Roads at the northeast side of Dragon Border Gate City.

Under an Invisibility spell, Aryon ran southwest, to where he believed the Soft Mist Inn would be.

‘I’ll wait for a few days for this ruckus to end, hole myself up in the cave. Then I'll go to this ‘Iron Hall’ and negotiate for the crystal’s exchange . Provided that they’re still alive for that.’

And if they weren't, then that’s a shame. He’ll be hideously delayed; he didn’t know where to find another crystal. But it’s better than being delayed and in conflict with local powers.

He zipped through the major roads and walkways, knowing well that events of skullduggery such as this will have the actors weaving through the more hidden alleyways. Yet he underestimated the heightened senses of these cultivators.

As he ran through an empty, dim-lit road he felt the earth suddenly rise beneath his step. Aryon fell down with a loud crash, knocking him out of his invisibility.

He looked at the risen shelf of earth half his height, cursing. ‘I should’ve cast a silencing spell on myself.’

“There, see! I knew I heard footsteps.”

“Who’s this?”

“I dunno, but his armour looks valuable. Should we…”

Five men dressed in dark clothes approached him. Aryon stood up, the Staff of Kings secured in hand, and spoke to them as they drew closer. “Friends, friends! Let’s not be hasty. I am not your foe. I was just leaving this area a-”

“Shut up. Boys, go get him and bring him back to the chief. He will want to meet with this rich man.”

“Haha. Let’s nick a few of those rings, too.”

‘Why is it so hard to engage in diplomacy here?’

“ [Mass Suggestion] “

The five immediately stopped in their tracks.

Standing tall with the staff in hand, he turned his eyeless gaze at his would-be attackers. “I am not the opponent you want to fight.” he said in his most intimidating tone. “Slowly back away and return to your master.”

Without a word the assailants slowly backed away, then turned around and broke out into a full run. Aryon felt relieved as he saw them run back and made to leave himself…

...Only to see another cultivator standing there on the road, looking straight at him. “A coincidence to meet you, lord.” he said, bowing in the local custom.

Aryon stared at the man for a second before asking. “...I pray you are a… peaceful man?”

The man wore black cloth like all the others, but his poise betrayed him to be a soldier unlike those roughs and thugs before. “I am not going to harm lord. Indeed, my master, Eighth Prince Tang Heng, wishes to talk with you.”

“Perhaps another time. I am sure your prince is-”

“I insist, lord.” interrupted the man. “The eighth prince is not far. Lord can come with me and meet him now.”

Aryon kept silent, thinking things over. ‘I can flee, baffle him with illusions and speed off... or teleport away… then wait this out and ignore the prince and the woman and everyone else…’

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He looked straight at the cultivator’s eyes, seeing the resolution in them even in the dim light. “...Lead on, then.” he said.

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Liu Wong had never felt so excited. Also, afraid, enraged and exhilarated.

An all out battle!

The sect strike force of fifty practitioners slipped through the alleyways and streets of the city, heading for the main road the Bai Clan were known to be taking. Along the way they encountered many men in black, concealing clothes that tried to stop them.

Green Blade Forest Sect prided itself in group fighting and cohesion. These facts showed themselves like never before in this battle as the sect practitioners cut and slashed their way towards their goal in a unified formation.

Liu Wong kept up with his fellow sect members as they leapt from rooftops and crossed bloodied roads filled with enemies. Time by time they would face a clumsy ambush or encounter a group melee along the way, which they crushed without hesitation and trampled as they moved on.

An order was given to halt beneath a tall building not far from their destination. He leapt onto a roof where his master and some elders kept a lookout. From their rooftop vantage they saw the litter moving at a snail’s pace, forced to stop and defend themselves when attackers came. Elsewhere in the city around them, flashes of light and battle-cries came from hidden battlefields.

“This is chaos… but our enemies are entangled, fighting each other” said his master Wang Xuefeng. “Keep close and move! Now is our chance!”

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Aryon was taken to a high pagoda overlooking the city. From that high perch he could see the chaos below: a part of the city had caught fire, its brightness only overshadowed by the flash of cultivators' mystic arts.

Inside the top floor were a great many guards, and three people he saw in the auction hall: the Ye Clan lord Ye Shao, the so-called Eighth Prince and his governor lackey. His escort walked to the prince’s side, giving commands to the guards to stand sentry at the pagoda stair.

“Your highness, the foreigner lord.” said his escort.

Aryon looked at the prince in question.

He wore this land’s scholar robes, black with gold trim and made of silk. His handsome features were framed by his long, dark hair that had a topknot. On his person was a golden belt with a scabbard where an equally-golden and ornate hilt peeked out from.

The prince had been looking at Aryon ever since he came up the room, his covetous eyes probing his armour and the staff he held.. “It is common courtesy to bow before imperial authority here, foreigner.” he began, not giving the usual local greeting.

Aryon resisted the urge to retort and gave a small bow in the diplomat's manner. “Forgive me, your highness. I am... Lord Aryon, a representative from the faraway land of Tarminas.” he said in a courteous tone. “How can I be of service to you?”

He walked around Aryon, who stood ramrod-straight, in the center of the wide, circular room, inspecting him at every angle.

“Impressive armour.”

“It is. But you will be surprised to know that I cannot get out of this.”

“Oh? Is it cursed?” he said, stopping his movement.

‘It is intentional.’ he thought. “...Pardon, your highness, but I am very pressed for time. What do you want with me?”

“Straight to the point, hm? Fine. Join me.”

The prince returned to his original position in the room. All eyes were on him now. “Bring yourself to my side and I will grant you a great many benefits, more so than your current hosts.“

“You are in the Nascent Soul Realm are you not? Men of that cultivation can find a high position at the imperial court or a mid-ranking officership in army. If you stay loyal and stand by my side until I ascend the throne, you and your descendants will reap the rewards of your service for generations.”

“A most generous offer, lord. But I must decline.” he said, bowing. “I am a foreigner, as you’ve said, and already in service to a liege. My place is at my own kingdom. I do not wish to meddle in your majesty’s affairs.”

“So you refuse? Then, I’m afraid that’ll be your last decision.”

The escort before gave a command, and the guards around him took up their spears and swords.

Aryon paid them no attention, dropping his diplomatic overtones and continued. “Let me walk away and it’ll end better for both of us. You won’t gain or lose anything, I assure you.”

“I’m tired of the weak-willed and indecisive. Your kind of people love to take your ‘neutral’ stances and watch as men like me suffer and toil for my birthright, or plot in the dark with my enemies in secret. No. I won’t have uncertain factors like you lurk in the shadows where I stand.”

Ye Shao and the governor left via the window, leaping into the night with some personal guards in tow. Tang Heng followed them, waving his sleeves. “Dai Yijun, Kill him.”