Night at the Black Mountain Fortress
Night wrapped the Black Mountain Fortress in a veil of yellowish mist. Zhu Xian moved silently along the cobblestone streets, his face concealed behind a mask, his body draped in a cloak that blurred his figure. Using a false name and a neutral voice, he had crossed the gates without raising suspicion.
The moment he stepped through, he felt it: the weight of eyes, sharp and assessing. This city was no ordinary town — it was a court of mercenaries, spies, and traders. Lanterns bearing the symbols of wandering clans lit the narrow streets. Muscular men patrolled the squares, while merchants exchanged sharp glances and whispered transactions behind guarded smiles.
Zhu Xian headed toward a two-story inn frequented by rogue cultivators and beast hunters. Inside, slabs of meat hung like trophies, and the air was thick with the bitter aroma of strong alcohol and smoldering incense.
Beside him, two men whispered in low tones:
“The Jia Ma Empire has made its move,” one said. “They’ve put out bounties for anyone with information on the ‘fugitive princess of the Serpent Tribe.’”
“And the Yun Lan Sect is pressing to take control of this fortress,” the other replied. “They’re sending four Dou Wang elders… and the young leader, Nalan Yanran.”
Zhu Xian’s brow arched beneath his mask. So, the Empire’s orders now converged with the Yun Lan Sect’s ambition. He decided to stay and listen.
From a makeshift stage near the bar, a merchant raised his voice to cut through the noise:
“The Miter Auction House opens its doors tomorrow! Exceptional items will be available — two sixth-grade pills, including the Transformation Pill. They say envoys from other empires have come just for this event!”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd like smoke. Quick glances, hushed whispers, eyes glinting with suspicion, greed, and sharp interest. The air on the inn’s first floor thickened, every cultivator silently calculating their next move.
On the staircase leading to the second floor, two women ascended with measured steps. One wore dark linen robes trimmed with gold; the other, taller and poised, carried herself like a sword sheathed but ready to strike. They were part of a group of ten, their formation tight, their expressions sharp with discipline and intent.
The younger of the two turned her head slightly, her voice a whisper barely carried by the air:
“Senior sister… do you think this could be our chance? To gather resources for the sect? We could kill two birds with one stone — complete the mission and secure something valuable from the auction.”
The elder sister didn’t answer right away. Her gaze had fixed on a solitary figure who had ascended the stairs just moments before them.
A lone man sat by the window at the far end of the second floor — a young man in a mask, an unreadable calm radiating from his stillness. No one dared sit near him. No one seemed to know his name.
Finally, the senior sister spoke, her voice as smooth as a night breeze, but carrying the edge of tempered steel:
“Resources… fame… even in a place on the brink of decay, all of it can be claimed, if the timing is right. But remember — where there’s opportunity, there are eyes that never forgive mistakes. This inn is neutral ground, but the competition starts long before the first drop of blood is spilled.”
The younger disciple swallowed hard, her hand tightening around the insignia of her sect. She had come here with dreams of glory… but not all dreams survived the dawn.
From the shadows, others watched. Some with greed. Others with disdain. And a few… with fear.
Zhu Xian made a mental note:
“I need to attend this auction. If what they’re saying is true — if the Transformation Pill will be there — I have to secure it, no matter the cost.”
Lost in thought, he took a seat in a dim corner of a narrow hallway with small windows overlooking the inn’s interior and quietly ordered the third dish on the menu.
Across the second floor, through another narrow window, she was watching him.
A young woman of extraordinary beauty: hair as white as moonlight, skin almost translucent. Something about her struck him with an eerie familiarity. Her presence was warm, almost soothing — and yet, it unsettled him deeply.
Memories he couldn’t name tugged at his mind.
For reasons he didn’t understand, his heart beat with a strange, almost irrational urge… to protect her.
Unbeknownst to him, this young woman was more than just a passing figure. She shared a bond with the very person his soul longed for, and a tie to him as well — though he had yet to uncover that truth.
All he knew, as his pulse pounded and her gaze lingered from the shadows, was that something within him stirred.
A quiet ache.
A sense of loss he couldn’t explain.