The man looks at Yilu Lok and says.
"Now that I have answered your question, now it's my turn."
Yilu Lok nods.
"Ok, what do you want to know?"
"Tell me how you did it."
"Did what?"
"Changed this crack's environment."
"Oh this."
Yilu Lok lifts his right hand and shows his black bracelet.
"Do you see this black bracelet its called 'World' ? It swallowed the source of this crack and now I am capable of controlling the crack."
"Bullshit."
The man screamed.
"There is no way something like that exists."
"Why not?"
"If it existed, the blood lord would surely have used all methods to find it."
Yilu Lok stands up from the blood pool a black light suddenly erupts from the black bracelet and the blood smell on Yilu Lok disappears the next second his clothes fly towards him and he wears them and says.
"Look here man I don't know who the blood lord you speak of is but the world is larger than from what you know."
The man stays quiet and listens.
"You think this black bracelet is bizarre, you have seen nothing. If you have seen what I saw… Let's forget about it now. It's my turn to ask questions."
"Ask."
"My question is who is the blood god you speak of?"
The man becomes pale from the mention of the term 'Blood God' and with a trembling voice he says.
"I.. I can.. I can't answer that."
"Why not."
"I just can't. I will die if I speak any further."
"Oh is there something stopping you?"
The man does not say anything but Yilu Lok seems to understand.
"Alright since you can't answer it so I will leave it."
The man sighes in relief but the next second something unexpected happens.
Yilu Lok lifts his right hand and points his palm towards the man. The man startles.
"What.. what are you doing?"
"What else? I am setting you free"
But a terrible feeling wells up inside the heart of the man. A black sword condenses in front of Yilu Lok's palm.
"You swore on the name of your family."
"Oh that I am doing what I promised."
Yilu Lok looks at the man with cold eyes.
"I am going to free you from your miserable life."
"You.. you basterd."
"No need to thank me you have lost your limbs and energy centre there is no point for you to live longer."
The man's face distorts from anger.
"You basterd you call yourself a righteous path."
"It seems you have misunderstood something. I never said I was righteous and I also don't give a damn about my family name. And from when did someone like you begin to talk about righteousness? You sacrificed humans to create this blood pool for evolving monsters."
The black sword flies towards the man. Despair fills his eyes. The sword pierces the man's chest.
"You damn bastard, you won't have a good time. You just wait in a few years, you and your entire Yilu family will also accompany me in hell. Shi shi shi shi."
The black flame erupts from the sword reducing the man into ashes.
"Snap!"
Yilu Lok snaps his finger and a black crack appears in front of him Yilu Lok enters the crack and leaves the black bracelet.
***
Inside the room of Yilu Lok a black crack opens and Yilu Lok appears from it.
Yilu Lok walks towards his bed and lies down and goes to sleep.
In the morning about eleven o'clock Yilu Lok wakes up and starches his body, leaves the bed and walks towards the door.
As he opens the he finds Jiu Jin standing there as a guard.
Jiu Jin notices him and greets him.
"Good morning young master, did you have a great sleep."
Yilu Lok nods.
"Hmm I had a really good sleep. Sleeping outside the carriage I had really missed it."
Jiu Jin smiles and Yilu Lok asks.
"Where are the others?"
"Young master, I have sent others to buy supplies for the trip. They should be back soon."
"Ok, let's go and have breakfast."
Both Yilu Lok and Jiu Jin enter the lobby and Jiu Jin points at the table. But Yilu Lok shakes his head.
"Let's go outside to eat."
"Is here something wrong, young master?"
"No, I just want to take a look outside and on the way we can also eat some food."
Jin Jin thinks for a second and says.
"It is a good idea young master you have been inside the carriage for a long time. We can also take a tour of the Tang clan."
Both Yilu Lok and Jiu Jin leave the Azure Crane Pavilion.
"Yoing master this way on this side the one of most famous market of Tang clan is located."
Jiu Jin points in a direction and both of them go there.
After a few minutes of walking, both of them reach a market.
