623: Redmist Sanctuary

Redmist Sanctuary

The moment she entered the city, she felt several gazes from various directions but she paid no mind to it. Ming Yue just continued onward, strolling through the streets while looking through the street markets. Many of them had already opened up, anticipating the crowds of potential customers they could attract. 2

However, the young woman could only frown as she looked at their wares. 

"To think they would sell these sorts of things", she thought to herself. 

While there were a few stalls selling food and trinkets, many sold weapons and armor, most of which seemed to have previous owners. And some weren't cleaned well, having a few specks of blood on them which were easily noticed. 

From the looks of it, they were used not too long ago.

Ming Yue glanced at the store owners, their appearances ranged from clean and proper to dirty and disgusting. Even then, all of them shared the same expression, sly and scheming. Their eyes were shifting, trying to advertise their products. They weren't even pretending to hide the fact that it was taken from the dead. 

"Come on! A Peak-Mortal Rank dagger from an Earth Realm Cultivator who died in the Demon Continent!"

"Armor from one of the top hundred blacksmiths of the Continent! This is their last piece as they have recently passed away due to an accident!"

The deeper she went, the quality of what was being sold continued to increase as she began to see Sage Ranked items. And when wandering the streets, Ming Yue listened in on conversations here and there, gathering information. 

Reaching the center of the city, she noticed a growing crowd looking at this masked individual who stood above them all on a stone platform. 

"Don't forget to attend the Nightmist Auction! We'll have even more unique items to show, there are rumors that a fairy may be a part of it!"

"A fairy, you say?"

"Really, a fairy? How did such a thing happen?"

The onlookers were curious about this. After all, something like a fairy was more of a myth than reality. But if such a thing were to be true, there were many who would want to obtain the fairy. For some, it would serve as entertainment for them, a way to show off in fact. For others, there was a wealth of knowledge to be found in a fairie's body. 

Who knows what fate they would end up in the hands of those types of people.

"Yes, a fairy! From the Demon Continent, someone risked their life and almost returned with nothing. That was until they chanced upon a small fairy that they swiftly captured. While they care little about it, they seem to be in a dire need of money. That is what the rumors say."

The masked figure gazed at everyone, gauging their reactions. 

They suddenly looked up, sensing a murderous aura coming from somewhere. But when they did, there was no one to be found. 

"Strange, I must be tired."

Ignoring that little incident, they continued to talk, telling the audience what to expect for this years events. 

Hidden away within the alleyways, Ming Yue peeked over before looking away. 

"Fairy? Could it be a member of Nuwa Clan?" she thought. 

Thinking about them being caught in a cage angered her. Their little soft bodies with leaves sprouting out and a pair of large, green eyes tearing up. Most would be angry to see such cute creatures imprisoned like that. 

"What was it? The Nightmist Auction? I should visit it when the time comes", she thought to herself. 

If there was indeed a member of the Nuwa Clan there, Ming Yue wasn't going to sit still and let the auction proceed. She turned away and left the area, looking for lodging for the next few days. If she was going to infiltrate this place, she had to blend in with them.

Moving from one street to the next, she checked out the nearby inns.

All of them were quite similar to each other. Made out of wood, all of them were decently maintained and had more than one floor. While it wasn't luxurious, it had the basic necessities. 

"Hmm, how about this place?"

She stood in front of one such building. It had four floors in total and was one of the nicer ones. The wooden signboard was engraved with the name, "Lucky Cat Inn." There was even a cat's face engraved next to it. Compared to the others, it seemed much more welcoming.

Thinking it over for a few seconds, Ming Yue walked in to rent a room for herself. 

Elsewhere, there were a few figures eating in a restaurant within the sanctuary. Seated on the second floor, they had a perfect view of the gates, watching the streams of people coming in and out. 

"So what do you all think of this year's guests?" said one of them. 

This man casually sipped on some tea while looking down. Wearing black and red robes, he carried a pair of identical swords on his back. On top of that, there was a black covering his eyes with a red one painted over it. 

"I hear that Qing Ji has come. It might be interesting, Chuan Mu."

Chuan Mu looked at the one who spoke, showing an interesting expression. 

"Really now, the White Aspen? Are you sure, Zhi Xun?" he asked. 

Zhi Xun nodded. 

"Of course, my information network is never wrong", she said. 

Zhi Xun was a somewhat older woman, wrinkled and covered in several layers. She held a staff in one hand while eating with the other. Having grabbed a drumstick from the plate, the old woman took a bit and tore off the meat with her flesh. 

"If that's the case, this year's parade might be different from the last few", Chuan Mu muttered. 

Sitting alongside them was another woman, around her twenties but didn't seem to lack in strength or presence from the others. She seemed frail and thin, though her eyes were focused on her weapon, a thick rod that seemed much too heavy for her.

She looked at it obsessively, she didn't even seem like she was paying attention but she still spoke. 

"Mm, doesn't matter, it's going to be a blood bath as it always is,"

Her voice came out nonchalantly but they all heard it. 

And a fourth person spoke, chuckling at the girl's words. 

"Ahaha, Qing Li, it hasn't even begun and you're already so bloodthirsty!"

It was a rather haughty voice, coming from a rather gallant-looking man. He was very handsome and charismatic, having a good smile and a confident look on his face. If anything, this man didn't quite fit in with the others. Though he had a sword hanging from his waist, it was unusually thin, almost as thin as paper it would seem. 

Qing Li's eyes moved just slightly, looking at him instead of her weapon. 

"Stop looking at me with those disgusting eyes of yours, you pig."

She glared at him, gripping onto the giant rod tightly. 

On the other side of the table, Chuan Mu chuckled as he looked at the other man. 

"I'd do as she says, Jia Han, unless you really want to get hit by that thick rod", he told him. 

"Err, well, a little spanking doesn't hurt every now and then, especially from someone like her."

At that point, the gallant visage of Jia Han's appearance was gone, replaced by a perverse smile. It was slightly unsettling to see, especially as he gently stroked his thin sword in front of them. He didn't even make an effort to hide it. 

Zhi Xun just looked away, shaking her head at his behavior. 

"In any case, this year's march is going to be much more interesting than last years, even more so with the addition of the Beast Continent."

pqdm.com