blurred and flickering, revealing an understated elegance.
Just as Yu Ci had recently experienced with Bao Yun, as people walked in certain spots, they could catch glimpses of hidden vistas in the courtyards beyond the walls. Whether by design or not, these views always imparted a unique sensation, contributing to the Red Tooth Store's popularity within Yin Cave City.
However, this very structure was the source of today's calamity.
The courtyard where the incident occurred was originally leased by a minor but influential gang leader from Yin Cave City. He was frolicking and flirting with his beloved from the Red Tooth Store when, amid their heated embrace, they overheard the mocking words of two passersby. The comments were nothing out of the ordinary, merely belittling remarks about women and lamenting the inadequacy of men.
Enraged by the insult, the gang leader was about to react when disaster struck from above. The two mockers suddenly turned violent, launching an attack that left the gang leader spitting blood from severe injuries, and then…
An act of violence enforced?
The fight in the courtyard continued unabated. Wan Quan and others, seizing the opportunity, had already activated the protective Array Formation. Now, a thin layer of green light illuminated the area, absorbing the rampant shockwaves and preventing further destruction.
Within the courtyard lay five or six bodies. The gang leader had his own gang, and naturally, there were those who would stand up for him. But under the hands of the two instigators, it took only a few exchanges before there were dead and injured. The ground was now dotted with crimson, and upon closer inspection, one could see tiny clots of blood. In a deeper part of the courtyard, Yu Ci could just make out the soft, supple form of a woman lying on the ground, unclothed and smeared with blood, her body still twitching slightly—a clear sign that her situation was dire.
Not far from the woman, two figures were locked in combat, with another man skirting the fray, grinning. This onlooker was also naked, his body thick with hair, which left an impression on any onlooker:
"Are they beasts?"
Yu Ci frowned at the sight and turned to look for Lu Qing, only to be met with a blur. The silent female cultivator had already plunged into the fray with explosive force, eliciting a muffled grunt.
The man skirting the battle reacted swiftly, attempting to intercept her. However, Lu Qing's delicate fingers came together, and with a reverse punch that seemed deceptively gentle, she unleashed a force as devastating as a landslide, pushing back the man's outstretched arm and continuing the assault on his forehead.
With a painful scream, blood mist sprayed from his features, his forehead nearly caved in. His feet sank into the ground like mud, sinking a foot deep, yet he still managed to muster the strength to counterattack, his other hand clawing through the air, hissing as it released some unknown force.
Lu Qing, wary of this attack, shifted her position, dodging the sharp gusts of wind. With a fluid turn, she avoided the attack and scooped up the unconscious woman from the ground.
It was precisely this shift that afforded the man sweeping through the ranks a moment to catch his breath. With a loud cry, he alerted his comrades to take heed. Consequently, the tide of battle turned on a dime. A scream later, a figure was sent spiraling through the air, crashing into a nearby corridor pillar with a resounding crash, bringing down half of the arcade with it.
“What’s going on, Lao Gu?”
Having triumphed with a single strike, the comrade of the man who had swept through the ranks called out. It was then that Yu Ci caught a clear glimpse of the man; he was nearly nine feet tall, with dark red skin and a fierce visage, his forehead bulging in a ring, his bones already mutated. Bare-chested, his muscles swelled with exertion like forged iron, and the True Killing Spirit Light he exhaled was so dense it seemed tangible, restrained and yet unreleased, convincing onlookers that the recent clash was but a mere trifle for him, not even close to his full might.
Lu Qing maintained her silence, tossing back the unconscious woman in her arms. Wan Quan hurried to catch her. Yu Ci pondered for a moment and stepped forward, only to hear a sudden surge of voices around him as multiple formidable auras converged towards them.
He recalled something Wan Quan had mentioned: Yin Cave City did not forbid fighting, but around the bustling "Nanhai Street," agreements were signed. Here, Golden Elixir cultivators could provoke, strike, and battle, but they also faced the risk of collective punishment from the entire "circle of cultivators."
Now, these two who had instigated the fight and taken lives, acting above the law, were about to confront such a predicament.
“Let’s go!”
The tall and burly man, clearly the leader, gave the command. Lao Gu, the man who had swept through the ranks, promptly retreated in response. Lu Qing’s bright eyes brimmed with lethal intent as she stepped forward and delivered what seemed to be a light, drifting punch through the air. Lao Gu, sensing danger, raised his hands in defense, and another circle of Protective Spiritual Light emanated.
With a “crack,” followed by Lao Gu’s agonized shriek, the Protective Spiritual Light shattered. His hands were forcefully knocked back, his elbows striking squarely against his ribs, breaking countless bones. Only then did the air fill with the sound of rolling thunder, while the pale green light barrier of the peripheral Array Formation trembled before silently extinguishing.
“Despicable woman!”
The nine-foot-tall man bellowed in rage, catching the now blood-spitting Lao Gu, yet still retreating. But as he flew over the courtyard wall, he flung his hand back, casting a Dim Green Light Sphere into the air, and a sudden burst of Ghostly Wail erupted!
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e