The market is filled with stalls under colorful, striped awnings. People in traditional robes are seen browsing and interacting with merchants. The stalls display various goods, including baskets of produce, weapons like swords and daggers. The architecture is distinct, with curved rooftops and detailed carvings. The sky is clear, with the sun casting a warm, golden light over the scene.
Yilu Lok looks around and finds different types of people after coming to this world. This is the first time he has seen so many people in one place. Even during his time at Yilu Mansion he has never gone out.
The people are a mix of common folk and skilled warriors. Some vendors are robust, smiling men in simple tunics, while others are lithe, sharp-eyed martial artists, their clothing marked with the crest of their clan. The shoppers range from cautious buyers carefully inspecting the quality of a dagger's hilt to flamboyant martial artists demonstrating a quick flick of a wrist to test a sword's balance.
The market is filled with many types of goods including herbs and weapons Yilu Lok has never seen something like this.
The goods themselves are a testament to the market's importance. Stalls are piled high with an eclectic mix of items: bundles of dried herbs hang from ropes, their scents mingling with the aroma of freshly cooked noodles from a nearby food stall. Fine jade carvings sit next to stacks of iron bars, ready for a blacksmith's hammer. Alongside mundane produce, you can find rare medicinal plants, vials of potent poisons, and beautifully crafted blades, their polished steel glinting in the sunlight.
To Yilu Lok's surprise the market also has blacksmith shops in open. Usually they are located in a certain corner of the market.
The sounds and smells are as vivid as the sights. The low hum of chatter is punctuated by the rhythmic clanging of a blacksmith's hammer, the sharp hiss of a blade being quenched, and the lively calls of vendors. The air carries the distinct scent of spiced tea, metallic iron, and the earthy aroma of herbs, all blending into the unique fragrance of the Tang Clan Market.
"Wow this is the first time I am seeing a market like this."
Jiu Jin smiles at Yilu Lok and says.
"Young master this is 'Main Road Market' of the Tang clan just like its name implies it is the primary, most well-known market in the region, open to everyone."
"Also I have seen weapon stalls but I have never seen blacksmith shops in an open market."
"Young master, that is because the Tang clan is famous for their weapons and herbs, it can be said that it is one of their main sources of income."
Jiu Jin points at a side of the market and says.
"Young master, let's go that way. That place has the best food in all of the Tang clan"
Yilu Lok looks at Jiu Jin and asks.
"Brother Jin, you know so much about the market."
Jiu Jin noda.
"Of course young master I have been to the Tang clans for various missions."
"Ok let's go to where brother Jin says."
Both Yilu Lok and Jiu Jin walk and reach the front of a restaurant.
Nestled in a quieter corner of the Tang Clan's market, away from the clanging of blacksmiths, stood "The Crimson Lantern," a renowned restaurant. Its exterior was a study in elegant simplicity: a two-story wooden structure with a gracefully curved roof, its front porch adorned with red silk lanterns that cast a warm glow onto the street. A large, intricately carved sign hung above the entrance, depicting a steaming kettle with a subtle, stylized Tang Clan crest.
"Young master please."
Jiu Jin gestures to Yilu Lok and he enters the restaurant.
Inside, the air was thick with the rich aromas of simmering broth, spiced meat, and fragrant tea. The ground floor was a lively, open hall filled with polished wooden tables and benches, where merchants haggled over prices while sharing bowls of savory pork ribs. Martial artists, their weapons propped against the walls, loudly recounted tales of their exploits over steaming bowls of "Chili Phoenix" noodle soup—a house specialty infamous for its fiery kick.
Upstairs, private rooms offered a more secluded dining experience, often reserved for high-ranking sect members or those looking to discuss secrets away from prying ears. The ambiance was a constant hum of activity: the clatter of porcelain bowls, the murmur of hushed conversations, and the cheerful laughter of patrons. It was a place where a weary traveler could find a hot meal and a warm seat, and where the most important news of the Murim world was often exchanged between a bite of a steamed bun and a sip of tea.
A waiter comes in front of Yilu Lok and Jiu Jin and respectfully says.
"Dear sir, let me show you a table."