Chapter 1: Sky Tower (1)
==============================
In the early morning, most of the demon folks who had been partying until midnight were back in their rooms resting. Usually, they wouldn’t start stirring until noon, embarking on another day of chaos.
Lin Nan, however, was not tired at all. At her level, going a month without sleep would barely phase her.
Morris had set her up in the best guest room, complete with a living room outside and a bedroom tucked inside.
Lin Nan lounged in a chair while Xi stood respectfully nearby.
Yet, the living room held an unusual sight: a slender girl wrapped head to toe in bandages, looking like she was auditioning for a mummy movie.
“Good job, Mu Xunqing,” Lin Nan said, trying to sound encouraging.
The bandaged girl lifted her head, her arms drooping down in front of her like limp noodles. With a mischievous giggle, she said, “Master, can I wait a few days before stealthily ending those three lives? Watching them roll around is just too tempting!”
“Nope, I still need those three alive,” Lin Nan replied.
“Awww… what a shame…” Mu Xunqing whined, her pout evident despite her bandaged visage. She knew she had to follow her master’s orders, after all.
“It seems there’s been a hiccup with Little Musashi’s side. I haven’t heard from them since last night,” Lin Nan continued.
While she couldn’t airdrop character cards like in the past, being their summoner allowed her to keep tabs on her crew wherever they were. Right now, even from Black Stone City, she was aware of the Extermination of Immortals squads operating in the Human Race territories.
However, late last night, the Demon-Slaying Squad, led by Little Musashi and including Jing Feng, all lost contact at nearly the same moment. Something unexpected must have happened.
This made Lin Nan a tad anxious. Sure, Good Shiyuan and his buddies were busy sealing the connection between the Small World and the Asking Dao Continent, but who could say if some bizarre creature from the Small World hadn’t wandered into the continent?
Under normal circumstances, with the strength of the Demon-Slaying Squad, they could hold their own against the entire Tai Xu Sword Sect. After all, Little Musashi was just supposed to deliver a message from the Heavenly Sword Sect about a summit scheduled in a month… They had no reason to clash with the Tai Xu Sword Sect.
But right now, it appeared they were in trouble, as silence from them was anything but comforting.
The one silver lining was that their lives didn’t seem to be in imminent danger; otherwise, their character cards would have vanished into thin air the moment they died. For now, the cards were still sitting snugly in her card pouch.
Xi clasped his hands, “I’m willing to take the bl**d Moon Team to investigate.”
Mu Xunqing lazily leaned against the wall, her eyes rolling stiffly in thought, but she said nothing.
Lin Nan shot her a glance, “What are your thoughts?”
“Well,” Mu Xunqing replied, “I think if the weak perish, then they just perish. Why go out of our way to rescue them?”
Xi frowned slightly, “They are all comrades from the Extermination of Immortals. No need to be so harsh.”
Mu Xunqing’s arms swung erratically, “Am I wrong? If you flunk a mission and need a helping hand, what does that make you other than useless? Better not to assign them tasks at all; it’s a total waste of everyone’s time!”
Lin Nan wasn’t in the mood for their bickering; character cards were incredibly precious to her. They were her loyal minions, and she didn’t have to worry about their execution abilities. Letting the Demon-Slaying Squad simply vanish was not even an option in her playbook.
“Xi, take the bl**d Moon Team to assist. When you get back to Cold Wind City, I’ll have the Dark Feather Crane take you there. Remember, no matter the outcome, you must return within seven days.”
“Yes, Master.”
Without so much as a glance at Mu Xunqing, Xi exited the living room with purpose.
Mu Xunqing shrugged, a hint of disappointment evident, “Fine, I’ll stick around with you for a few days.”
“Yes, Master,” she added, and with a twirl, she vanished from the room.
Last night’s so-called punishment from the God of Harmony was actually orchestrated by Mu Xunqing. Lin Nan had summoned her before entering the tavern.
This girl was a whiz at formations. Aside from using the Seven Injuries Formation to intimidate the Heavenly Sword Sect back in Thousand Bird City, she had a ‘Cover Sky Formation’ up her sleeve that could control the life and d*ath of anyone trapped within.
Originally, Mu Xunqing was meant to be a backup plan. After all, Lin Nan was operating under a different identity in the tavern, making it inconvenient to flaunt her powers. Mu Xunqing was perfect for sneaking in and out without causing a fuss.
So when Morris blabbered nonsense, voicing intentions that could flip reason upside down, it was only fitting to unleash some divine punishment on them.
So far, so good; at least everyone regarded her as a legitimate harpist now. Though she hadn’t visited the demon realm yet, the way demons seemed to treasure harpists suggested they might be the only healer class they had.
Unlike humans, where the Big Seven Sword Sects all had different recovery skills, demons probably didn’t have that kind of versatility. Hence, harpists focused on healing and buffing must be in high demand.
Maybe using her harpist persona would allow her to tag along with Morris, Trissa, and Adeline on their trip to the Demon Race Imperial Capital. Even if they were to fight the demons later, knowing their territory thoroughly would be a smart play, keeping losses at a minimum.
What she wanted wasn’t their land but their hearts. Thus, Lin Nan deemed it absolutely necessary to explore the culture and customs of the demon realm before making any decisions.
Even if it meant taking a month or two, sharpening the axe wouldn’t delay the chopping of wood—time well spent.
Lin Nan rose slowly and drew back the curtains.
At this moment, the sun, warm yet bright, cast a radiant glow over Black Stone City.
Snow had not fallen in Black Stone; the unique dry chill of the desert and the coarse surfaces of its buildings sparked a curious sensation in Lin Nan.
Though she still hadn’t figured out exactly what the demons were doing in Black Stone City, one thing was certain: they didn’t have enough men to tip the scales between Cold Wind City and Black Stone City unless they sent in a massive army to intervene in the monster race’s internal tussles.
So, when the Lord of Black Stone City left the tavern last night, despite his attempts to conceal it, she saw his furious eyes.
If these demon folks came to Cold Wind City and spent their days getting wasted at the bar without lifting a finger, Cool Moon would have kicked them out long ago.
No point in keeping useless allies.
As she pondered, her gaze drifted, landing on the towering Sky Tower standing a hundred meters tall in the center of Black Stone City.
The initial plan for the Cold Wind City forces was to take down Black Stone City and rescue Good Shiyuan.
Now it seemed, Good Shiyuan had already left the place.
Was the Sky Tower merely a prison for him? Her curiosity piqued.
