676: Searching For Pieces

Searching For Pieces

Time passed by quietly, the destruction of Redmist Sanctuary came as a shock to nearly everyone though for the better. Crime had slowly gone down considerably but there were still plenty of evil cultivators around. With things under control, many kingdoms were well on their way to recovery.1

Even though the Fourteen Evils were not fully destroyed, the chance of them coming back in power was incredibly slim. The only real threat left was the Ascetic but no one knew where he was.

Slowly but surely, the three continents began to intermingle more. 

Business was booming and there was plenty of opportunity to go around. 

But among such news, Ming Yue's name had become a hot topic. Having revealed herself when fighting the Hound, it had become apparent that she was alive and many rejoiced at the news. But there were some that felt quite the opposite. 

"She was the one that destroyed the branch?! Her? All those years ago, that same girl just dismantled years of my work?!"

There was an angry voice coming from the room as the sound of a table being smashed echoed out. 

Inside was none other than Bai Meng, whose face had grown red with anger. Though, quite a bit had changed about her. from her temper to her appearance. 

"Urgh, someone get me another plate of meat! I can't deal with this news right now."

Moments later, the doors opened as a figure wearing a fox mask stepped outside and walked away. Leaving the room, they headed for another room, walking in and going down on one knee. 

"Tribe Leader, I've come with a report."

They bowed down in front of Huxian Qie, who was resting on a lounge chair with her eyes covered.

"Speak." 

She didn't move an inch, saying just this one word.

And the masked figure lowered their head even further before talking. 

"That woman didn't react well to the news. Whoever this 'Ming Yue' is, they must have some sort of connection. Aside from that, she's done nothing but eat and play, In fact, she's grown lazier by the day, almost refusing to leave the room. At this point, I believe that it'd be better to just get rid of her. Besides, we've found others that are interested in our offer."

It was then that Huxian Qie rose up, taking off the cloth that covered her eyes. Revealing an inquisitive gaze, the leader of the Huxian Tribe was quiet for a moment. 

"She hasn't outlived her use yet and by the looks of it, she's barely touched our resources. The only cost is the room we've given her. But oh well, if she's fattening up quite nicely, I'm sure she has value as bait or meat. But until then, that thing stays there. And as for the others, we can accept them. Even if the other tribes haven't made a move yet, they're all slowly building up their forces. There is no excuse to lag behind them, is that clear?" 

"Yes!"

"As for that 'Ming Yue', go see what you can find out about her. The more I learn, the more interested I am. If we can get her to join us, control over the Den could be ours. See to it that you search every lead."

"I understand, Elder!"

They stood back up before turning to leave. 

Away from the Den, there was a ship in the sky. 

"Did you hear the news from the Human Continent? It seems that Ming Yue has finally revealed herself!"

On that ship was none other than the Twelve Zodiacs, all gathered together in the main cabin. Sitting around a table, there were dishes laid before them, each one fresh from the kitchen and warm to the touch. 

Among them was the boar-kin, Zhu Xie, who was busy filling his bowl while telling everyone the news. 

"It seems that she was responsible for destroying some criminal society called 'Redmist Sanctuary.' She had appeared when one of them attacked the capital city of Red Lotus Country. That's her home country too!" he said to them.

"Mm, to think that this is how she reveals herself. What a way to go about things."

Lao Gan took a bite out of a bun, chewing it while he glanced over at Bai Sheng and the others. 

"What do you all think?" he asked. 

"As long as she is in good health, that is all I wished for her", Bai Sheng responded, taking a sip from her teacup.

Those of the Four Claws nodded while their leader, the ox-kin, Niu Hong spoke.

"Indeed, it is good to know that she's doing well after all this time."

As for Ao Qin, the dragon-kin merely chuckled as he answered.

"She certainly made an entrance, don't you think, you old goat! Ahahahaha!"

He laughed loudly taking a swig of his drink.

Hearing their responses, Lao Gan pursed his lips, forming them into a smile of amusement. 

"Certainly is a rather grand way but sometimes an entrance like that is good. In any case, is there any other notable news, Zhu Xie?" he asked. 

And the boar-kin shook his head almost immediately. 

"Nothing else so far though we're nearing the next set of ruins that need to be explored!" he told them.

When hearing that, everyone grew quite excited, leaning forward to look at each other.

"From what I recall, this one is going to be underground so we should all prepare ourselves for it I'd rather not have a repeat of last time and need to carry you guys back!" Ao Qin announced. 

When hearing that, everyone ate a little quicker, no doubt feeling quite excited about this.

The only one who didn't move or even speak was Ruishi Lei, the lion-kin. From the beginning until now, he hadn't moved a muscle but none of the others bat an eye. It was difficult to tell if he was actually asleep or quietly listening.

Finally, back in the Human Continent, there was a set of mountains in the east, the Xue Mountains to be exact.

A mountain range that featured hundreds of towering rocks. It snowed all year round and because of this, there was a high level of natural energy and the cold environment made it a haven for those who cultivated the Dao of Ice. On top of that, these mountains were teeming with beasts, many of which were both powerful and rare. Highly sought after for their bodies, multiple cities were founded there in order to make it easier to hunt them down. They provided supplies and a warm bed to sleep in. 

That was how Endless Peak came to be. As one of the six kingdoms, it formed as those seeking shelter found themselves on those mountains, banning together to survive. Now, their people were physically strong due to the harsh landscape. With icy peaks, perilous winds, and deadly beasts, many became body cultivators as these conditions made it much easier for them to temper themselves.

At the same time, a rather unique part of their lives was bathing. Particularly blood bathing, filling the tub with a particular beast's blood to keep warm and to temper their bodies even further. 

However, knowledge like this had little importance at this moment. 

Despite these treacherous mountains, many chose to climb them, searching for treasures and battling strong beasts. 

Among them was none other than Ming Yue who wore nothing more than her armor. Both Xiao Yin and Hei Yue were by her side staying close as she protected everyone with the Dusk Lily Pin's barrier, keeping the group warm and protected. 

She furrowed her brows and took a look at her surroundings, seeing nothing but stone, snow, and ice. 

She was here for one thing, and one thing only, a slab of Abyssal Ice.

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